Five stages of dying Essays

Five stages of dying Essays Five stages of dying Paper Five stages of dying Paper Essay Topic: As I Lay Dying Thanatology, or the study of death and dying, has gone through significant growth since the 1950s, when Herman Feifels â€Å"Meanings of Death† was introduced to the behavioral science field. Before then, dying and death were mainly the concerns of poets and mystics. Death was considered a word to be avoided as much as possible by physicians, and as a topic of restriction even by psychologists. Since that time the research and writings of Robert Fulton, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, among others, have helped to make thanatology a serious area of scientific research and discussion. Even though all dying people do not show a terminal drop in their abilities and actions, many of them do realize when they are about to die (Kalish Reynolds, 1981). This epiphany affects different people in different ways. People who no longer want to live may give up without putting on a fight and die fairly quickly. When they lose their will to survive, they embrace death as the ultimate solution to all their problems. Another group of severely ill people are those those who find themselves unable to cope with the pain and frustration of long term illness but are also afraid of death itself, continually battling between a desire to live and a wish to die. This constant conflict between dying and living is worsened when the person has one or more dependents but is afraid of becoming a burden on them. : Even when they are not told directly by a family member, a friend, a doctor or a nurse, a large majority of terminally ill patients realize that they are going to die in the very near future. They sense it in the changes in their bodies and the attitudes of other people. Consequently, an honest report on the part of others frequently comes as no surprise but simply confirms what the patient suspected all along (Kubler-Ross, 1969). Whether they desire to die sooner or later, it is generally acknowledged that people can, through their own attitudes and behavior, either hasten or delay their own death. Having accepted the fact that death is imminent, they may even decide on a particular time for it to occur. Stages in Dying The stage theory of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, as well as of many other researchers, is related to the time, dimension of the dying process. Kubler-Rosss (1969) stage theory was formulated from an analysis of her interviews with over 200 dying patients. She argued that it is important for health workers and families of dying patients to be observant and aware of these progressive stages.

History of the 1948 Olympic Games in London

History of the 1948 Olympic Games in London Since the Olympic Games had not been held in either 1940 or 1944 because of World War II, there was much debate as to whether or not to hold the 1948 Olympic Games at all. Ultimately, the 1948 Olympic Games (also known as the XIV Olympiad) were held, with a few post-war modifications, from July 28 to August 14, 1948. These Austerity Games turned out to be very popular and a great success.   Fast Facts Official Who Opened the Games:  British King George VIPerson Who Lit the Olympic Flame:  British runner  John MarkNumber of Athletes:  4,104 (390 women, 3,714 men)Number of Countries:  59 countriesNumber of Events:  136 Post-War Modifications When it was announced that  the Olympic Games would be resumed, many debated whether it was wise to have a festival when many European countries were in ruins and the people near starvation. To limit the United Kingdoms responsibility to feed all the athletes, it was agreed that the participants would bring their own food. Surplus food was donated to British hospitals. No new facilities were built for these Games, but the Wembley Stadium had survived the war and proved adequate. No Olympic Village was erected; the male athletes were housed at an army camp in Uxbridge and the women housed at Southlands College in dormitories. Missing Countries Germany and Japan, the aggressors of World War II, were not invited to participate. The Soviet Union, although invited, also did not attend. Two New Items The 1948 Olympics saw the introduction of blocks, which are used to help start runners in sprint races. Also new was the very first, Olympic, indoor pool Empire Pool. Amazing Stories Badmouthed because of her older age (she was 30) and because she was a mother (of two young children), Dutch sprinter Fanny Blankers-Koen was determined to win a gold medal. She had participated in the 1936 Olympics, but the cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Olympics meant that she had to wait 12 more years to get another shot at winning.  Blankers-Koen, often called the Flying Housewife or the Flying Dutchman, showed them all when she took home  four  gold medals, the first woman to do so. On the other side of the age-spectrum was 17-year-old Bob Mathias. When his high school coach had suggested he try out for the Olympics in the decathlon, Mathias didnt even know what that event was. Four months after starting training for it, Mathias won gold at the 1948 Olympics, becoming the youngest person to win a mens athletics event. (As of 2015, Mathias still holds that title.) One Major Snafu There was one major snafu at the Games. Though the United States had won the 400-meter relay by a full 18 feet, a judge ruled that one of the U.S. team members had passed the baton outside of the passing zone. Thus, the U.S. team was disqualified. The medals were handed out, the national anthems were played. The United States officially protested the ruling and after careful review of the films and photographs taken of the baton pass, the judges decided that the pass had been completely legal; thus the United States team was the real winner. The British team had to give up their gold medals and received silver medals (which had been given up by the Italian team). The Italian team then received the bronze medals which had been given up by the Hungarian team.