...Running head: DEATH AND AGING: FEARING THE PROCESS 1 Death and Aging: Fearing the Process Aimmie Jenkins Liberty University DEATH AND AGING: FEARING THE PROCESS 2 Abstract The purpose of this study is to outline the fears, if any, that people have in regards to death and aging. Through theoretical research, aspects are explored to determine if people fear death or just the manner in which they will die, and if people fear aging or the effects of aging. Does the lack of faith in a higher power correlate with the fear of dying? Do people fear dying, the manner of death, or the unknown? Does one fear wrinkles, declining agility, and memory loss, or aging itself? Steps will be outlined for those that may fear death, to calm and educate them on death and aging. DEATH AND AGING: FEARING THE PROCESS 3 It is often said that as a culture, America has Gerascophobia, or the fear of aging. Fear that causes so much anxiety, which motivates some to seek anti-aging surgery and procedures. America is so consumed with looking young. In fact, in 2012, America spent over 11 Billion dollars on plastic surgery, alone. Wanting to look young is nothing new. The search for some magical ‘Fountain of Youth’ has been going on for centuries. Men...
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...Dealing with America’s Fear of Aging and Death Margaret Kimble Developmental Psychology 210 Liberty University Abstract Mankind has tried to cheat aging and death by freezing their remains, cosmetic surgery or marrying outside their generation hoping to stay young. However, these attempts are futile and Americans cannot hold back the clock or trick death. The clock is ticking and when it stops I will die and so will you no one knows when. Although there is a great deal of research on aging and death, no one has discovered how to halt the inevitable. It is a scientific and biblical fact that human beings will age and die. All life ends in death. This paper will cover some of the issues regarding, fear of death, and fear of aging. It will also explore if Americans fear death and aging because we have no control over it or we don’t understand it. Fear of aging can be attributed the fear of our health failing; losing our memory, independence and the energy for living our lives to the fullest (Berger, 2001). Fear of death can be attributed to not being able to speak to someone who is still experiencing it. Many fear growing older because of the onslaught of mental deterioration such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease; which are attributed to old age. (Philipchalk, 1994). Fear of aging and death is caused by America’s negative concept; it is the natural progression of life. In Strongman’s research he found that a dominant aspect of aging is death (Strongman,...
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...share experiences and also take care of yourself by doing so. It’s a place to blog or unwind about an experience, there are many resources listed for certification for palliative care and how to treat patients. It’s written with a very open and warm way and it’s a safe place to share your experiences, not formal and official like the NCI website. Communities like this are very important for health professionals to have a place to talk openly about experience which have a huge impact personally and learn from the experiences of others. The priority here is really the well being and training of the health professional. Part 1: Definition of the Topics on End of Life: 1. The Clinical Definition of Dying a. Clinical manifestations and complications -Signs of the Preactive phase of dying: * increased...
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...accepting his or her self, accomplishments, and can come to terms with mortality (Preisser, 1997). Once an individual can accept responsibility for what he or she achieved in life and undo any negative feelings on what his or her life portrayed this is the essential part of life. There are some individuals who have skepticism or misery over what he or she accomplished or did not accomplish in his or her life, and his is a result of thoughts of despair. When one determines that his or her life is a successful resolution this stage is life is considered virtue wisdom (Preisser, 1997). As any individual ages, he or she needs to confront the issue of aging and rid the negative stereotypes that each person has with aging. The universal aging process, senescence, is experienced by all humans. Every day of one’s life is a step in the aging...
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...All dying experiences are unique and influenced by many factors, such as the cause of death, length of the process, and beliefs of the person. Each patient understands death from his or her own point of view. Two patients with the exact same diagnosis will each comprehend their dying process differently. Whether it is age, gender, race, religion, the way he/she was raised, all people will uniquely experience the dying process. It is hard to quantify death because of this. First, we need to begin with definition of a critical word. Death anxiety is one found in almost every text describing the dying process. According to the Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine, death anxiety refers to the “fear and anxiety related to the anticipation, and awareness, of dying, death, and nonexistence. It can vary according to the person’s stage of development and sociocultural life experiences” (Gellman, 2013). This one definition already shows that there is going to be relationships between the dying process and age, gender, and different races. Effects of Gender on the Dying Process The connection of gender to the dying process is fairly inconsistent. Some reports state that there is no difference in gender relationship to death and the quality of the dying process (Venegas and Alvarado,...
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...that one day we may day. Then when faced with such obvious reality we start to deny such events could happen. We would say things like, “this can’t be real,” or “this has to be a mistake”. “It can feel as though you are experiencing a bad dream and you are waiting to “wake up,” expecting things to be normal and that your diagnosis is a mistake (Patricelli 2007). A huge reason for our denial is that we are not born with the notion or the idea of death. In Ernest Becker’s book, The Denial of Death he explains that fear of dying starts in a child between the ages of three and five. A child’s brain isn’t able to grasp something as abstract as not existing anymore because it is constantly surrounded by living things that respond to their every need. Only as time goes on does the child realize that some things tend to not exist and some tend to not exist forever at about the age of nine or ten (Becker 1973). We are in denial for the most part because the fear or not existing, isn’t constantly in our subconscious. If it were we would not be...
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...Fear of Aging and Death Name of Student Liberty University Abstract This paper addresses the fear of death and aging in America. The United States is a culture in which people are judged by their appearance. The media idealizes youth and feeds into the fallacy that becoming older is somehow negative. Thus, the identity of those who are growing older is undermined, and older Americans are often devalued. The reality, however, is that God has a plan for every phase of our lives. Research indicates that between the ages of 75 and 84, 73% report no disability, thus proving that older Americans are living long, healthy lives and are valuable assets to society (Vaillant & Mukamal, 2001). Appearance has no relevance on the contributions one can make in society. Furthermore, our fear of death is irrational. Death is often feared as a result of our diminishing faith in God and unbelief in the reality of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Death is not the end of life, but only the beginning of eternal life in a place free from illness, heartache and death. A Society Obsessed with Youth Americans are obsessed with youth and physical beauty. The average adult male in the United States spends thirty-two minutes getting ready in the morning (Hamermesh, 2011). The average adult female spends forty-four minutes (Hamermesh, 2011). Time is not the only thing Americans spend on their appearance. “In 2008, the average American household spent $718 on women’s and girl’s...
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...has faced and feared time and time again in war and in peace, young and old, man and woman. In all of that time the easing of passing has been a difficult job that fell on caretakers, physicians and more specifically hospice doctors, nurses, social workers and counselors. All of whom care for both the patients who must bear the knowledge that they are dying for as much as six months ahead of time and for their families and loved ones who are present throughout the whole process. Unfortunately, this branch of medicine, palliative medicine, is relatively new. Thus it is critical now more than ever that more funding and research are dedicated to its advancement and upkeep. The need for hospice care throughout...
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...Characters Blanche DeBois: * Around the age of 30 * from Mississippi, an aging southern belle(panics about her fading beauty) * lost Belle Reve(DeBpis family home) and her young husband(gay, she announced her disgust at his homosexuality suicide marks the end of Blanche’s sexual innocence) * drinking problem * Stella’s older sister * moves into the Kowalski home in New Orleans * destitute * has had many lovers (strong sexual urges) self-esteem depends on many for happiness * avoids reality(snobbery hide her poverty and indignity) * throughout the play her self-image and sanity crumble End: Stanley rapes her(destroys rest of mental and sexual esteem) and commits her to an asylum Stella Kowalski: * Around the age of 25 * Blanche’s younger sister * Mild character * Married to Stanley Kowalski (robust sexual relationship violent and renewing) and pregnant * Torn between her sister and her husband (stands by Stanley in the end) Stanley Kowalski: * Stella’s husband * Working-class * Example of vital force * Loyal to friends (Steve, Pablo, Mitch), passionate to Stella, cruel to Blanche * Polish ancestry( represents new heterogeneous America Blanche doesn’t belong to them, she is from an old social hierachy) * Fought in WW2 * Wishes to destroy Blanche’s social life * Beats his wife and rapes Blanche (BUT no remorse and still the proud family man) * Doesn’t like Blanche because...
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...Table of Contents Abstract 2 Introduction 3 The Impact Medical Technology has on Religion 6 How Religion Will Respond Given Their Principles and Doctrines 7 The anti-aging therapies are raising controversies in science and religion 12 Conclusion 13 References 14 Abstract People figured out early on that living longer would be beneficial if they had the chance to do so. They would be able to spend more time with their friends and family, have more time in life to accomplish things they set out to do, and they could simply enjoy more of what life has to offer. This is a great mindset for anyone to have since life is a beautiful thing and worth living. With all of the advanced medical technology on this specific subject and the new findings that are constantly being done to prolong the human lifespan, we start to enter into the area of what is ethically right and wrong and wonder how much is too much? There are many different forms of medical treatment that can save someone’s life. This will vary from medicine to surgery and many things in between. Not everyone will agree on some of the techniques used, but most people understand why someone would want to save their life. Since people will try to save their own lives if they are dying, many scientists believe that there is no difference in trying to extend a life through medicine, or trying to create a life from another person through a cloning system. This is where the tables turn from helping mankind,...
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...“Protecting Our America” After researching on America’s problems with border control and illegal immigration, I first have realized that two of the most important aspects of this highly controversial topic, relate to America’s economy and culture. Certain people, such as Anna Quidlen, author of essay “Immigration: Newcomers by Numbers”, believe that America relies on both legal and illegal immigrants to boost our economy and help our nation become more universal. My research presents the other side of this argument, by showing how illegal immigration has actually threatened our nation’s economy and culture more so than anything else. I originally agreed with Anna Quindlen, after reading her essay; all of her points describing the economic benefits America receives by employing undocumented workers seemed reasonable and accurate. Her plea states that they are just regular people in search of work, trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. I’m sure this is true in a lot of cases but unfortunately, there are more repercussions for allowing illegal immigrants to stay in our country than what meets the eye. Yes, it is true that these Mexican workers will take jobs that Americans turn down and yes, they will do them for cheaper. So in that sense, yes, illegal workers do benefit our economy, “but what is good for corporate America is not necessarily what is good for Middle America (Buchanan 49).” Simply paying taxes and filling lower income jobs such as farmhands...
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...I'm so happy that finally I got a copy of Mitch Albom's book, Tuesdays with Morrie. I have been wanting to have it. This is the best book I've ever read. I've shed a lot of tears, laughed out loud and pondered about the reality and wisdom shared by an intelligent, compassionate, loving and very kind old man. I love you Morrie Schwartz. Forever I will cherish your words. The movie as well as the book inspired me a lot. This was the 3rd time i read an inspirational book. Just like other people i had no interests reading books before but as i read the 3 books namely living, loving, learning; the secret and this tuesdays with morrie it change the way i live my life. The three books have their similarities but this one focus more about dying. It indeed reminded us to spend our lives meaningful and worthwhile. the greatest book i read. lots of...
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...In America the rates of suicide among the elderly aged 65 and older has continued to increase. Unassisted suicide is defined as a decision that is usually made in isolation by an individual who is often suffering from depression. Suicide has been prevalent throughout history. There are up to nine references about suicide in the Old Testament. The risks and the number of suicides increase more among the elderly aged 85 and older. The majority of the incidences occur due to the mental health issues of the individual. An obstacle faced by mental health professionals in reaching this group is that older adults usually prefer not to seek treatment for their mental health problems. The elderly are the fastest growing portion of the population,...
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...Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Statistics Show…………………………………………………………………………………... 4 WHO Health Stats for US……………………………………………………………….. 4 WHO Health Stats for Germany…………………………………………………………. 4 The Big Little People Problem…………………………………………………………………... 5 The Errors of Youth…………………………………………………………………………… 5 “Battle of the Fatties”…………………………………………………………………….. 5 For the Public, By the Public…………………………………………………………………... 6 Drug Abuse Care……………………………………………………………………….... 6 Care for the Mentally Ill…………………………………………………………………. 7 Drug Related Death Rates……………………………………………………….. 7 Suicide Rates…………………………………………………………………….. 7 A Time to Die……………………………………………………………………………………. 8 The Part of Life that is Death…………………………………………………………… 8 The Part of Death that is Fear…………………………………………………………… 8 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………. 9 References……………………………………………………………………………………… 10 Introduction The long held belief that the United States is the greatest country on earth has been debated in recent years. Domestic terror attacks, stock market crashes, and a deep recession have challenged the standing of the US amongst other nations. As the US is rebounding from these domestic problems, it is in a legislative battle to reform a long failing health care system. In comparison to European countries, like the example that will be used here, Germany, the US treats the sick as it does any other consumer on the free market in contrast to the sick being treated as a human beings. The health care system...
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...Health Traditions and Practices as it Relates to Health Maintenance in The Culturally Diverse. M. Gabrielle Kuehl (aka Maria Kuehl) Grand Canyon University NRS-429V August 17, 2014 Promoting a health wellness plan to that effectively addresses the needs of a culturally diverse community, requires heritage based evaluations and considerations to address the varying diverse values, traditions or practices within the family unit. Understanding the family’s cultural heritage in addition to health promoting traditions is key to achieving positive outcomes in the development of an effective health maintenance, protection and restoration wellness plan. Gathering information specific to heritage health values, beliefs and traditions to assist in determining a current health practice baseline, is valuable information to be referred back to throughout the plan. Grand Canyon University substantiates the importance of cultural considerations as mentioned in their lecture regarding cultural competency in nursing by suggesting “Cultural beliefs and values influence health decisions and must be taken into consideration. Therefore, cultural diversity in health education is as important as any other sector of health maintenance.” (Grand Canyon University, 2011, p. 1.). Hence the importance in using an assessment tool in determining a health practice baseline within populations that possess beliefs differing from that of standardized western medicine. The basis for health traditions and...
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