Chemical dependency Essay Example for Free

Chemical dependency Essay Group Structure: Type of group: This meeting was a â€Å"Narcotics Anonymous Open Sharing Meeting†. This component, where anyone attending had the opportunity to share. There was no direct feedback from the other participants during the â€Å"share†, thus only one person spoke at any given time during that portion of the meeting. Organizational affiliation: Narcotics Anonymous as a group has no affiliation outside of Narcotics Anonymous. As a group they have no opinion on outside issues,† including those of politics, science, or medicine, and do not endorse any outside organization or institution. The fellowship does not promote itself, but rather attracts new members through public information and outreach. Narcotics Anonymous groups and areas supply outside organizations with factual information regarding the Narcotics Anonymous program, and individual members may carry the Narcotics Anonymous message to hospitals and institutions, such as treatment centers and jails. Narcotics Anonymous as a group base their public relations policy on attraction rather than promotion. Physical environment: This meeting was held in the recreation room in the basement of a church. There was an oblong table at the head of the two rows of chairs placed in a 360 degree circle. Participants: There were roughly 40-50 participants ranging in age from mid teens to late 50’s. There were only 5 females in attendance. This group’s ethnicity was about 85% Caucasian, 10% African American and 5% Latino. Leadership structure: In different areas the work is divided differently, and the particular jobs are sometimes called different names. At this particular meeting the leadership structure was as follows, ranking from top to bottom in hierarchy. Chairperson, Co-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Group service representative (GSR). Process: What the group does for a person’s first visit? First time visitors and  newcomers to this meeting were asked to introduce themselves by first name only. These individuals were welcomed by all the participants at the meeting. These individuals were given a hand shake, a hug and a white key tag (by a presenter) that said welcome on one side and on the other side had the Narcotics Anonymous logo. How members’ contribute to the group’s leadership? Members who attend the same meeting on a regular basis to establish a recovery network and reliable routine understand this to be their â€Å"Home Group†. These group members are able to participate in the group’s business, and play an important role in deciding how the structure, leadership and the group’s meetings will be conducted. Each member has a vote in this process and the majority vote rules. Activities that occurred during the meeting. There were no physical activities during this meeting but certain individuals read inserts from the â€Å"Basic Text Book† of Narcotics Anonymous pertaining to that week’s format and agenda. Address the following questions: How did the group begin? The group began by the Chairperson knocking on the table to gain every ones attention, then announcing them self, followed by stating the name of this group (Dead Man Walking) then reciting the Serenity Prayer. How was the purpose of the meeting communicated? The purpose of the meeting was indicated by preamble which was read by the Chairperson also by the reading of the secretary’s report, which was read by the C-Chairperson, this stated the purpose of the meeting and the rules in which the participants were required to oblige by. How was the meeting’s agenda established? The agenda varies in whatever way seems to best suit the personality of the group and the needs of the addicts in the community. This meeting’s agenda and format was established by the governing members (from the Home Group) and varies from week to week but was mostly based on the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous. Techniques used to encourage people to participate. It was announced to all those attending the meeting that participation was optional. What extent were these techniques effective. There was no pressure on anyone which made the atmosphere very comfortable. What are participants’ responsibilities for the meeting process? Anonymity of the group’s participants and process were the main responsibilities from all those attending and keeping the sharing time  between 3-5 minutes and not interrupting the person who was talking. How were these responsibilities explained? These responsibilities were explained to the group in detail during the reading of the secretary’s report. How did the group demonstrate interest, acceptance, etc. in those attending? The participants showed interest by paying close attention to the individual who was sharing and when those who shared finished, everyone in the group (at one time) thanked that person for sharing their story. What emotions were observed? There were a couple of times when an individual who was telling their story began to cry. Other times there was some laughter from the group when certain individuals identified their own story with the one the person was sharing. How did the participants respond to expressions of these emotions? The participants expressions showed true concern and empathy for those who were sharing their experience, strength and hope. Were there any decisions made for future events or meetings? It was stated in the secretary’s report that all meeting events and decisions are discussed and made during the group’s monthly business meeting. The business meeting for this group is held on the second Saturday of the month. Describe any observation of any therapeutic factors. The therapeutic value of one addict helping another gave each participant the feeling of acceptance and familiarity. There were a lot of similarities between the structure of an Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meeting. A major difference I witness at the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting from the Narcotics Anonymous meeting was, at the Narcotics Anonymous Meeting it was suggested that those who was sharing not to acknowledge or mention there drug use. At the Narcotics Anonymous meeting it was clearly stated that â€Å"Narcotics Anonymous does not distinguish a difference between substances, they are all inclusive, â€Å"Alcohol is a drug†. It was also stated at the Narcotics Anonymous meeting that anyone from the other fellowship (Alcoholics Anonymous) was accepted at this and all Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

Hesse Biber- Am I Thin Enough Yet? The Cult of Thinness and the Commercialization of Identity :: essays research papers

The Cult of Thinness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many modern women subject themselves to an intense day-to-day involvement in the pursuit of thinness demands. These demands resemble those behaviors commonly associated with cult hood. Three main â€Å"tools† are used in order to achieve this goal or ideal. The Cult of Thinness invests in thinness through primary rituals. The rituals are followed through by the obsession of a particular â€Å"ideal† body. There are also extremities or positions of higher authority with extreme involvement in cults, much like the level of devotion in The Cult of Thinness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Daily actions of checking and critiquing can be performed in many ways. Body monitoring offers an array of resources. Constantly weighing one’s self is a way of achieving quantitative precision. Being able to pinpoint an exact gain or loss is a necessity in this cycle. To be able to have an ideal weight and to accurately compare yourself leaves no room for misinterpretation. Counting Calories helps maintain discipline to be sure not to exceed the limit. If one eats certain â€Å"restricted† food, it is seen to be sinful or as breaking the rules. This restriction of food intake is in a highly disciplined way. This is part of a larger process of dieting and exercising which is used in an obsessive manner to obtain the â€Å"perfect† body. These diet rituals can go as far as to fast for days at a time. Another â€Å"tool† of monitoring is food watching, monitoring the intake of â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† foods. Nutritionally healthy foods are considered good. Anything else, from sweets to foods with fat, are considered bad foods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Other rituals are performed through comparisons. By evaluating and examining old pictures and using them as motivation. Having a constant reminder of previous slimness can push a person to regain what might be an unrealistic goal. Mirrors provide a selective image to the viewer. You only see what you want to. This is particularly important, as most members to this Cult of Thinness have low self esteem. A mirror can be used to scrutinize and dissect physical flaws. â€Å"’A mirror reflects the virtual image of an object placed in front of it.’† This provides an analogy for how society fosters women’s obsession with their weight and body image. These rituals can serve as a reminder to ones self that one is not meeting the standards, guilt and self penance are results.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a cult, there is an object or ideal to â€Å"worship.

“Othello” By William Shakespeare Essay

William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello† I feel is one of the most interesting plays Shakespeare wrote. It’s hard to put down a play because you don’t know what happens next. What I think made this play great was that it has a villain behind the motive, which makes the play more interesting for me. â€Å"Othello† takes you on an adventure that makes you aware of whom you can and cannot trust; and who are your true friends. You can’t always believe what you hear. In the beginning of act one Roderigo (a wealthy Venetian gentleman) and Iago (Villain, Othello’s ancient) tells Brabantio who is Desdemona’s father that his daughter eloped and she’s having sex and she will have the devils children. Othello was accused of tricking Desdemona into marrying him because they sneaked away and eloped. Since Othello is black they assume that Desdemona was tricked since no one at this time would marry a black man. Brabantio takes Othello to the duke to settle the matter. Othello says to the Duke and to the others to send for Desdemona and she herself will tell that she married Othello willingly and by her own choice. When Desdemona arrives she tells all that she loves Othello. Desdemona was attracted to his war stories and his adventures of his world travel. The love that Desdemona feels for Othello is on the inside not the outside. In return Othello loves Desdemona because she is young and beautiful and he respects her. Now Iago is jealous that Othello chose Cassio (Othello’s Lieutenant and is part of the framework on Desdemona and does not know it and he is the foil of Othello) as his Lieutenant. Iago is also jealous over Othello because he wants his life. He hates Othello but has no reason to so he makes up these problems and manipulates. Roderigo is in love with Desdemona and Iago tells him that he could have her if he sells his land and gives Iago the money and he will buy all these jewels and he will give them to Desmonda. Iago is a manipulator. In Act two Iago in his crazy mind pretends to believe that Cassio is in love with Desdemona. Iago acts on this and starts manipulating others more. Iago  tells Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are in love with each other. Iago wants to turn Othello against Cassio and fire him from his Lieutenant position. This was the night that Othello and Desdemona were celebrating their wedding. When they leave Iago gets Cassio drunk because Iago knows Cassio can’t handle alcohol and will not be aware of his behavior. Then Iago tells Montano (Othello’s predecessor in the government of cypress) Cassio is drunk and tells Roderigo to fight Cassio. During the fight Cassio hurts Roderigo and Montano because Montano was breaking the fight up. Othello finds out about Cassio’s behavior and takes his Lieutenant’s position away. Cassio is hurt by Othello’s decision, so Iago tell Cassio to talk to Desdemona and she will help get his job back. Iago also tells Roderigo that Cassio was fired. Roderigo now has hope that he will be with Desdemona. Iago tells Emelia (his wife) to make sure Cassio talks to Desdemona. The only reason he wants this is so Othello will see them and he will think Desdemona is unfaithful. In Act three Cassio is talking with Iago and tells him he made plans to meet with Desdemona. Iago tell him he will help him. Cassio finally meets with Desdemona and she tells him that Othello still loves him very much and she will do all she can to help him get his job back; she will put in a good word for him. From a far Iago is with Othello; he planned it that way so Othello would see Desdemona and Cassio together. Iago begins to brain wash Othello into believing Desdemona is unfaithful to him. Othello is vulnerable to Iago’s insinuation because he doesn’t believe Iago would lie to him. Othello considers Iago to be a true friend because they had fought in wars together. Another reason Othello questions Desdemona’s loyalty was because she was able to deceive her father who she loved very much so she could easily deceive him. When Othello sees Desdemona after this he is still in shock and tells her that he has a headache and needs to lay down. Desdemona while talking to Othello drops her handkerchief (her first gift from Othello; it was his mothers). Emilia finds the handkerchief and gives it to Iago. Iago in his sneaky way knows he can use this to manipulate the situation. Iago plants it in Cassio’s home so Cassio will find it (he does not know it’s Desdemona’s). Othello does not yet believe that Desdemona is unfaithful and Othello wants proof from Iago. Iago tells Othello that he saw  Cassio with Desdemona’s handkerchief Othello then makes Iago his Lieutenant and wants Cassio killed which is Iago’s responsibility and Othello would take care of Desdemona. Desdemona now is looking for her handkerchief and mentions it to Emilia; Emilia denies ever seeing it. Othello asks Desdemona for the handkerchief and she tells him it is not lost; she has just misplaced it. Desdemona begins to ask Othello about Cassio and he yells at her and sends her away. Desdemona runs into Cassio and explains to him that her helping him get his job back isn’t going well. Also Cassio found the handkerchief in his house and gives it to his mistress Bianca. In Act four Iago is still his usual manipulating self. He is still manipulating Othello by telling him Desdemona is unfaithful to him and fooling around with Cassio. What hurts Othello most is that the handkerchief is missing and Iago tells him she gave it to Cassio. Iago starts talking to Cassio and asking him things about his mistress. Now from the other side Othello is watching and he thinks that Cassio is telling Iago about him and Desdemona; then Cassio’s mistress shows up and throws the handkerchief at Cassio and fights with him. Iago then makes Othello believe that he must kill Desdemona because what she has done and he will kill Cassio. Othello meets with Emilia and asks her if Desdemona is unfaithful to him by fooling around with Cassio. Emilia explains that nothing is happening between them and their relationship is strictly platonic. Othello finally confronts Desdemona in the bedroom with Emilia by her side helping her get ready for bed as they talk about the situat ion. At this point Desdemona’s depressed. Act five starts out on the street with Iago and Roderigo. Iago is telling Roderigo how to kill Cassio. Iago at this point is nervous because Roderigo keeps asking about the money he gave Iago that he was supposed to give to Desdemona. Cassio comes by and Roderigo starts to attack Cassio but Cassio stabs him first, then Iago stabs Cassio from behind. Iago then stabs Roderigo one more time and kills him to make it seem as if he was protecting Cassio. Bianca comes to attend Cassio and Iago point’s fingers at her trying to make it seem she is guilty so no one is suspicious of him. The next scene takes place in Othello and Desdemona’s room. Desdemona is still asleep and Othello kisses her. She awakes and Othello asks her if she has prayed, so  when she dies her soul will go to heaven. Desdemona is still confused on what wrong she has done. Othello confesses that he knows she gave Cassio her handkerchief, which means she has been sleeping with him. Desdemona tells Othello she is innocent and to call for Cassio and he will tell the truth, that nothing happened between them. Othello tells her Cassio is dead and he confessed as he died. Othello and Desdemona go on arguing and Desdemona tries to make Othello believe that she has always loved him and been faithful to him. Othello looks at her and then kills her. Emilia comes in and Othello tells her he has killed Desdemona and in Desdemona’s last breath she says she did it to herself making Othello look innocent. Emilia tells Othello that she found the handkerchief and gave it to Iago. Iago is now seen as guilty and kills his wife by stabbing her. Iago leaves and runs but is captured and comes back with Cassio and Lodovico. Othello then stabs Iago. Lodovico now finds out that Iago and Othello tried to have Cassio killed and were behind it. Cassio explains he found the handkerchief; Iago confesses that he planted it in his room. Othello ultimately kills himself over the grief he feels. The true identity of who your friends are may surprise you. â€Å"Othello† is proof that greed and true bitterness can cause more damage then originally intended. Othello is a weak character that is easily convinced of wrong doings that never happened. His mind set on believing his friend over his wife is his ultimate downfall. The human mind is fickle and Shakespeare makes this the common theme throughout the play.

Main Message of the Soap Opera by David Ives Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Comedy has to touch something that is realistic, otherwise, the comic attempt can fail. It makes one laugh at what is supposed to be serious, making it easier for the individual to face the reality of the message. If one looks at the title Soap Opera , it is already a mockery. Also, David Ives use of deadpans, when one would normally expect high emotions, and overblown feelings, when one would normally expect calm and poise, is a brilliant way of spoofing soap operas. He never lets the audience get what they would normally expect. Yet, what makes it comically similar to a soap opera is the use of exaggeration. Soap operas usually show people being killed every other day, people acquiring amnesia and recovering from it in an auspicious timing, and every other situation one can think of that do not happen in the real world every single day. The main message of the play can easily be determined just by analyzing the three main characters --- Manny, Maypole, and Mabel. Manny is torn be tween perfection and imperfection --- the elegant washing machine and the flawed human. We will write a custom essay sample on Main Message of the Soap Opera by David Ives or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page The play easily is made more modern by just changing the washing machine into a different, more current gadget --- laptop, mobile phone, or even iPod. The portrayal of a perfect housewife at the beginning of the play can be adjusted to what is suitable for today s audience. After these changes are done, the rest of the details will automatically follow.