Archimedes Principle Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Archimedes Principle - Lab Report Example Below are tabulated results indicating numerous physical properties of different materials determined through a typical Archimedes Principle experiment. Admittedly, both weight and density are physical properties of matter. Density is calculated by finding the ratio of a material’s mass to that of the material’s volume. Contrarily, weight is the mass of a material in a particular gravitational field. In the calculations, weight was obtained when mass was multiplied by 9.98; the earth’s acceleration due to gravity. In this context, I believe that weight is a variable property which changes with a corresponding change in the external force of gravitational acceleration. However, density is a rather static variable in matter. Density is derived from the unchanging parameters of mass and volume. On the other hand, weight is derived from the unchanging parameter of mass and the changing parameter of gravitational acceleration (Smith 28). Therefore, the experiment’s computations indicate that density describes a material more accurately than weight. When an object is suspended in air, gravity is the only major force acting on that object. However, an object immersed in water is acted upon by two major forces; gravity, and buoyant force. Gravity pulls an immersed object down while buoyant force pushes the immersed object upwards. Consequently, a portion of the object’s actual weight is neutralized by the upward force of buoyancy, thus causing an immersed object to weigh less (Smith 31). Technically, an object does not lose the same amount of weight when immersed in a liquid other than water. First, water and other liquids have different densities. Buoyancy of objects is determined by the ration of an object’s density to that of the reference liquid. Since buoyant forces determine the weight of an immersed object, then the magnitude of buoyant forces acting on a water-immersed object are not necessarily equal to the

Assessment 2 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assessment 2 - Case Study Example The indication is known as offer. An offer is an explicit or implied conduct by the offeror which indicates his willingness to commence a legal relationship with the offeree (Smith V Hughes). An offer must be accepted by the offeree. Acceptance creates a consensus ad idem which is the meeting of two minds and a binding contract is formed. The acceptance of an offer must be communicated by the offeree to the offeror. Communication of an acceptance is in different forms. However, acceptance through post comes with distinct rules. In Adams V Lindsell (1818), it was established that once an acceptance is posted by the offeree, there is a binding contract. In this case, Watertankz appears to be a business that deals with items Harry was interested in. After the contact between Harry and Watertankz, Watertankz made an explicit offer by telling Harry that they had the tanks he wanted and showed him how to make the purchase. This is a valid offer and Harry had the right to follow it up with an acceptance or not. Making such an offer in itself is an intention to create a legal relationship. According the the elements of contract law, Harry accepted the contract and this created a binding contract which effectively prevents Watertankz from revoking the contract without penalties. This is because according to the postal rule, an acceptance is made hence a binding contract is formed the moment an offeree posts his acceptance to the offeror. This therefore means that Harry gained legal rights the moment he mailed his acceptance to Watertankz. The offer made by Watertankz was accepted by Harry. This means that it is not legal for Watertankz to revoke the contract or opt out without incurring damages. The fact that prices are rising is not material in this sense. This is because Watertankz made the offer as an informed party and in this case, the concept of caveat emptor which requires them to be

The Significance Of The Enlightenment Philosophy Essay

The Significance Of The Enlightenment Philosophy Essay The purpose of writing this essay is to understand and analyse the significance of the Enlightenment in the development of the scientific method.This paper has been divided into three parts. The first part explains the reason of the coming of Enlightenment. Next,assessing the differences between theological interpretation and scientific method,and the third part analyses the Enlightenments spirit how to promote the development of scientific method.In addition,I will refer to a number of representative,for example,Newton,Rene Descartes, John Locke, David Hume,Rousseau, Kant and they rejected that theory was the only way leading to truth, condemning peoples thoughts about Christianity,celebrating reason,equality,science and humans ability to perfect themselves and society(Herry,J.2004).Their theories and contributions play an active role in the development of the scientific method .The overall purpose is to enable people to learn about the Enlightenment, the coming of scientific method ,and understand the significance of the Enlightenment in the development of the scientific method of inquiry. At the beginning ,lets see the reason of the coming of the Enlightenment.Firstly,in the seventeen and eighteen century ,European societies underwent a transition from feudal society to a capitalist society.With the development of economic, the bourgeoisie hold a strong power. But the feudal autocratic system was a huge obstacle to their further development, in order to overthrow the feudal remnants and replace them, the bourgeoisie must create public opinion. This was the original prupose of English Enlightenment(Hamilton, P. 1992). Secondly, the occurrence of the Enlightenment had a close relationship between the development of the natural sciences.In the 17,18 century, the natural sciences has been rapid development. The development of the natural sciences provide the basis for the Enlightenment, as the Enlightenment thinkers in many ways from the emerging natural sciences to find the theoretical underpinnings and ways of thinking.In the 18th century ,natural philosophers believed that scientific revolution could change all human activity.On this period, there have been many enlightened thinkers,who forcefully dispelled the shackles of peoples mind of the medieval scholastic shackles,promote scientific experiments and celebrated reason,equality,science and humans ability to perfect themselves and society(Henry,J.2004).Enlightenment was generated in this request. And then formed the basic spirit of the Enlightenment,which was against the divine right of kings and advocated natural rights, which based on the development of modern science and led to generate a new world view. Enlightenment was an anti-feudal, anti-Christian ideology and culture of the revolutionary movement(Herry,J.2004).It was the furtherance of the Renaissance of the fifteenth century, took placed during the seventeenth and eighteenth century in Europe, was originally produced in the UK, and then developed into France, Germany and Russia, in addition, the Netherlands, Belgium and other countries were also affected.The thinkers of the Enlightenment,based on reason and materialism,denounced the Christian idea of peoples inherent depravity,celebrating reason,equality,science and humans ability to perfect themselves and society (Outram,D). An important aspect of the Enlightenment flourished the development of science. The thinkers of the Scientific Revolution generated the concepts of inductive and deductive reasoning, stimulating the formation of the scientific method(Kuhn, T. 1962). The scientific method was the understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge or access to the procedure or process.Compared with theological interpretation,scientific method is practiced within using empirical evidence(empiricism), practicing logical reasonsing(rationalism),and had a skeptical about presumed knowledge (skepticism),that led to self-questioning, holding tentative conclusions, and was willing to change their religion(Steven, D 1994).The Empiricist Bacons New instrument (1620) and the rational commentators of Descartess Scientific method (1637) were represented the two wings of the scientific method the experience and assumptions inductive and deductive method. They laid the scientific method of pattern or schema.(Perry,M.1993) Enlightenments spirit promote the development of scientific method(Kuhn, T. 1962).In many ways, the basic spirit of the Enlightenment was against the divine right of kings and advocated natural rights, which based on the development of modern science and led to generate a new world view.In addition,the Enlightenment grew directly out of the scientific revolution(Kuhn, T. 1962).The Enlightenment thinkers admired the discoveries of the scientific method revolution and valued the method that made them possible.In a world , the Enlightenment promote the development of the scientific method of inquiry.Through the three generations of enlightenment and their contribution to be find. The Enlightenment was largely the work of three overlapping and closely linked generations of thinkers(Hamilton,1992:25). The first generation of Enlightenment thinkers were the English scientist Isaac Newton(1642-1727),political philosopher John Locke(1632-1704),the French thinkers Voltaire(1694-1778 ).In the 17th century, the great achievements of modern science has changed human life and world view. Newtons natural philosophy deciphered natures mysteries.In 1687,Newton published a famous book: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, in this book ,he provided a lot of mathematical evidence of the laws of gravity. He had uncovered universal laws that explained the physical phenomena,and provide clear and certain answers to the problem of the social world (Outram,D).Newton, considered one of the most influential scientists. He encouraged everyone to observe and realize the world. Equally important, Newton shows scientific ideas and methods can be applied to the development of science, not a moment to pave the way for many generations the enlightenment thinkers.(Henry,J.2004). One of the leaders of the Enlightenment Voltaire, who introduced Newtons system of thought to the center of movement France.A rational spirit of the Enlightenment was against the ignorance and mysticism, in fact,made a popularity of the spirit of science. During the same period,another philosophies John Locke developed Bacons idea that all ideas and derived all knowledge, opinions and behaviour had to based on sense expenses and attacked on metaphysics.According his thought,Locke established empiricism .And after that,Enlightenment thinkers held that people should not dwell on unanswered questions, especially should not spent time on the result of the theology, but should seek practical knowledge, inspired people and made them control their own environment(Outram,D).They thought that all of the theory must be analyzed to determine and the practical experience of mankind based on the confirmation.Lockes empiricism instead of chrity and verification and aspiried to useful knowledge.Thus, it helped to mold the utilitarian and reformist spirit of the Enlightenment. The second generation included the Scottish philosopher David Hume(1711-1776) and French philosopher Rousseau(1712-1778).It was more explicitly anticlericaland continued and developed the interest in the application of scientific method to moral(or social) issues developed by members of the first generation. The Scottish philosopher David Hume was influenced by John Locke,made a philosophical discovery that opened up to him a new senses of thought'(Hamilton, P. 1992).From then on,scientific method offered greater opportunities to question even basic assumption.In 1739 , David Hume published the Treatise of Human Nature argued that the problem of induction was unsolvable.Humes skepticism was based on experience,and based on the argument, these arguments were divided into two aspects: one was with Locke and Berkeley as the representative of the implementation of the principles of empiricism and the development of this argument will be advanced to British empiricism its logical conclusion, explaining that it implied skepticism; the other was through experience and psychological analysis demonstrates that the human while the existence of an object with the outside world, the same self and causality, etc., irresistible natural beliefs, However, we did not have these beliefs was based on objec tive reality, we can describe their psychological processes occur, but not for their objective validity of the defence.The most important of Humes approach was strong move against metaphysics as speculative and meaningless(Lindberg,1990).By 1750 the scientific method had already become inductive, historical, anthropological, comparative, and critical(Hamilton, P. 1992). In the same period,another Enlightenment thinkers Jean-Jacques Rousseau pointed out the accumulation of knowledge,which can help people to improve understanding but destruct the human morality(Stephen,E.B.2008). Rousseau questioned advanced in knowledge and advocated getting back to nature.Rousseaus argument for educational purposes in order to cultivate a natural person, and attacked the nobility and the feudal education, and he believed that nature did not manufacture the nobility and gentry, and everyone should, according to nature and life. In this respect, Rousseaus theory was a progressive of the educational purposes, but his theory of human nature was good when he born that was not science, because nature was just the potential physical and mental development, education can not be one-sided response to peoples instincts.In the new society,reason would be used to enhance mans innate goodness and to make him free.Rousseaus empnases on self-reliance and on learning by doing rathe r than by rote-the first book that Emile will read was Robinson Crusoe-make him a forerunner of the progressive education advocated. From then on ,scientific knowledge came to be seen as instrument for securing control over the human condition and make it better(Loflin,L). Enlightenment was characterized by doing away with superstition and mysticism, advocate science (natural philosophy, or simply said in philosophy) and reason this period was known as the Age of Reason(Kuhn, T) The ideal of the Enlightenment inspired many subsequent thinkers-The third generation included the German philosopher Kant (1724à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1804) who couraged people to use own intelligence to break with beliefs and institutions(Hamilton, P. 1992). Kant attempted to steer a middle course between two position of Rationalism and Empiricism.Reason and observation work together(Perry,M.1993).In 1784,Kant entitledwhat is Enlightenment?,in his essay,he expressed this central principle of the Enlightenment.He said Enlightenment was mans leaving his self-caused immaturity.Immaturity is the incapacity to use ones intelligence without the guidance of another. Have the courage to use your own intelligence,is therefore the motto of the enlightenment. Kant rejected the authority of tradition, the philosopher wanted people to have the courage to break with beliefs and institutions that did not meet the test of reason and common to seek new guideposts derived from reason.For Kant, the Enlightenment was a process of becoming enlightened(Perry,M.1993). This assignment has explained the central importance of the Enlightenment in the development of scientific method.In early modern time,from Bacon cannot link the relationship between truth and reason,and Descartes simply described the reason and truth,human reason and scientific method and progress.In the Pre-Modernment time,Enlightenment reached peak amongest the French philosopher.Using the scientific methods based on the nature of science ,which was the objective forms of knowledge. However, Enlightenment itself was in a moral restraint to improve society. In other words, the moral dimension of enlightenment was built on a specific value(Stephen,E.B 2008). From this point, Enlightenment can be seen as a standard program. Scientific method, on the other hand, regarded itself as one of the biggest pursuit of justice that was interested in discovery of facts in the form of objective à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“lawsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢. We have seen Enlightenment enabled the study of social life to break away from religious interpretations and established human beings as the active agency in constructing scientific knowledge.In addition, the Enlightenment marks the final break between pre-modern and modern knowledge,for it transformed the way in which the system of knowledge related to the social structure and social agency.It operated principles of modern knowledge.At the same time,the development of the natural sciences provide the basis for the Enlightenment, as the Enlightenment thinkers in many ways from the emerging natural sciences to find the theoretical underpinnings and ways of thinking and lead to promote the scientific and economic, social and political transformation of development.

The God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy Essay -- God Small Things Aru

The God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy Before going into the theatre â€Å"to see The Sound of Music for the third time† (35), Estha â€Å"[completes] his first adult assignment† (93). He goes to the bathroom on his own, while Ammu, Baby and Rahel accompany each other to the ladies room. This little detail about going to use the restroom foreshadows another instance where Estha will be forced from being a child into manhood. Ammu tells Estha to â€Å"shut UP!!† (96) because he was singing along to the words of the movies. Instead of shutting up, he leaves the theatre on his own account, because â€Å"he couldn’t help† (96) but sing along to the words he knew. After completing his first adult assignment, his childlikeness comes out in having to sing the lyrics in â€Å"a nun’s voice† (96). He did not know that this act of immaturity, in acting his own age, he would be shoved into yet another adult assignment, something that he kept as a small thing, but ended up as a Big Thing inside him. The Orangedrink Lemondrink Man scolded Estha for â€Å"[disturbing]† (97) him with his song. As soon as he is done scolding him, his â€Å"yellow piano key† (97) teeth offered him a free drink. As Estha came, the Orangedrink Lemondrink Man already knew what he had in store for Estha. The Man asked him questions, and Estha, being a man and a child, had to answer. Where did he live? What did his family do? The Man â€Å"handed Estha his penis† (98) and made Estha masturbate him while he drank his lemon drink, and he had to, because the Man â€Å"knew where to find [him]† (104). After the Man was done with Estha, he sent him back into the theatre. Estha knew from this time that he would be love a little less if anyone knew what he had done with the Orangedrink Lemondrink Man. So he told no one. But in his head, a conversation was taking place between himself and Baron von Trapp, the father in The Sound of Music. Would von Trapp love him even though he was not white? Even though he â€Å"[blew] spit bubbles†¦[shivered] his legs†¦ held a strangers’ soo-soos?† (101). Was he still acceptable to obtain a Baba’s love? He knew that it was â€Å"out of the question. [He could not] love them† (102). No father could ever love him. They leave the theatre because Estha the child, Estha the man, is sick. When they exit the theatre, the Orangedrink Lemondrink Man smiles at Rahel and offers her candy. She goes toward him, and is... ...lowing it to be made into another myth or to be erased by the present. The time was â€Å"painted† on to the wrist-watch that was buried under the History House. When that watch was left to become one with the grass and the dirt, it captured many things. It made time stand still. It took away the desire to speak. This affected Ammu and Estha in everlasting ways. Ammu went mad before she died. Ammu treated Rahel as though she were still seven, when she was actually eleven, saying, â€Å"It was as though [she] believed that if she refused to acknowledge the passage of time, if she willed it to stand still in the lives or her twins, it would† (152). Estha changed dramatically as well. When â€Å"childhood tiptoed out† and â€Å"silence slid in like a bolt† (303), they went to where the watch was, buried with Ammu’s mind. In the ground of the History house, the time would remain at â€Å"ten to two† (121). Ten to two; two small people against ten big people. Rahel and Estha â€Å"trapped in†¦ a story† (224) against Mamachi, Baby, Chacko, Margret, Sophie, Ammu, Velutha, Kochu Maria, Pillai, and the Orangedrink Lemondrink Man. Ten. Ten to Two. Where the God of Small Things, â€Å"if he fought he couldn’t win† (207).

Plant Transpiration Lab Report

Lab 4: Plant Transpiration Project By Shelby Hyde Lab 030 Date Due: March 12, 2013 The Effect of Wind on the Rate of Transpiration Introduction: Transpiration is the process through which water is evaporated from plants. This serves many purposes, including thermoregulation and the diffusion of CO2, but most importantly creates a water potential difference which causes the mass flow of water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves of the plant. Transpiration is accomplished through structures on the surface of the leaf called stomata, which are guarded by a pair of guard cells.Guard cells control the opening and closing of the stomata as well as the size of the opening; they open in order to obtain O2 and CO2 in the process they allow the escape of H2O. This experiment was conducted to learn more about this process, and how certain common environmental factors affect it. Plant transpiration increases with the presence of wind due to increased evaporation from leaves. Results: The transpiration rate of the sunflower in the presence of wind was consistently greater than that without wind, also causing the mean to be higher, shown in Table 1.Also included in Table 1, the variability was less in the sunflower with wind along with standard deviation. Table 1: Rate of Transpiration in sunflower plant with and without wind. Discussion: Although the rate of transpiration was consistently, noticeably greater while wind was present than it was in the absence of wind, there were some limitations to this study. One of the limitations of the experiment is that was performed in a college lab setting with various activities simultaneously going on, which could’ve affected the speed of the wind between all of the runs.The main shortcoming is that, because only one plant of one species was used, this cannot be used to generalize that this is true for all plants. In general, the results support the hypothesis that the rate of transpiration is higher in plants while win d is present. Transpiration increases in the presence of wind for two main reasons. When the stomata open, the wind would increase evaporation and the amount of H2O that escapes from the open pores.Also, when water is transpired it remains around the plant, causing area within the vicinity to become humid. Wind pushes that saturated air and replaces it with drier air, which is easier for water to evaporate into. Further studies could include not only other variables affecting transpiration, such as relative humidity of the atmosphere, temperature, pH of water and amount of available water, but also how much each of those individual variables contribute to the rate of transpiration in relation to each other.Literature Cited: George Burba,  Michael Pidwirny  (Lead Author);Debbie Swarthout  (Contributing Author);Sidney Draggan Ph. D. ,  Daniel Robert Taub  (Topic Editor) â€Å"Transpiration†. In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D. C. : Envi ronmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 3, 2010; Last revised Date December 16, 2010; Retrieved March 13, 2013

Mental Illness Paper

Mental Illness Paper Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is real illness that can be treated with medicine and therapy. When have OCD, you have recurring, upsetting thoughts (called obsessions). You repeat doing the same thing, over and over again (called compulsions) to make the thoughts go away. And, you feel like you cannot control or stop these thoughts or actions. The obsessions, or upsetting thoughts, can include things like a fear of germs, a fear of begin hurt, a fear of hurting others, and disturbing religious or sexual thoughts. The compulsions, or actions you repeat to make the thoughts go away, can be things like counting, cleanings hand washing, and checking on things. While these actions provide only short-lived relief, not doing them only increases anxiety. Many people who have OCD know that their actions often do not make sense. They may try to hide their problem from family and friends, and may have trouble keeping a job because of their actions. Without treatment, obsessions and the need to perform rituals can take over a person’s life. OCD is an anxiety disorder that can be life-long. A person with OCD can also recover and then get the illness again, or relapse. This illness affects women and men in equal numbers. Most often, OCD begins during the teenage years or early childhood, although it can start in an adult. For many years, mental health professionals thought of OCD as a rare disease because only a small minority of their patients had the condition. The disorder often went unrecognized because many of those afflicted with OCD, in efforts to keep their repetitive thoughts and behaviors secret, failed to seek treatment. This led to underestimates of the number of people with the illness. Time changes all concepts. â€Å"OCD† is no exception. In the seventeenth century, obsessions and compulsions were often described as symptoms of religious melancholy. The Oxford Don, Robert Burton, reported a case in his compendium, the Anatomy of Melancholy(1621: â€Å"If he be in a silent auditory, as at a sermon, he is afraid he shall speak aloud and unaware, something indecent, unfit to be said†. In 1660, Jeremy Taylor, bishop of Down and Connor, Ireland, was referring to obsessional doubting when he wrote of â€Å"scruples†. A scruple is trouble where the trouble is over a doubt when doubts are resolved. OCD is recognized as the fourth most common mental disorder following, in order of occurrence, substance abuse, phobias, and major depression (Spengler, Jacobi, 1998). Perhaps part of the reason for the â€Å"confusion† is that several disorders manifest ideational processes that ar e much like the obsessional thinking in OCD. People with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also have cognitive processes that are intrusive, repetitive, and exaggerated. The difference lies in how clients view their obsessions. OCD that comes and goes some children will have one obsession or compulsion for a few months and then it will disappear. There may be no obsessions or compulsions for years, and then they might return for no apparent reason. OCD that comes, but never exactly leaves a common pattern is for a person to have a number of obsessions and compulsions which are quite severe, but which then lessen, at least for awhile. Example of OCD that comes and goes: Jody was 6; she had a little â€Å"habit†. Before she picked up anything in her hand, she would very lightly touch it once with her index finger. When her parents asked her why, Jody just said that she liked to. There were no other obsessions or compulsions. Although no one mentioned it outside of the family, Jody’s mother and father became worried when Jody’s little sister, age 3 started imitating this habit. There were about to see their family doctor about this when it started to go away and never really came back. Two years later, after no signs of OCD, Jody started counting. She thought her mother, who had a routine hysterectomy, would die if she made a mistake. She was counting and checking her counting for errors each day. Only when they were in the pediatric psychiatrist’s office did they remember the â€Å"habit† she had at age 6. For a long time OCD was thought to be an infrequent disorder. In other words, it was believed to be rare among â€Å"general population†. Now, it is estimated that over the course of a lifetime approximately 2. 5 percent of individuals will develop this disorder. For children and adolescents, it is estimated that approximately the same percentage suffers from this disorder. In fact, this figure appears to be consistent with regard to American populations and worldwide populations, as well as male and female occurrences. Clinical and animal research sponsored by NIMH (National Institute of Mental Disorders) and other scientific organizations has provided information leading to both pharmacologic and behavioral treatments that can benefit the person with OCD. One patient may benefit significantly from behavior therapy, while another will benefit from pharmacotherapy. Some others may use both medication and behavior therapy. Others may begin with medication to gain control over their symptoms and then continue with behavior therapy. Which therapy to use should be decided by the individual patient in consultation with his/her therapist? Treatment with psychotherapy includes cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and behavioral therapy. In CBT, the goal is to change how a person thinks about, and then reacts to, a situation that makes them anxious or fearful. In behavioral therapy, the focus is on changing how a person reacts to a situation. BCT or behavioral therapy most often lasts for 12 weeks. It can be group or individual therapy. A special type of behavior therapy, call exposure and response prevention, is often used with OCD. With this approach, a person is exposed to whatever triggers the obsessive thoughts. Then the person is taught ways to avoid doing the compulsive rituals, and how to deal with the anxiety. Some studies have shown that the benefits of CBT or behavioral therapy las longer than do those of medications for people with OCD. Clinical trials in recent years have shown that drugs that affect the neurotransmitter serotonin can significantly decrease the symptoms of OCD. The first of these serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) specifically approved for the use in the treatment of OCD was tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine (Anafranil). It was followed by other SRIs that are called â€Å"selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors† (SSRIs). Those that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of OCD are fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), and paroxetine (Paxil). Large studies have shown that more than three-quarters of patients are helped by these medications at least a little. Another neurotransmitter is also believed to result in mental illness when it is not working properly, this neurotransmitter called nor epinephrine. Studies have revealed that individuals with OCD have an insufficient level or serotonin, one of the brain’s neurotransmitters. Other studies also reveal that some individuals with OCD have abnormalities in dopaminergic transmission. Commonly, OCD is first diagnosed when parents recognize that their young child or teenager seems preoccupied with ritualistic behaviors associated with excessive cleanliness or unusually meticulous organization, and they seek help from a mental health professional. Adults on the other hand, may seek professional help when they realize that it is becoming difficult for them to do their job or school work because they are spending too much time with their obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors. Therapists make the diagnosis of OCD by taking a careful personal history from the patient/client and any available family members, such as in the case of a young child. Although most people improve with adequate treatment, the condition can continue for many years. Primary care physician should be familiar with the various ways obsessive-compulsive disorder can present and should be able to recognize clues to the presence of obsessions or compulsions. Proper diagnosis and education about the nature of the disorder are important first steps in recovery. Treatment is rarely curative, but patients can have significant improvement in symptoms. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is chronic condition with a high rate of relapse. Discontinuation of treatment should be undertaken with caution. Patients should be closely monitored for comorbid depression and suicidal ideation. People with OCD sometimes also abuse alcohol and drugs and can have other illnesses, such as depression, eating disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or other anxiety disorders. When a person also has other illnesses, OCD is often harder to diagnose and treat. Symptoms of OCD include; having upsetting thoughts or images enter your mind again and again, washing your hands, cleaning, re-arranging objects, doing things until it feels â€Å"right,† or collecting useless objects, worrying a lot about terrible things that could happen if you are not careful. If you think you may have symptoms of OCD, visit your doctor is the best place to start. Keep in mind that it can be a challenge to find the right treatment for an anxiety disorder. But, if one treatment does not work, the odds are good that another one will. New treatments are being developed through ongoing research. If a person has recovered from an anxiety disorder and it comes back at a later date, the person can be treated again the skills you learned dealing with the disorder the first time can help you in coping with it again. As the twenty-first century begins, advances in pharmacology, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and learning theory have allowed us to reach a more therapeutically useful conceptualization of OCD. Although the causes of the disorder still elude us, the recent identification of children with OCD caused by an autoimmune response to group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection promises to bring increased understanding of the disorder’s pathogenesis. References (n. d). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Washington, District of Columbia, US: US Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health; the National Women's Health Information Center. Retrieved from PsycEXTRA http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=pxh&AN=303972004-001&site=ehost-livedatabase. Depression & Anxiety (1091-4269); 2008, Vol. 25 Issue 9, p761-767, 7p, 3 Charts, 2 http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=34281062&site=ehost-live Abel, J. (1994, March). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Interdisciplinary Treatment May Be Best. Clinician's Research Digest, p. . Retrieved from PsycEXTRA database. Stanford Medicine  » School of Medicine  » Departments  » Psychiatry  » OCD Research »Treatment http://ocd. stanford. edu/treatment/history. html Symptoms of OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)http://counsellingresource. com/distress/anxiety-disorders/obsessive-compulsive. html The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is part of the National Institutes of H ealth (NIH), a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www. nimh. nih. gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/index. shtml