Peace Building and the Arts

World’s attempt to foster peace in Middle East with the rest of the world remains a challenge in the 21st century. While the US remains optimistic in the realization of this peace, its relationship with the region gradually threatens the global peace. Studies reveal that the US approaches and strategies of peace building are viably inapplicable for the region. Based on ‘Shank and Schirch’ reading, the essay argues to justify the arts-based strategy as the ideal mechanism for peace building in the Middle East.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Peace Building and the Arts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Studies show that arts such as music, art, and theater provide a wide range of resources for peace building. Communication, organization, education, and training are some of the tools for peace building, which arts satisfactorily provide. As one of the regions, which highly uphold culture, arts wo uld successfully serve as the efficient communication tool for peace builders in the Middle East. Through performances, artists such as musicians communicate the messages of peace to the society. In fact, according to Shank and Schirch, Artists have used arts â€Å"for centuries to communicate human experience† (218). It can as well build peace in most of these regions. Since most parts of the world uphold music, the Middle East inclusive, the message content would reach widespread groups of people and hence promote peace within the region. Therefore, the US should embrace arts as a tool for embracing of peace rather than the military attacks to the region. Secondly, arts result into organizations that act as vehicles of peace. Although Hip-hop music dates its roots in America, it has spread to all over the world with the artists ‘virtually organized’ to wage war against political conflicts. African artists have used Hip-hop music to organize and instigate change s within their societies. Ghanaians for example, through their Highlife form of Hip-hop, continue to raise awareness to positive results on issues such as poverty, AIDS, and corruption. Organization of youth through arts would reduce the number of those involved in violent acts and hence promoting peace in the region. Thirdly, arts act as a form of education to the society. Shank and Schirch point out various ways of presenting art and among them are illustrations, fictions, and performance. Art forms such as carvings, which depict the effects of violent acts, offer insights of conflicts to the society. The message content of music and themes of the theater performances could provide a useful base for education and training to the society on peace building. The peace builders in Middle East should take the advantage of love for culture in the region and use cultural arts such as carving, theater to educate and hence nurture peace.Advertising Looking for essay on international r elations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Finally, people who lack self-confidence use violence to express their grievances. Conflict resolution experts assert that music and theater performances provide self-confidence to the people. As Shank and Schirch note, â€Å"Artists can use visual, literary, performance and movement art as capacity-building mechanisms to build self-confidence† (226). Arts can therefore provide self-confidence for one’s expression. The Middle East people ‘feel’ shortsighted by the US and thus in order to express their anger therefore, they attack the US and their affiliates. The peace builders should promote arts in order to create confidence within the region. This will enable the people in that region to express confidence rather than engaging in attacks. The contribution of the Hip-hop music to peace building in the US is what I found interesting in the reading. From this text, it is vivid that the black people used Hip-hop to struggle for their freedom hence promoting peace in the US. Opponents of military attacks in the Middle East use Hip-hop to protest to the government. What is interesting is that most current Hip-hop music contains love and sexual information rather than peace. Is this Hip-hop or a different kind of art? Works Cited Shank, Micheal, and Schirch, Lisa. â€Å"Strategic Arts-based Peacebuilding.† Peace and Change: a Journal of Peace Research 33.2 (2008): 217-242. Web. http://www.michaelshank.tv/ This essay on Peace Building and the Arts was written and submitted by user Baylee Huffman to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

ACT High School Codes and Test Center Codes

ACT High School Codes and Test Center Codes SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips When you register for your ACT, you have to submit codes for your high school and test center, the location where you're going to take your ACT. The codes make it easier for ACT to keep track of the high school and test center of everyone who takes the exam. If you enter the wrong high school code, your school may not get your score report. If you select the wrong test center, you may not be able to take the ACT at your preferred test center location. In this article, I'll let you know how to look up ACT high school and test center codes and advise you how to use them properly. How to Enter Codes During Online Registration High School Codes When registering, you can search for your high school code by entering the state, name, and city of your high school. Just click on your high school when you get the results, and your high school code will be automatically entered. Test Center Codes You can search for test centers in your area and then select the location where you want to take the test. After you select your test center, the test center code will be entered. How to Look Up ACT Codes High School Codes You can also look up ACT codes for your high school on the ACT website. You can search by the name of your high school. If you can't find your school, try using these tips given by the ACT: Try abbreviations (example: JFK or John F Kennedy). Do not use punctuation. Try only one word first. Use "sch" for schools. If you search by state or city, your results will be listed alphabetically. Alternate Codes If you're homeschooled, your code is 969-999. If you have or will earn a GED certificate, your high school code is 960-000. Test Center Codes Also, you can look up ACT codes for test centers on the ACT website. From this site, you can find test center codes and a list of dates the ACT will be offered at a specific test center. Here are some of my results after searching for test centers in Los Angeles, California. The earlier you register, the more likely you are to be able to take the ACT at the test center of your choice. You can also find test center information for international test-takers on the ACT website. Advice for Ensuring Your Codes Are Correct If you select your high school and test center while registering, make sure the codes on your admission ticket are correct. You can double-check the codes by looking them up on the ACT website. If you do manually enter your codes during registration, make sure you've entered the right codes and that the codes you've entered correspond with your high school and test center. Make sure your codes are correct. What's Next? If you're taking the ACT soon, learn how to beat procrastination in your ACT prep. Also, learn the 15 ACT tips and tricks to improve your score. Finally, if you're planning on or considering taking the ACT in the future, find out exactly how long you should study for the ACT. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Justin Berkman About the Author Justin has extensive experience teaching SAT prep and guiding high school students through the college admissions and selection process. He is firmly committed to improving equity in education and helping students to reach their educational goals. Justin received an athletic scholarship for gymnastics at Stanford University and graduated with a BA in American Studies. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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Implementing Disability Sport in Physical Education Essay

Implementing Disability Sport in Physical Education - Essay Example The term disability sports has been actually defined as sports â€Å"designed for, or specifically practiced, by people with disabilities. People with disabilities are also referred to as athletes with disabilities† (International Platform on Sport & Development, 2009, p. 8). Accordingly, people with disabilities are those who are identified to possess â€Å"long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments, which, in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others† (International Platform on Sport & Development, 2009, p. 8). Game modification could include using specifically designed equipment; as well as tailoring the games and activities according to the skills sets of students, their academic levels, and enthusiasm for the particular sport or physical activity. The benefit of this option is that it provides opportunities for disabled students to participate, learn more, and en joy playing the sports through using especially designed equipment, and even rules which could simply be modified or adapted to their diverse needs. Through participating, the vast advantages noted from delving into sports and physical activities, such as socialization, sportsmanship, development of leadership and teamwork skills, as well as enabling the students to design strategies for winning are thereby realized. Integrating disability sports within the GPE curriculum would focus on the development of diverse skills. As such, educators would be incorporate designing or even modifying the curriculum to develop complementary skills; as well as address affective, psychomotor, and cognitive domains. This would necessiate a review of various... This paper approves that school administrators and policymakers who genuinely think of the diversity in academic requirements of students from benefitting from a physical education class would recognize that by incorporating disability sports, all students – whether disabled or not - would benefit in the process. As emphasized, â€Å"both parents and teachers have always conceded that individuals with disabilities who participate in sports activities are less depressed, perform better academically, are more stable in behavior as well as in their overall social interactions†. Likewise, on the part of the students without disabilities, by being provided with formal education on disability sports, they would be exposed on the crucial concerns and issues facing disabled; yet, sports inclined, students. This essay makes a conclusion that the current discourse has effectively achieved two-fold objectives, to wit: to explain the main developments within the realm of implementing integrating disability sports within the physical education curriculum; and supporting the arguments and contentions through studies and researches written by other authoritative authors on the subject. Overall, disability sports should be incorported in the GPE curriculum to realize significant benefits for all students alike: those without disabilities and those who are disabled. The instrumental advantages of encouraging students to develop genuine enthusiasm in sports and physical activites would contribute to their overall wellbeing and improved health condition throughout their lifetime.

1.In 2003 the government outlined how Every Child Matters. Discuss Essay

1.In 2003 the government outlined how Every Child Matters. Discuss both the developmental needs of children, and the appropriate social work response, in rel - Essay Example The case of Victoria Climbe can be marked as a revolution in the history of reforms for the children. It prompted the government to understand the needs and requirements of the children in the world. As children grow up they have certain requirements which ought to be fulfilled and the scheme ‘Every Child Matters’ assures every child of his right. This article would further discuss the developmental needs of children and the appropriate social work response in relation to the outcomes of the scheme. Many of the children living in this world are deprived of their basic needs and hence the governments are implementing different schemes to ensure that the children are getting their basic needs. The scheme ‘Every Child Matters’ has a total of five aims to provide the children with their basic necessities Health is a basic necessity for all the people in this world and thus children ought to have all the facilities to maintain their health. The scheme is implementing different strategies to ensure that the children are healthy mentally, physically and socially both. The children ought to have their basic right to exercise different activities to ensure that their health is maintained. They require health facilities if they are undergoing any major problem with their health. The environment that the children are provided depends upon the state, parents and the school and thus this environment should be healthy. The scheme has made the concerned authorities aware of the n ecessities of these children. The societies in the UK have started working towards a better environment for the children. Different sporting events are organized by the scheme so that the children can participate and have a healthy routine. The schools in which the children are studying have an important obligation of maintaining the environment for the

Assess the artistic limitations of the dogme 95 vow of chastity

Assess the artistic limitations of the dogme 95 vow of chastity Assess the artistic limitations of the Dogme 95 â€Å"Vow of Chastity† In the mid 1990s, a creative and low cost filmmaking was created Dogme95. The founders were two Danish directors, Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg. (Hudson, 2005). Unlike any other film, it follows different set of rules. Written in Vow of Chastity, a rulebook of Dogme95, it restricts the use of props, sets, lighting, sound, and music. The camera is handheld and simply captures what is taking place (Schlosser, 2000). Dogme 95 is certainly a departure from the conventions of the film-making process. The statement â€Å"Dogme 95 is a rescue action!† was stated in the manifesto if the Dogme 95 which perhaps is true for most filmmakers who wanted freedom of their ideas and faithful presentation of scenes. Mark Paul of Wayne State University agreed that Dogme 95 films have rescued the cinema from the conventional films of Hollywood which are ‘overly polished, ‘undemocratic in art, and ‘superficial.  Ã‚   Directors have enough freedom to showcase the ‘truth without addition, reduction, or any manipulation (Paul, 2002). In order to resist superficiality in Dogme films, von Trier and Vinterberg wrote â€Å"The Vow of Chastity† which consists of the specific rules that are mandatory in order to categorize a film as a Dogme. Von Trier asked Vinterberg if he â€Å"wanted to start a new wave with him?† In less than one hour, they already had the rules (Dogme 95: Frequently asked questions). As a guest in Thà ©atre de LEurope in Paris during the 100th anniversary of the birth of film, von Trier proudly announced Dogme. The rules are: (1) shooting must be on location without bringing any props, (2) sound and image are produced together, (3) the camera to be used is handheld, (4) use of natural light only, (5) no optical filters, (6) no superficial actions, (7) no geographic alienation, (8) no genre films, (9) the film format should be in Academy 35mm film format, and (10) the director must not be credited (Trischak, 1995). The last rule sounds unusual since the directors are always credited in the conventional films. At the end of the ten rules, the director should swear to refrain in creating based on personal taste. Only the real events should be presented based on the real settings. The reason behind the prohibition of the use of props is to challenge the filmmaker into creating authentic films and portray the ‘truth. More time is dedicated into developing a good acting because breaks for hair, make up, costume, and light change are eliminated. The use of handheld camera is intended to follow the actors instead of the actors following the camera. In this manner, the actors could really perform their characters while the camera captures the scene. Additionally, using handheld cameras provides more takes with longer time (Dogme 95: Frequently asked questions). The first Dogme creation by Vinterberg, The Celebration, was one of the best cinematic explorations which covered the issues on a dysfunctional family in the middle of a celebration. The film won many awards and was nominated in various prestigious awards associations. Among the awards it received were Jury Prize from the Cannes Film Festival, Best Director from Gijà ³n International Film Festival, and Independent Spirit Award (Hudson, 2005). The second film of Dogme was The Idiots, which was written and directed by von Trier. The film featured young characters who go around to spasse (Danish term which means to intentionally act like idiots). Watching the film might turn off its audience because of the hilarious acts and abhorrent ways of responding to the problems faced by young people (Schwartz, 1998). The third Dogme film was Mifune by Sà ¸ren Kragh-Jacobsen, which became one of the multi-awarded Dogme films. A.O. Scott of the New York Times reviewed it as â€Å"by any standard, a pretty good film† and was given the awards Silver Bear and Special Jury Prize for Kragh-Jacobsen from the Berlin Film Festival (Hudson, 2005). Mifune was able to present the real people in real situations and would surely attract the audiences attention. The scenes appear so realistic and painful at the same time (Ilic, 2005). The creation of Dogme 95 and the implementation of its rules have been the subject of questioning and curiosity from directors. The production cost of Dogme films is relatively cheaper because crews are eliminated; however it does not mean that this is a resort to producing low-budget films. There are no limits as long as it will compromise to the Vow of Chastity. In Denmark, a low-budget film could cover more than half a million. Nevertheless any Dogme film can be produced around a million or more than a hundred million dollars. Among the Dogme films, â€Å"The Idiot† was the most expensive. The introduction of Dogme 95 however did not receive much criticism especially from the Danish government wherein the state willingly increased the filming fund by 70% (Trischak, 1995). Another issue on the production of Dogme films is the use of the old fashioned Academy 35mm film format because is considerably expensive. The 35mm film is used so that Dogme films can be shown in all movie theatres. However, because of its cost some directors resort to shooting film with Digital Video first then transferring it to the 35mm. The recorded images through DV, on the other hand, are strictly prohibited from editing considering the Vow of Chastity (Dogme 95: Frequently asked questions). Classifying a film as a Dogme has become harder. The first four to six Dogme films were originally discussed by the first directors and founders of the Dogme 95 films including Vinterberg, von Trier, Kragh-Jacobson, and Levring. They reviewed each film according the rules in the Vow of Chastity; however, as the directors became busier in their own Dogme film productions, not enough time was allotted to discuss the other films. In Julian Donkey Boy, the story about a schizophrenic man, the rules created was pushed to its limitations. It all now depends on the judgment of the directors (Dogme 95: Frequently asked questions). However, Vinterberg argued that if the director feels that the film might not be in accordance with the rules then, he must do something about. Another question raised was about the synchronization of a foreign language, say English or German; can it be certified as a Dogme? If it will be based on the second rule: sound and image must be produced together; technically it cannot be classified as a Dogme. Watching a Dogme film in foreign language therefore is not very entertaining (Dogme 95: Frequently asked questions). The Vow of Chastity provided both freedom and restriction to the directors. With the limited resources such as props, music, sounds, and lights, the director is challenged to be resourceful and creative in filling these gaps. In the film The Celebration, Vinterberg was able to incorporate music by placing the story on a Danish gathering tradition wherein the people are accustomed to celebrate while singing. On the other hand, in â€Å"The Idiots†, a musician character played a toy-like instrument in the beginning of the story (Dogme 95: Frequently asked questions). In the conventional films we see these days, there are different genres such as science fiction, animated, action, adventure, comedy, romance, horror, war, musicals, historical, and many more. However, in Dogme films it becomes selective because you only present what is happening then and now and not what is in the past or what will be in the future (Dogme 95: Frequently asked questions). Therefore, war and historical films are impossible because flashbacks should not be used. Neither do sci-fi, animated, and musical films. These genres require musical equipments and props and the scenes are time manipulated. In the history of filmmaking, Dogme 95 is notably one of the best cinematic explorations of realism. The presentation of this realism is only possible through the elimination of the traditional cinematic process accompanied with various experimentations on the production and presentation (Vaughan, 2004). The Vow of Chastity made it possible to restrict and compress it down to what is real only. There is no addition, reduction, or, any manipulation to the story that a director wishes to tell. It is obviously anti-film tradition in nature however its simplicity and honesty offer a different kind of pleasure and emotion. Unlike the usual films, our minds are already set to decipher the ending. However, in Dogme films, the audience could only figure what is being shown at a time. The first three Dogme films have been very successful. After ten years since its beginnings, Dogme films are getting less and less popular. Von Trier and Vinterberg are now working on different kinds of films aside from Dogme. The brothers now are no longer managing and judging Dogme films. They have decided to allow the directors to judge their own creations but still following the rules. Producing one is a big challenge. Ironically, Vinterberg confessed that The Celebration was the easiest he made.9 Dogme is still alive and more and more films are released and reached the number to Dogme 254th film (Dogme 95: Frequently asked questions). Nowadays, the films that the brothers are releasing are combination of filmmaking from the conventional and from the Dogme. According to Jack Stevenson, film journalist in Denmark, Its All About Love and Dogville by Vinterberg and von Trier respectively can be classified as anti-Dogme films. Both directors have departed from Dogme and now making films beyond the Vow of Chastity. (Mitchell, 2005) In an interview with Kristian Levring, one of the founder of Dogme movement; Susanne Bier, the director of The One and Only and Open Heart; and Anders Thomas Jensen, a famous writer and director, the screenwriting processed was discussed. Thomas Jensen said that the scriptwriting is very different because there are limitations like superficial violence and action. Bier added that due to these limitations, â€Å"Dogme tends to lend itself to realistic storytelling.† Levring agreed that these liberated and improved Dogme including his film The King is Alive. (Kelly, 2008) Dogme offered an incredible twist in filmmaking, surprising the audience in ways that are not expected. In the presence of restrictions and limitations, it has entitled directors with freedom of creation with aesthetic value and provided a different kind of satisfaction.

Religion and/ Spirituality Essay

The findings of the study highlights the salience of religious beliefs and spirituality as an aspect that positively influenced or contributed towards the subjective sense of well-being of the institutionalized aged, from the point of view of their administrators. For many of the participants, religiosity and spirituality seemed to be identical and they did not differentiate one from the other. And they engaged assiduously in religious practices, which in turn contributed toward their subjective experience of well-being. This practice of religion or their spirituality has been found to be the most powerful coping strategy adopted by these institutionalized elderly under investigation. This finding showed consistency across all sources of data in this study. The elderly at Gladys Center found prayer or dependence on God by the willing surrender to His will as a powerful means of dealing with his or her difficulties in all levels, as expressed by their administrators. This finding is backed by Mackenzie et al.(2000): Religion and spirituality significantly influence both mental and physical health in later life and relationship with God forms the foundation of their psychological well-being. While intrinsic religious orientation is inversely related to depression, anxiety, fear of death in older adults and they better cope with illness, loss, and grief formal religious involvement is related to general measures of personal adjustment and subjective health and life satisfaction (Koenig, 1999 & Mackenzie et al. 2000). According to Magai et al.(2003) Religious beliefs and participation or engaging in religious activities are closely related to positive aging outcomes, particularly life satisfaction and the absence of mental disorders. Most of the elderly as it was observed across different sources of data, engaged in religious and devotional activities every day of the week. Studies examining the relationship between religious involvement and a wide variety of health conditions, that as individuals aged, both formal and informal religious participation were associated with better health, happiness, and life satisfaction. Even when health was controlled, the strong link between religiosity and subjective well-being remained, which is true in the case of the participants who showed a great sense of well-being despite their declining physical health. Study done by Magai et al. (2003) proved that absence of religiosity or spirituality is consistently a predictor of low hardiness and those who are religiously oriented are likely to be intrinsically hardy and less likely to be debilitated, despite variations in social network. This observation could be an indicator how the elderly cope with the absence of their dear ones and various other things. The findings of the study showed that as perceived by their administrators, the elderly experienced prayer as source of strength, hope, meaning and peace in their lives and different studies hold up this finding. Religious experience provides a sense of meaning and purpose in daily life (Polner, 1989), a primary source for inner peace, values and social harmony (Witmer & Sweeny, 1992), a greater sense of wholeness, connectedness, and positive outlook.

Alcohol Abuse Rehabilitation

Sojourners Recovery and Becket Springs offer options such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and pharmacological options that do increase the likelihood of remaining abstinent after treatment. Alternative methods of treatment at these centers, such as acupuncture, have not been proven to be effective at promoting abstinence, but may help to ease withdrawal symptoms. In addition to enrolling in a rehabilitation program at a licensed facility, the individual should seek out support from his or her family members, as this will help the individual cope with the enormous stress of giving up alcohol.Alcohol has a long and storied history in not Just American culture, but in many other world cultures as well. Its use in beverages is believed to have begun almost 10,000 years ago when civilizations in ancient Persia and the Middle East produced a fermented drink from honey and wild yeasts (â€Å"An Alcohol History Timeline,† 2011). Wine, beer and liquor would eventually follow (in that o rder), as numerous societies enjoyed the intoxicating effects of the drug.During the 19th century in the United States, the average American drank 7 gallons of pure alcohol per year (â€Å"What in America's History,† 2005). This rampant drinking led to temperance movements and reformers that pushed for local and national prohibition. Groups such as the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WEST) would eventually merge with the Anti- Saloon League and form a powerful coalition that elected officials to Congress and put pressure on the government to ratify Prohibition (â€Å"What in America's History,† 2005).The National Prohibition Act was subsequently enacted in 1920, outlawing the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol. The Act was repealed 13 years later in 1933, but the message was clear: the effects of alcohol were seen by many as ungenerous and destructive, and these effects needed to be addressed. Today, the problems of alcohol abuse and alcoholism have be come almost epidemic in American society, as recent studies have asserted that 53% of adults in the U. S. Have reported that one or more of their close relatives has a serious problem with drinking (â€Å"Alcohol Stats,† 2013).Each year in the United States alone, nearly 50,000 cases of alcohol overdose are reported, and in 2009, over 30 million people stated they had driven under the influence of alcohol at least once in the previous year (â€Å"Alcohol Stats,† 2013). In 2007, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported over 14,000 alcoholic liver disease deaths and over 23,000 alcohol-induced deaths (not counting accidents and murders) (â€Å"Alcohol Stats,† 2013). The CDC also reported that in 2006, excessive alcohol consumption cost the United States' economy $223. Billion (â€Å"Excessive Drinking,† 2014). In an effort to combat the dangers of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, numerous in- patient and out-patient treatment centers are av ailable to those that are seeking help for their affliction. This paper takes a look at four of these treatment options in the rater Cincinnati area. These options include Alcoholics Anonymous, Sojourner Recovery Services in Hamilton, OH, Delbert House in Cincinnati, OH, and Becket Springs in West Chester, OH.The model of treatment that each facility or program employs will be examined, as well as success rates and recidivism. Additionally, this report will look at the efficacy of various models of alcohol treatment and how successful they are for the patient. Ultimately, it will lend advice as to the optimal treatment strategy one should choose when trying to overcome one's addiction to alcohol. Treatment Review One of the most common and well-known methods of alcohol treatment in the United States is the group-oriented, outpatient design of Alcoholics Anonymous (AAA).At its core, AAA is a 12-step program that utilizes anonymous group meetings to help facilitate the overarching goa l of abstinence for each of its members (â€Å"Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Steps,† 2010). The 12 steps are divided into four phases: admitting one has an addiction and needs to abstain; submission of the alcoholic's will to â€Å"the power of God or a Higher Authority'; making amends to those the individual has armed or wronged in the past; and spreading the message of AAA and its 12 steps to others (â€Å"Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Steps,† 2010).By â€Å"working the steps† and attending the meetings, the individual is purportedly given a plan and support group to help him or her resist the urge to drink alcohol. According to Lee Ann Gaskets, Drop, of University of California-Berkeley, there is controversy on the research into the capability of AAA. Therefore, she provides â€Å"a focused review of the literature on AAA effectiveness† (Gaskets, 2009). Using six criteria to establish a causal link between AAA ND abstinence, Swastikas states that there is some ev idence that AAA is an effective course of treatment for someone seeking to quit drinking.She writes, â€Å"rates of abstinence are about twice as high among those who attend AAA, and higher levels of attendance are related to higher rates of abstinence† (Swastikas, 2009). Still, she ultimately concedes that more exhaustive research needs to be completed before judging the effectiveness of AAA. In a separate article entitled â€Å"Exposing the Myth of Alcoholics Anonymous,† freelance technical writer and attendee of â€Å"hundreds of AAA tenting,† Stephen Mohr rejects the notion that AAA is an effective mode of treatment for alcoholics.He writes, â€Å"The truth is that the available evidence strongly suggests that AAA treatment provides very little or no long-term help for active alcoholics. Further, there is ample evidence that long-term repeated exposure to this program is actually dangerous to many alcoholics who would fare better if left on their own† (Mohr, 2009). Mohr cites Ass own statistics when establishing the ineffectiveness of AAA, writing, â€Å"in 1989 AAA reported that, on average, after six months 3 percent of new attendees had left the program and that after one year only 5 to 7 percent remained† (Mohr, 2009).Perhaps more damning, Mohr recounts the findings of Harvard psychiatrist Dry. George Valiant. Beginning in 1983 and then every year for eight years afterward, Dry. Valiant followed up on 100 alcoholic subjects admitted to a clinic in Cambridge, MA, and who were subsequently enrolled in Alcoholics Anonymous. He found that only five of the 100 subjects never relapsed back into alcoholic drinking, which was a rate no better than if they had been left to attempt abstinence on their own (Mohr, 2009).Worse yet, he found that three subjects a year died from their drinking habits, despite being enrolled in the 12-step program (Mohr, 2009). And while these findings were from the asses, the fact that AAA has not c hanged its approach and/or treatment methods in the 80+ years of its existence indicates that they are still pertinent to today. Moreover, these data suggest that AAA is not only ineffective, but the fact that it is so widely regarded as the premier source of alcohol treatment prevents patients from pursuing more useful modes of treatment – ones that could potentially save the alcoholic's life.The Becket Springs rehabilitation facility in West Chester, OH, is one of the alternatives to AAA that an individual suffering from alcoholism may consider. Becket Springs offers both in- patient and outpatient services to help meet the needs of the patient. The in-patient program's goal is â€Å"to teach [the individual] the tools of recovery and relapse prevention so that [he or she] can create a life worth living† (Patient Handbook, 2). When the patient is first admitted, he or she is assessed to develop an individual treatment plan. The assessment team and the patient will fo rmulate a set of goals to Ochs on during treatment.The assessment team itself is comprised of a psychiatrist, psychologist, staff nurse, patient care assistant, recreational therapist and social therapist all working together to facilitate the recovery of the patient. Individual treatment includes detoxification (if necessary), medical prescriptions written by a psychiatrist, psychological evaluations with the psychologist, group therapy through â€Å"games, crafts, leisure education, creative expression and relaxation training,† and individual and family therapy provided by a licensed therapist or social worker (Patient Handbook, 2).Becket Springs encourages communication between the patient and family throughout treatment, and designates a daily time period for phone calls in addition to a visitation schedule that allows two hour-long visits per week and a family meal during the weekend. Along these same lines, Sojourner Recovery Services, located in Hamilton, OH, is a non- profit organization that provides in-patient and outpatient substance abuse treatment for those addicted and their families.Sojourners assessment service is a thorough evaluation conducted during a face-to-face session in order to determine the extent of addiction and optimal recovery strategy. The staff at Sojourner takes a holistic approach toward treatment, and offers a diverse array of programs, including: one-on-one counseling, lectures, group therapy, family sessions and discussion groups. The aforementioned staff consists of â€Å"experienced counselors, professionals and volunteers – many of whom are recovering from addiction themselves – that genuinely care about each and every person's success† (â€Å"Sojourner Recovery,† 2012).Therapy models of recovery include: motivational enhancement to encourage the patient to become receptive to the healing process; â€Å"seeking safety' to improve coping skills; â€Å"seven challenges† for adolesc ents seeking recovery; â€Å"stages of change† which helps patients progress through the five stages of recovery; cognitive-behavioral, which utilizes the belief that one's thoughts cause one's feelings and behaviors, rather than external people or factors; and acupuncture to help alleviate symptoms and stresses associated with alcohol or drug withdrawal (â€Å"Sojourner Recovery,† 2012).The duration of stay for the in-patient program varies according to the needs of the patient, giving the person as much or as little time as he or she needs. The Delbert House in Cincinnati, OH has a few different branches across the city. The Delbert House located in Clifton, OH, is a non-profit organization focused on intensive inpatient treatment of homeless men dealing with substance abuse – namely, alcohol abuse.According to general manager Chris Weanling, this branch of the Delbert House is a â€Å"shelter-plus-care† operation, which attempts to rid patients of thei r addictions while helping to reintegrate the individuals as functioning units of society (C. Weanling, personal communication, July 21, 2014). They are encouraged to actively seek out employment and permanent residency. The Delbert House models of treatment include self-help classes, group concussions, one-on-one counseling, AAA meetings, and AN meetings (C. Weanling, personal communication, July 21, 2014).A typical day in the life of a patient starts with a 7:30 a. M. Wake-up call followed with breakfast at 8 a. M. The rest of the morning consists of life-skills classes and chemical dependency education courses. At noon, the patients have lunch, and then attend their various therapy sessions (group and/or individual) in the afternoon. Dinner is served at 5:00 p. M. , and then the patients have some free time before they are required to attend an AAA or AN meeting (C. Weanling, personal communication, July 21, 2014).The Delbert House does not allow patients to use alcohol or any il licit drugs while they are enrolled, and thus each patient is subjected to a random, periodic urinalysis and/or breath-analysis test. In any given month, five or six patients out of 60 will test positive, with the incidences of positive tests fluctuating from season to season and spiking around a holiday(C. Weanling, personal communication, July 21, 2014). The operation is largely state- funded, with tax dollars making it possible for the Delbert House to help the lives of the men it houses (C. Weanling, personal communication, July 21, 2014).Given all the models of alcohol treatment (AAA, group therapy, cognitive behavioral, motivational enhancement, acupuncture, etc. ), Just how effective are they at promoting abstinence within the alcohol abuser? As discussed above, the effectiveness of AAA seems dubious at best, and downright dangerous at worst. This is very unfortunate considering the fact that almost all court-appointed rehabilitation for alcohol offenders in Hamilton County i nvolves AAA or an equivalent 12-step program (â€Å"Treatment Options,† 2009). On the other hand, research on continuous outpatient group therapy seems to indicate its effectiveness.In J. Kim, et al. ‘s article, â€Å"The Effectiveness of Continuous Group Therapy for Outpatients with Alcohol Dependence,† he states that 3, 6 and 12 month abstinence rates of 94 cognitive group therapy subjects â€Å"were 56. 4%, 30. 6%, and 16. 9%,† respectively (Kim et al. , 2011). The same abstinence rates for 83 subjects in a standard outpatient therapy group â€Å"were 28. 6%, 11 . 7% and 5. 2%,† respectively (Kim et al. , 2011). He thus concludes that continuous group therapy for outpatients is a practical and effective means of achieving abstinence.Inpatient group cognitive behavioral therapy (CAB), though, is a little murkier. In their article, â€Å"The Effectiveness of an Inpatient Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program for Alcohol Dependence,† New s and Owe evaluated the effectiveness of attendance at an in-patient CAB program aimed at treating alcohol abuse. The study included 37 males and 34 females that attended 42 CAB sessions in three weeks, with News and Owe gathering evidence on one and three-month follow- ups regarding the drinking habits of the subjects.The study data indicated that greater attendance at CAB sessions for inpatients did not result in greater abstinence rates, nor did it correlate with a reduction in the quantity of alcohol consumed from he levels of pre-treatment (News & Owe, 2005). Thus, while patients that attended CAB sessions did seem to stand an improved chance of abstinence, News and Owe concluded â€Å"this study was unable to provide full support for the effectiveness of group CAB and cognitive models on problem drinking† (News and Owe, 2005).Another strategy for alcohol recovery is that of acupuncture. Acupuncture is a form of complementary and alternative medicine that uses the penetr ation of thin needles into specific â€Å"occupants† along the skin of the body (â€Å"Acupuncture† 2014). Choc and Hang reviewed the efficacy of this approach in their article, â€Å"Acupuncture for Alcohol Dependence: A Systematic Review. † After systematically searching nineteen electronic databases for randomized controlled trials, they found eleven studies that involved 1,110 cases.Though they conclude the results were â€Å"equivocal† and that â€Å"more research and well-designed, rigorous and large clinical trials are necessary,† the data they did discover suggest that there is no difference between acupuncture treatment and â€Å"sham treatments† (Choc and Hang, 2009). In a separate study by Karts, Passive, Frederica, Wises and Schneider, thirty-four alcoholics were treated tit acupuncture to assess its effect on withdrawal symptoms.The study was able to conclude that â€Å"acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment to carbonized medic ation shows promise for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal symptoms† (Karts, Passive, Frederica, Wises, & Schneider, 2002). Thus, while acupuncture may not be helpful for an individual hoping to obtain abstinence, it does look to be promising in helping to relieve some of the anguish of going through withdrawal. In addition to models of therapy, most treatment centers also offer medications to help the patient on their road to recovery. Daniel E.Jonas, M. D. , M. P. H. , of University of North Carolina, et al. , completed a recent study that analyzed more than 120 different studies as to the effectiveness of various pharmacological pills on the alcoholic, and found that comparative and oral maltreatment showed the greatest potential for decreasing alcohol ingestion Moons et al. , 2014). Dissimilar, an oral medication available since the asses, did not show adequate evidence to support the notion that it can prevent relapse drinking or improve drinking level outcomes Moons et al. 2014). The article goes on to state that the four most effective medications are commemorates, maltreatment, depreciate and maleness, but cautions that patients should share in the decision-making process with the physician, and medication should be taken in conjunction with other modalities of treatment Moons et al. , 2014). Conclusion Judging by national recovery data, it can require a nearly Herculean effort for an alcoholic to successfully abstain from alcohol for a long period of time (years).The national average for alcoholics that try to remain abstinent for one year without outside help is around 5% (â€Å"Alcohol Stats,† 2013). Even Alcoholics Anonymous, by its own admission, has a 93% turnover rate in one year. With this in mind, it's important for anybody that is trying to quit to not try to do so alone. The individual should attempt to enroll in either an inpatient or outpatient program at a local recovery facility. In the Cincinnati area, this could include S ojourner Recovery Services in Hamilton, OH, or Becket Springs in West Chester, OH.Both offer a variety of programs to foster an intrinsic change within the individual, and employs a multitude of treatment models and pharmacological aids that can be blended together for an optimal individual recovery plan. Perhaps most importantly, the person that is trying o recover should actively seek the help from his or her immediate family, if possible. Abstinence from alcohol is very difficult to achieve for an alcoholic, and a strong support system from people close to the affected individual will go a long way to facilitating a successful and long-lasting recovery.