Abu Bakr - the First Muslim Caliph

Born to a wealthy family, Abu Bakr was a successful merchant with a reputation for honesty and kindness. Tradition has it that, having long been a friend to Muhammad, Abu Bakr immediately accepted him as a prophet and became the first adult male to convert to Islam. Muhammad married Abu Bakrs daughter Aishah and chose him to accompany him to Medina. Shortly before his death, Muhammad asked Abu Bakr to offer up a prayer for the people. This was taken as a sign that the Prophet had chosen Abu Bakr to succeed him. After Muhammads death, Abu Bakr was accepted as the first deputy of the Prophet of God, or caliph. Another faction preferred Muhammads son-in-law Ali as caliph, but Ali eventually submitted, and Abu Bakr took over governance of all Muslim Arabs. As Caliph, Abu Bakr brought all of central Arabia under Muslim control and was successful in spreading Islam further through conquest. He also saw to it that the Prophets sayings were preserved in written form. The collection of sayings would be compiled into the Quran (or Quran or Koran). Abu Bakr died in his sixties, possibly from poison but just as likely from natural causes. Before his death he named a successor, establishing a tradition of government by chosen successors. Several generations later, after rivalries led to murder and war, Islam would be split into two factions: the Sunni, who followed the Caliphs, and the Shiite, who believed that Ali was the proper heir of Muhammad and would only follow leaders descended from him. Also Known As El Siddik or Al-Siddiq (The Upright) Noted For Abu Bakr was the closest friend and companion of  Muhammad  and the first Muslim caliph. He was one of the first men to convert to Islam and was chosen by the Prophet as his companion on the  Hijrah  to Medina. Places of Residence and Influence Asia: Arabia Important Dates Born:  c. 573 Completed  Hijrah  to Medina:  Sept. 24, 622​ Died:  Aug. 23, 634 Quotation Attributed to Abu Bakr Our abode in this world is transitory, our life therein is but a loan, our breaths are numbered and our indolence is manifest.

Two Kinds - 1095 Words

Two Kinds is a wonderful little short story about a immigrant Chinese woman in the mid 1950’s to early 1960’s that moved to Chinatown in California to give herself a better opportunity to make it in America. In the story we see the Amy’s mother as a woman who already has dealt with her fair share of pain and disappointment. Jeng-mei mothers entire family seemed to have been wiped out before she came to America from China Jeng-mei explains â€Å" she had come to San Francisco in 1949 after losing everything in China: her mother and father, her home, her first husband, and two daughter, twin baby girls. But she never looked back with regret.† This was the type of woman Amy’s mother was diligent, unwavering, focus that there could be a†¦show more content†¦I won’t let her change me†. This is where struggle rears its ugly head in her and her mother’s relationship Jeng-mei not being from China lacked an obedience that her counterpart may have had because she was an American child. You see Jeng-mei’s mother did not take into consideration her child being an American was probably not going to be as obedient as other Chinese girls were. Jeng-mei’s mother reason for coming to America was to take advantage of all America had to offer but I don’t think Amy’s mother realized that America gave her daughter her own mind. In conclusion we see through the rest of the story that there was more conflict with the two. Jeng-mei’s mother buys a piano for her daughter to learn how to play and become a prodigy at the piano. Mrs. Tan traded cleaning house with Mr. Chong the ir deaf neighbor who used to teach music. Amy starts to slack because her music teacher was deaf and not able to truly hear what Amy was playing. This was reflected in the recital and utterly bombed in front her parent, family, and friends. Amy’s mother was disappointed but when Jeng-mei felt that this would be her escape and her mother would not bother her about this prodigy thing she was sadly mistaken Jeng-mei’s mother did not waver from this way of thinking. Jeng-mei then has a fit and becomes like a typical American child and becomes very disrespectful toward her mother and Amy’s mother and herShow MoreRelatedTwo Kinds2009 Words   |  9 Pagess story Two Kinds is a battle of wills between the narrator, a young Chinese American girl, and her mother, a Chinese immigrant. Two Kinds is a coming-of-age story, in which the narrator, Jing-mei, struggles to forge her own sense of identity in the face of her strong-willed mother s dream that she become a prodigy. Jing-mei is caught between her Chinese mother s traditional ideas about how to raise a daughter, and her own development as a Chinese American girl straddling two cultures. Read MoreTwo Kinds822 Words   |  4 PagesID# 1723801 English 103-276 January 17, 2011-01-17 Two Kinds Amy Tan In the short story â€Å"Two Kinds†, Amy Tan uses the narrator’s point of view to share a mothers attempt to control her daughters dreams and ambitions. Tan`s short story is an example of how differing personalities cause struggles between a parent and child. Children often fall victim to a parent trying too hard or expectations being too high, and in the case of Two Kinds, we see Jing Mei’s mother trying to live her life throughRead MoreTwo Kinds1409 Words   |  6 PagesThe story starts off with the daughter narrating the story talking of her mothers tragedy in China; The mother who lost her mother, father, husband , and her two twin babies was trying to start over and give her child the American dream. The daughter the one telling the story was very as the story began about becoming famous. The mother on the other hand goes to all lengths to try to find her daughters talents. The characters in the story are the mother who played a huge role, although her nameRead MoreEssay on Two Kinds1194 Words   |  5 PagesThe story â€Å"Two Kinds,† written by Amy Tan, has a plot that many people can relate to while growing up as a child. The theme of the story is that there are two kinds of people: the one the mother wants her to be and the one Jing-mei (the protagonist and narrator of the story) strives to be. Both mother and daughter in the story have a very complicated relationship. The mother believes that you could become anything you wanted in America. The author emphasizes that Jing-mei’s mother tries to dominateRead MoreTwo Kinds of Interpretations in Amy Tan’s Short Story Two Kinds1285 Words   |  5 PagesOften times mothers can be pushy, annoying, and a bit overbearing but in the long run they always just want what is best for their child. Everyone wants their child to be the best, most popular and overall number one. In Amy Tanâ €™s short story â€Å"Two Kinds† we see this type of fame hungry mother. The short story is about a Chinese family who lost everything. The mother had lost her entire family full of children except for the one in the story. With the belief â€Å"you could be anything you want in America†Read More`` Two Kinds By Amy Tan1460 Words   |  6 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Two Kinds† by Amy Tan is a story that shows a battle that starts with the narrator and her mother, for control over the narrator’s life. Her mother wanted her to become a prodigy, but she wanted to be anything other than that. So, throughout the short story â€Å"Two Kinds† she’s determined to not quit the fight. â€Å"Two Kinds† is filled with different forms of conflict which allows for the narrator to realize that her mother’s crazy antics were to help her find what she was good at. Which leadsRead MoreThe Two Kinds By Amy Tan1272 Words   |  6 Pagesimmigrants, experience a cultural conflict between that of their parents and that of mainstream U.S. society† (Wikipedia 1). Amy Tan the author of â€Å"Two Kinds†, and the young character in the story both are a second generation immigrants, who have struggled in their life with parents, about the culture they assimilating and their real culture. In the â€Å"Two Kinds† story the author illustrates the struggle between her American cultural identity, and her mother’s Chinese culture, as like the characters inRead MoreTwo Kinds by Amy Tan968 Words   |  4 PagesTwo Kinds The story Two Kinds by Amy Tan represents the theme that parents cannot control their children, but can only guide them. A Chinese mother and daughter Ni Kan are at odds with each other in story. The mother pushes her daughter to become a prodigy of some sort, her daughter does try to follow her mother s orders but has she gets older she realizes she wants to find her own self and not to be what her mother wants her to be. They both have conflicting values, which is the theme of theRead MoreTwo Kinds Point of View637 Words   |  3 PagesThe short story, â€Å"Two Kinds†, written by Amy Tan, is written from the point of view of the character named Jing-Mei. There are three experiences which demonstrate her viewpoint. In the first experience, Jing-Mei is being told by her mom about the â€Å"American dream†. At first, she strives to pursue this prodigy. Her mom would test her every night after dinner. Through Jing-Mei’s eyes, she starts to realize that it was not the life she wanted to live. Lines in the story illustrate this when he says â€Å"IRead MoreTwo Kinds By Amy Tan859 Words   |  4 PagesEssay on â€Å"Two Kinds† Type your essay on â€Å"Two Kinds† below: Title The short story â€Å"Two Kinds,† written by Amy Tan, focuses on the struggles of a young protagonist named Jing-mei trying to find herself without the influences and pressure of others. Aldous Huxley once said, â€Å"One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them.† This relates to the story in significant ways because when Jing-mei’s mother moved to America in hopes of a better future, Jing-mei is pushed to be the

Leadership Style During Initial Period †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Queston: Discuss about the Leadership Style During Initial Period. Answer: Introduction The success rate of a project is dependent upon the leadership skill shown by themanagement of an organization. More importantly during the period of project launch, it is essential for the team manager to have effective leadership skill that will help to identify the proper requirement of the team depending upon any particular situation. In the given context, the current report into highlight upon the particular style of leadership that is needed within an organization during the time of project launch. The report also aims to highlight upon the tools used for the project manager in order to deal with the challenge during the initial period. Leadership style required during initial period of project launch The success rate of the project is entirely dependent upon the style of leadership that is being provided during the initial period. According to Kerzner (2017), it is essential for an organization to select the kind of leadership depending upon the situation with in the workplace environment that is aimed to improve the level of motivation. The lack of coordination among the team member is one of the basics challenges that are encountered during the initial period. Aga et al., (2016), have mentioned about the importance of transformational leadership that can be applied by an organization in the initial period of project launch. This can help to bring about change within the business environment and motivate the workers to perform according to the mission of the team. It is also essential to mention that during the initial period it is essential to deal with the change the working nature of the workers, which will help them to build strong coordination within the team members. Leadership tool used by the project manager to overcome challenges It is often believe that one of the essential skills to display effective leadership is to have effective communication tool to co-ordinate the work between the team members. This is also believed to be one of the crucial aspects of the transformational leaders, which will aim to bring about motivation and organizational change within the workplace of the team members. Communication tool is also effective in establishing long term official healthy relationship with all the team members that is also believed to provide motivation during the initial period. Workplace environmental safety tool is also an essential part of the leadership skill, which is also essential to improve upon the initial confidence level of the team members. This can motivate the workers to take new challenges and risk that is essential during the initial period of project (Jiang 2014). The additional tool of assessment is also necessary which will be implemented by the team manager to assess the exact strengths and weaknesses of every team members. Powered used by team leader to provide motivation There are five kinds of power that are practiced by the team leaders Reward power: This is one of the essential components that are believed to provide motivation among the team members. With the help of appreciation, it is possible to boost the confidence level of employees. With High level of confidence and motivation, it is possible for every team to improve the chance of project success. Legitimate Power: During the initial period, it is the official duty and responsibility of the project manager to provide a particular team direction for every individual member. This is particularly important due to the fact that it helps the project manager to assign definite task depending upon the potential of individual team members. As every member is able to work according to their potential, it is possible to improve upon the chance of success of the project mission. Expert power: This power is practiced by the team leaders depending upon the level of expertise that is usually gained through past experience. It is important for the team leader to have expertise at the perfect field. That will help them to provide with the perfect team guidance. It will also be possible for the team leader to provide valuable training skills to the team members during the initial period of project launch. Proper knowledge from the part of the team leader is also essential for them to gain respect from junior team members. This is needed in developing long term official relationship with all team members. Referent Power: During the initial phase, it is necessary for the team leader to ensure that they are properly able to gain the trust level of the team members. This will help them to share all type of concern encountered within the workplace. This type of power helps to motivate the employee, as they are able to rely upon the team leaders for all types of issues and challenges within the workplace. As the team member is able to establish strong official Bond with the team leader it improves upon the chance of success of organizational project goal (Aga et al., 2016). Punishment Power: This is the final power that is practiced by the team leader that is aimed to provide penalty for the team members, who are deliberately compromising up on the workplace environment by implementing unethical work practice. Reason for selecting a particular leadership approach As mentioned in the previous section a transformational leadership is one of the effective ways to improve upon the communication and coordination within the team members. During the initial period of project launch there is always an issue due to accepting change that can de-motivate upon the workers. Transformational leadership and use of effective communication tool, it is possible to improve upon the interpersonal skills of every team members. It is also possible to regularly monitor the activities of every team members. This can allow the team manager to properly ensure that the environment of workplace is not compromised due to unethical work practice (Clarke, 2013). Steps taken by project manager to resolve project issues It is highly recommended for the team manager to conduct regular meeting with every team members before the period of project launch. It is also essential for the team manager to encourage the members to come up with the issues and challenges that they are expecting during the project phase. The process of identifying weak team members is also essential during the early period. With the help of proper and special Training, it is possible for them to improve upon the working capability for weak performers (Larson and Gray, 2013). Conclusion In conclusion, it can be said that with the help of transformation of style of leadership it is possible to focus up on all the issues encountered by a team leader during initial period of project launch. The leader needs to use effective communication tool and exercise various power that can help them to motivate and thereby boost up the chance of success among the team members and organizational goal. References Aga, D.A., Noorderhaven, N. Vallejo, B., (2016). Transformational leadership and project success: The mediating role of team-building. International Journal of Project Management, 34(5), pp.806-818. Clarke, S. (2013). Safety leadership: A meta?analytic review of transformational and transactional leadership styles as antecedents of safety behaviours. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 86(1), 22-49. Jiang, J., (2014). The study of the relationship between leadership style and project success. Browser Download This Paper. Kerzner, H., (2017). Project management metrics, KPIs, and dashboards: a guide to measuring and monitoring project performance. John Wiley Sons. Larson, E.W. Gray, C., (2013). Project Management: The Managerial Process with MS Project. McGraw-Hill.

The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Essay Example

The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Paper Human cells are the smallest structures capable of maintaining life and reproducing. They compose all living things, from single-celled plants to multibillion-celled animals. The human body, which is made up of numerous cells, begins as a single newly fertilized cell. Almost all human cells are microscopic in size. To give you an idea of how small a cell is, one average sized adult body, according to one estimate, consists of 100 trillion cells. The brain cells that create brain activity are called neurons. â€Å"The neuron (nerve cell) is the information-processing and information-transmitting element of the nervous system† (Carlson, 2007 p. 30). The brain and spinal cord are made up of many cells, including neurons and glial cells. Neurons are cells that send and receive electro-chemical signals to and from the brain and nervous system. There are about 100 billion neurons in the brain. There are many more glial cells; they provide support functions for the neurons, and are far more numerous than neurons. Structure of Brain Cells Each of the neurons has a cell body. â€Å"The soma (cell body) contains the nucleus and much of the machinery that provides for the life processes of the cell and its shape varies considerably in different kinds of neurons† (Carlson, 2007 p. 30). However, there are two kinds of fibers: axons and dendrites. Axons are â€Å"the long, thin cylindrical structure that conveys information from the soma of a neuron to its terminal buttons† (Carlson, 2007 p. 30). Dendrites are â€Å"a branched, treelike structure attached to the soma of a neuron; receives information from the terminal buttons of other neurons† (Carlson, 2007 p. 30). We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Each neuron has one axon along The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 4 which it sends electrical impulses to other neurons. Each neuron has a variable number of dendrites which have many branches. The axon from one neuron is attached to the dendrites of other neurons. The point at which they attach is called the synapse. The synapse is the â€Å"junction between the terminal button of an axon and the membrane of another neuron† (Carlson, 2007 p. 30). Furthermore, dendrites bring information to the cell body and axons take information away from the cell body. This is the process of thinking (Cohen, Kessler Gordon, 1988). A Map of the Brain †¢ Corpus callosum – Band of nerves between two hemispheres of the brain. †¢ Thalamus – Switching station for information going into the brain †¢ Basal ganglia – Control movement and cognitive functions †¢ Hypothalamus – Regulates sex hormones, blood pressure and body temperature †¢ Pituitary gland – Produces hormones; influences hormone production in other glands †¢ Amygdala – Regulates heartbeat; orders flight-or-flight reactions †¢ Hippocampus – Critical to long-term memory function †¢ Cerebellum – Coordinates movement How Nerve Signals Travel Carlson, (2007) states nerve signal proceeds in the following manner: 1. An electrical impulse is generated in the body of a neuron (nerve cell). The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 5 2. The impulse travels down the axon to an axon terminal (nerve ending). 3. At the axon terminal the impulse triggers the release of neurotransmitters. 4. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that enable a nerve impulse to jump across the synapse (the gap between nerve cells) at the axon terminal. 5. Once across the synapse, some neurotransmitters trigger the receiver cell; others prevent it from firing. Role of Brain in Mental Illness The belief that the mind plays an important role in physical illness goes back to the earliest days of medicine. From the time of the ancient Greeks to the beginning of the 20th century, it was generally accepted by both physician and patient that the mind can affect the course of illness, and it seemed natural to apply this concept in medical treatments of disease. Chemicals produced by immune cells signal the brain, and the brain in turn sends chemical signals to restrain the immune system. These same chemical signals also affect behavior and the response to stress. Disruption of this communication network in any way, whether inherited or through drugs, toxic substances or surgery exacerbates the diseases that these systems guard against: infectious, inflammatory, autoimmune, and associated mood disorders (Robert Sapolsky, 1998). The brain’s stress response system is activated in threatening situations. The immune system responds automatically to pathogens and foreign molecules. These two response systems are the body’s principle means for maintaining an internal steady state called homeostasis. A substantial proportion of human cellular machinery is dedicated to maintaining it. When The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 6 homeostasis is disturbed or threatened, a repertoire of molecular, cellular and behavioral responses comes into play. These responses attempt to counteract the disturbing forces in order to reestablish a steady state. They can be specific to the foreign invader or a particular stress, or they can be generalized and nonspecific when the threat to homeostasis exceeds a certain threshold. The adaptive responses may themselves turn into stressors capable of producing disease. The immune system’s job is to bar foreign pathogens from the body and to recognize and destroy those that penetrate its shield (Rubin Staddon, 1999). The immune system must also neutralize potentially dangerous toxins; facilitate repair of damaged or worn tissues, and dispose of abnormal cells. Its responses are so powerful that they require constant regulation to ensure that they are neither excessive nor indiscriminate and yet remain effective. When the immune system escapes regulation, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases or immune deficiency syndromes result. The central nervous and immune systems, however, are more similar than different in their modes of receiving, recognizing and integrating various signals and in their structural design for accomplishing these tasks. Both the central nervous system and the immune system possess â€Å"sensory† elements (Rubin Staddon, 1999), which receive information from the environment and other parts of the body; and motor elements, which carry out an appropriate response. Both systems also rely on chemical mediators for communication. Electrical signals along nerve pathways, for instance, are converted to chemical signals at the synapses between neurons. The chemical messengers produced by immune cells communicate not only with other The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 7 parts of the immune system but also with the brain and nerves (Robert Sapolsky, 1998). Chemicals released by nerve cells can act as signals to immune cells. Hormones from the body travel to the brain in the bloodstream, and the brain itself makes hormones. Indeed, the brain is perhaps the most prolific endocrine organ in the body and produces many hormones that act both on the brain and on the tissues throughout the body. A key hormone shared by the central nervous and immune systems is corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH); produced in the hypothalamus and several other brain regions, it unites the stress and immune responses (Science, 2001). The hypothalamus releases CRH into a specialized bloodstream circuit that conveys the hormone to the pituitary gland, which lies just beneath the brain. CRH causes the pituitary to release adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH into the bloodstream, which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol, the best-known stress hormone. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that increases the rate and strength of heart contractions, sensitizes blood vessels to the actions of norepinephrine, an adrenaline like hormone, and affects many metabolic functions as well as actions that help the body meet a stressful situation (Gerrig Zimbardo, 2002). In addition, cortisol is a potent immunoregulator and anti-inflammatory agent. It plays a crucial role in preventing the immune system from overreacting to injuries and damaging tissues. Furthermore, cortisol inhibits the release of CRH by the hypothalamus which also keeps this component of stress response under control (Rubin Staddon, 1999). Thus, CRH and cortisol directly link the body’s brain regulated stress response and its immune response. The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 8 CRH-secreting neurons of the hypothalamus send fibers to regions in the brain stem that help to regulate the sympathetic nervous system, as well as to another brain stem area called the locus ceruleus. The sympathetic nervous system, which mobilizes the body during stress, also innervates immune organs, such as the thymus, lymph nodes and spleen, and helps to control inflammatory responses throughout the body. Stimulation of the locus ceruleus leads to behavioral arousal, fear and enhanced vigilance (Rubin Staddon, 1999). Perhaps even more important for the induction of fear related behaviors is the amygdala, where inputs from the sensory regions of the brain are charged as stressful or not. CRH-secreting neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala send fibers to the hypothalamus, the locus ceruleus, and to other parts of the brain stem. These CRH-secreting neurons are targets of messengers released by immune cells during an immune response (Rubin Staddon, 1999). Cytokines is the more general term for biological molecules that many different kinds of cells use to communicate. Each cytokine is a distinct protein molecule, encoded by a separate gene that targets a particular cell type. A cytokine can either stimulate or inhibit a response depending on the presence of other cytokines or other stimuli and the current state of metabolic activity (Science, 2001). This flexibility allows the immune system to take the most appropriate actions to stabilize the local cellular environment arid to maintain homeostasis. Activation of the brain by cytokines from the peripheral parts of the body induces behaviors of the stress response, such as anxiety and cautious avoidance that keep an individual out of harm’s way until full healing occurs. Anyone who has experienced lethargy and excess The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 9 sleepiness during an illness will recognize this set of responses as â€Å"sickness behavior† (Carson, Butcher, Mineka, 2000). Brain and Depression Although the role of the stress response in inflammatory disease in humans is more difficult to prove, there is growing evidence that a wide variety of such diseases are associated with impairment of the HPA axis and lower levels of CRH secretion, which ultimately results in a hyperactive immune system. Furthermore, patients with a mood disorder called atypical depression also have a blunted stress response and impaired CRH function, which leads to lethargy, fatigue, increased sleep and increased eating that often results in weight gain. A deficiency of CRH could contribute to lethargy in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Injection of CRH into these patients causes a delayed and blunted ACTH secretion by the HPA axis. That same response is also seen in patients whose hypothalamus has been injured or who have a tumor (Dobbs, 2006). Also, fatigue and hyperactivity of the immune response are associated with cortisol deficiency, which occurs when CRH secretion decreases. The hormone levels and responses in patients with fatigue syndromes suggest, but do not prove, that their HPA axis functions are impaired, resulting in a decrease in CRH and cortisol secretion and an increase in immune system activity. Together these findings indicate that human illness characterized by fatigue and hyperim unity could possibly be treated by drugs that mimic CRH actions in the brain (Dobbs, 2006). The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 10 When it comes to the chemistry of the human brain, dopamine and serotonin are the reigning stars. Like other neurotransmitters, they trigger and modulate the electrical signals that nerve cells use to communicate. In comparison, the chemicals called trace amines are considered mere bit players. Now, a study reveals that people have genes that encode cell surface proteins dedicated to responding to trace amines (Kowalski, 1999). Trace amines, so named because they’re present at low concentrations in the human brain, drew considerable interest in the 1960’s. They turned out to be the key neurotransmitters in insect brains, but interest in the chemicals waned when scientists failed to find dedicated receptors in vertebrates. The low concentrations of trace amines and their rapid turnover in the brain also made them difficult to study. Meanwhile, scientists identified receptors for dopamine and serotonin, which led to the development of crucial drugs (Kowalski, 1999). The trace amines, which include tryamine, betaphenylethylamine (beta-PEA), tryptamine, and octopamine, continued to draw some attention. Studies showed that diets rich in these chemicals can elevate a person’s blood pressure and trigger Imipramines in patients taking antidepressants know as MAO inhibitors. The reason for this is that unlike axons, there are no voltage-activated ion channels in the cell membrane of dendrites, so the electrical signal cannot regenerate itself. Instead, it gets smaller and smaller as it travels from the synapse to the cell body (Kowalski, 1999). Brain and Anxiety The classic form of depression, melancholia, is actually not a state of inactivation and suppression of thought and feeling; rather it presents as an organized state of anxiety. The The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 11 anxiety of melancholia is chiefly about the self. Melancholic patients feel impoverished and defective and often express hopelessness about the prospects for their unworthy selves in either love or work. The anxious hyper-arousal of melancholic patients also manifests as a pervasive sense of vulnerability (Carver Scheier, 2000). Many studies have been conducted on patients with major depression to determine whether the excessive level of cortisol associated with depression correlates with suppressed immune responses. Some have found a correlation between hypercortisolism and immunosuppressant; other have not. Because depression can have a variety of mental and biochemical causes, only some depressed patients may be immunosuppressed (Goldstein Dekker, 2001). The excessive secretion of cortisol in melancholic patients is predominantly the result of hyper secretion of CRH, caused by a defect in or above the hypothalamus. Thus, the clinical and biochemical manifestations of melancholia reflect a generalized stress response that has escaped the usual counter regulation, remaining stuck in the on position. The effects of tricyclic antidepressant drugs on components of the stress response support the concept that melancholia is associated with a chronic stress response. In rats, regular, but not acute, administration of the tricyclic antidepressant Imipramine significantly lowers the levels of CRH precursors in the hypothalamus (Jeanette, Webster Esther, 2002). Imipramine given for two months to healthy people with normal cortisol levels causes a gradual and sustained decrease in CRH secretion and other HPA axis functions, indicating that down regulation of important The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 12 components of the stress response is an intrinsic effect of Imipramine (Goldstein Dekker, 2001). Brain and Stress Stress not only is personal but is perceived through the prism of social interactions. These interactions can either add to or lessen psychological stress and affect our hormonal responses to it, which in turn can alter immune responses. For instance, in humans, loneliness is associated with a â€Å"threat,† or adrenaline-like pattern of activation of the stress response and high blood pressure, whereas exercising is associated with a â€Å"challenge† pattern of high blood flow and cardiac output (Sternberg, 2001). Studies have shown that people exposed to chronic social stresses for more than two months have increased susceptibility to the common cold. The popular belief that stress exacerbates inflammatory illness and that relaxation or removal of stress ameliorates it may indeed have a basis in fact. The interactions of the stress and immune systems and the hormonal responses they have in common could explain how conscious attempts to tone down responsively to stress could affect immune responses. How much of the response to stress is genetically determined and how much can be consciously controlled is not known. The set point of the stress response is to some extent genetically determined (Sternberg, 2001). In addition, factors in early development, learning, and later experiences contribute to differences in stress responsiveness. An event that is physiologically highly stressful to one individual may be much less or so to another, depending on the sum of each person’s genetic tendency to hormonal reactivity and their previous The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 13 experience. In my opinion, the degree to which stress could precipitate or exacerbate disease would then depend not only on the intensity and duration of the stressful stimulus but also on the person’s ability and learned perception of the event as stressful and on the set point of the stress system. Psychological stress can affect an individual’s susceptibility to infectious diseases. The regulation of the immune system by the neuro-hormonal stress system provides a biological basis for understanding how stress might affect these diseases. Thus stress hormones released from the brain, cortisol from the adrenal glands, and nerve chemicals, such as norepinephrine and epinephrine released from nerve endings, all modify the ability of immune cells to fight infectious agents and foreign molecules (Mayer Saper, 2000). There is evidence that stress does affect human immune responses to viruses and bacteria. In studies with volunteers given a standard dose of the common cold virus rhinovirus, individuals who are simultaneously exposed to stress show more viral particles and produce more mucus than do not stressed individuals (Jeanette, Webster Esther, 2002). Stress and the Role of Social Support in Bereavement; A Theoretical Analysis According to cognitive stress theories, critical life events such as bereavement are stressful because they require major readjustments. The intensity of stress created by a life event depends on the extent to which the perceived demands of the situation tax or exceed an individual’s coping resources, given that failure to cope leads to important negative consequences. Stress theory provides the theoretical underpinning for the â€Å"buffering model,† The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 14 which suggests that high levels of social support protect the individual against the deleterious impact of stress on health (Lazarus Folkman, 1984). According to Cohen and Willis (1985), there are two ways in which social support can buffer the individual against the negative impact of the stress experience. First, support can intervene between the stressful event and a stress reaction by attenuating or preventing a stress appraisal response. Second, adequate support may intervene between the experience of stress and the onset of the pathological response by eliminating the stress reaction or by directly influencing physiological processes. Whereas these two pathways reduce the individual’s vulnerability to the impact of the stressful event, however a third way in which social support may affect individual stress response, namely, by aiding in recovery. Thus, social support may also help individuals to recover more readily from the impact of the stressful life event. The Deficit Model of Partner Loss was developed as an application to cognitive stress theory to bereavement. On the basis of the interactional definition of stress, the deficit model offers an analysis of the situational demands characteristic of widowhood and of the coping resources needed to deal with these demands. Marital bereavement marks the end of a close mutual relationship, and the loss of a partner is likely to result in a number of deficits in areas in which the spouse had previously been able to rely on the partner. The Deficit Model suggests that the loss of a partner leads to deficits in areas that can broadly be characterized as loss of instrumental support, loss of validational support, loss of emotional support, and the loss of social contact support. The Deficit Model postulates that social support alleviates the stress of The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 15 bereavement, but only to the extent to which it helps to replace the deficits created by the loss of a partner (W. Stroebe M. Stroee, 1987; K. Gergen, M. Gergen, 1980, 1982). It follows from the Deficit Model that bereaved individuals are in greater need of social support than married individuals. The model therefore predicts an interaction of social support and marital status on the level of psychological symptoms, such as the buffering effect. However, because it is unlikely that family and friends are able to alleviate completely the deficits caused by the loss of the partner, one would also expect a main effect of marital status on symptomatology. In contrast, attachment theory rejects the notion that supportive friends can compensate for the loss of an attachment figure (Bowlby, 1969; Weiss, 1975). Bowlby (1969) proposed that the attachment figure, unlike other people in the social environment, was uniquely able to foster general feelings of security and that other people could not simply take over this function. He thus goes beyond optimal matching by not only requiring a match between the characteristics of stressful events confronting the individual and the form of social support that is beneficial in this context, but by stating categorically that this type of social support can only be provided by one specific type of person (Cutrona Russell, 1990). Weiss (1975) elaborated these ideas in his relational theory of loneliness, in which he drew a fundamental distinction between emotional and social loneliness and argued that the two types of loneliness cannot compensate for each other: The loneliness of emotional isolation appears in the absence of a close emotional attachment or the reintegration of the one that had been lost. Those experiencing this form of loneliness are apt to experience a sense of utter The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 16 aloneness, whether or not the companionship of others is in fact accessible (Weiss, 1975). Thus, according to attachment theory, social support from relatives and friends cannot compensate for the major deficit caused by bereavement, namely, the loss of an attachment figure. However, social support should help with a second type of loneliness, namely, the loneliness of social isolation. Social loneliness is associated with the absence of an engaging social network, and this absence can only be remedied by access to such a network. The dominant feeling of this type of loneliness is boredom, together with feelings of marginality (Weiss, 1975). Attachment theory thus suggests that marital status and social support influence well being by distinctly different pathways, with the impact of marital status being mediated by emotional loneliness and the impact of social support by social loneliness. According to this Dual-Path Model, one would predict main effects of marital status and social support on measures of symptomatology, but no interaction. Because each of these main effects is assumed to be mediated by a different type of loneliness, one would further expect marital status to affect emotional but not social loneliness and social support to affect social but not emotional loneliness. Finally, one would expect that control for emotional loneliness should reduce or eliminate the impact of marital status on symptomatology, whereas control for social loneliness should reduce or eliminate the effect of social support on symptom levels. The two major theories of bereavement outcome thus make different and partly contradictory predictions about the role of social support in adjustment to loss. Consistent with popular beliefs about the helpfulness of social support to the bereaved, cognitive stress theory predicts a social support times a marital status interaction on symptomatology constitutes the The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 17 buffering effect, in addition to a main effect of marital status. In contrast, attachment theory predicts main effects of both marital status and social support on levels of symptoms, but no interaction. It further suggests that these two main effects on symptomatology are mediated by different types of loneliness. These predictions have not yet been addressed by empirical research. Stress and the Role of Social Support in Adjustment to Loss; A Review of the Evidence Guided by stress theory, research on the role of social support in adjustment to loss has focused exclusively on testing the buffering against the main effect model. As Cohen and Wills (1985) argued in their influential review of the literature on the social support, such tests require a factorial design that includes at least two levels of stress and two levels of social support. Furthermore, to test whether social support buffers individuals against the negative impact of the loss of a marital partner, one has to compare the impact of social support in bereaved and married samples. Buffering effects would be reflected by a statistical interaction of social support with marital status on health. In the earlier review of literature on social support and bereavement up to 1986 (W. Stroebe M. Stroebe, 1987), there were no studies found that satisfied these criteria. In the meantime, a few studies using adequate designs, comparing the impact of levels of social support in bereaved samples to that of married controls, have been published. The results are not unanimous in favor of buffering. Although some do indeed report evidence of buffering (Krause, 1986; Norris Murrell, 1990; Schwarzer, 1992), albeit using measures of social integration or received social support, other do not (Greene Feld, 1989; Murphy, 1988). The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 18 Krause (1986) studied the impact of life stresses and social support on depressive symptoms in a random sample of 351 individuals older than 65 living in Galveston, Texas. Social support was assessed with a modified version of the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors (ISSB: Barrera, Sandler, Ramsay, 1981). Depressive symptomatology was assessed with the Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977). Whereas no buffering effects occurred for the overall indicator of stressful life events, buffering was found for the numerically undefined subgroup of individuals who had been bereaved within the previous year. These buffering effects modified weak bereavement main effects. As part of a larger study of individuals aged 55 and older, Norris and Murrell (1990) obtained interviews of three samples of older adults: 45 persons who had recently lost a spouse, 40 who had lost a parent or child, and 45 who were not bereaved. Depression was assessed with the CES-D. Social support was measured with the Louisville Social Support Scale which consists of two subscales reflecting social integration, or embeddedness in a social network, and expected help. â€Å"Expected help taps the respondents more specific expectations of help in an emergency from family, friends, and community† (Norris Murrell, 1987 p. 431) and appears to reflect aspects of perceived social support. However, expected help had no impact on depression, an ameliorative effect of social embeddedness on depression was reported. The more individuals were embedded in their social networks, the less they were depressed nine months after their loss. This association between social embeddedness and depression was The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 19 stronger for the widowed sample than for a combined control group consisting of individuals who were either not bereaved or had lost a parent or child. Schwarzer (1992) studied a sample of 248 individuals about the age of 60, of which 152 had lost a family member or a friend within the previous year. Social support was defined in terms of visits by children and family members. The criterion measure in this study was anxiety, assessed with a German version of the State-Trait Personality Inventory (Schwarzer Schwarzer, 1983). When the sample was dichotomized into those who were visited at least every other week and those who received fewer visits, a clear buffering effect was observed, with loss having no impact on anxiety for individuals who received many visits but a strong impact on those who received few visits. One puzzling feature of these studies is that buffering effects were observed for measures of social support that typically do not yield buffering effects. According to Cohen and Wills (1985), buffering effects ought only to be found with measures of perceived social support but not with network measures or scales assessing received social support. In contrast, the above studies report buffering effects with measures of social network (Krause, 1986) or received social support (Norris Murrell, 1990; Schwarzer, 1992). The one study that assessed both social embeddedness and perceived social support did not find any effects for perceived social support (Norris Murrell, 1990). It is plausible that this discrepancy has something to do with the fact that the study included only elderly individuals, a subgroup for whom the needs, provisions, consequences, and perceptions of social support are very different from those of younger groups. The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression 20 Two studies, both using samples of more long term bereaved, did not find buffering effects. In a follow up assessment of 49 family members and close friends of 51 adult disaster victims of the Mount Saint Helens volcano eruption conducted 3 years after the disaster, in which their mental distress was compared with that of a non-bereaved control group, there was no evidence or main or buffering effects (Murphy, 1988). Social support was measured with an index developed by scientists that assesses social embeddedness, as well as perceived social support (Coppel, 1980). Greene and Feld (1989) examined the relationship between social support and well-being in groups of 151 married women and 60 widowed women who had lost their partner within the previous five years. Respondents were drawn from a national sample of women aged 50 and older. Social support was assessed in terms of the number of social support function for which respondents mentioned one or more social supporters. Well-being was measured w