Marijuana, Misinformation, and Poly-Behavioral Addiction

Fact or Fiction

1. Marijuana is a very harmful, highly addictive, dangerous, illegal gateway drug that currently has no accepted or proven medical use or cash value as a crop.

Or is it true that:

2. Marijuana is a safe, harmless, non-addictive, healthy drug that has healing qualities that should be promoted for our youth to partake for its mind developing effects and legalized as America’s top cash crop.

Most would agree that both of the above statements are not absolutely true. However, if you have read most of the current published articles on the internet discussing the use of marijuana (where the majority of our youth get their information these days), the authors intended bias although not always explicit will point you in one of the two above directions – either pro-marijuana use or anti-marijuana use. Unfortunately, most of these sometimes well-crafted articles have little scientific evidence to validate their claims. We tend to expect this sort of thing from non-professional zealots and fanatical enthusiasts who have a deep passion to promote their cause, but it is very disappointing when we get information that directly contradicts scientific evidence from our paid government officials.

For example, the Food and Drug Administration announced in April, 2006 that “no sound scientific studies” supported the medical use of marijuana, contradicting a 1999 review by a panel of highly regarded scientists from the Institute of Medicine, a part of the National Academy of Sciences, the nation’s most prestigious scientific advisory agency. That review found marijuana to be “moderately well suited for particular conditions, such as chemotherapy – induced nausea and vomiting and AIDS wasting.” This would not be so surprising if the FDA had made this policy change based on new scientific research data, but it made no mention of any new analysis or investigation activity.

National Confusion

To add to this confusion, eleven states have legalized the medical use of marijuana, but a Supreme Court decision last year allowed the federal government to arrest anyone using marijuana, even for medicinal purposes and even in states that have legalized its use. The U.S. government has approved – “Marinol,” a synthetic pill version of a marijuana component to treat anorexia associated with AIDS and the nausea and vomiting associated with cancer drug therapy and GW Pharmaceutical, a British company, has received F.D.A. approval to test a sprayed extract of marijuana in humans called Sativex. This drug is approved for sale in Canada.
Is it any wonder then why our young people seem to be so confused about the positive and negative effects of marijuana when our own government officials are undecided, ambivalent, and constantly changing State and national policies based on political pressure instead of scientific evidence.

Simple minds seek simple solutions for complex problems because they cannot understand or don’t believe that others are capable of understanding the complexity of comprehensive solutions. For example, the earth is a system made up of subsystems (atmosphere - air, lithosphere - land, hydrosphere - water, & biosphere – life). Each subsystem directly affects and is affected directly by the other subsystems. Yet most of the earth’s 6 billion people are unaware or indifferent to the fact that their daily behaviors may be causing a global warming effect that may some day destroy the earth. We humans are a system comprised of many subsystems and the little things we do and consume each day have a drastic effect on our present mental, emotional, and physical health, and our future quality and length of life.

Adolescent Brain Development

The human brain is also a system of subsystems and there is now overwhelming evidence that the development of the human brain continues well into adolescence – up to age 20. We know that the brain is vulnerable to toxic substances that can cause cognitive dysfunctions in adults. There is substantial literature on the consequences of acute and chronic marijuana exposure in adults, including measures of cognitive and behavioral effects, as well as some measures of alterations in brain function, primarily in the domains of learning and memory. There have been relatively few studies, however, of the effects of exposure to marijuana during development, when those areas that are known to be affected in adults are being sculpted by intrinsic and environmental
influences (e.g., exposure to other drugs, stress, interactions with peers, parenting, neighborhood factors, and other social variables).

Some have reported that a delay in adolescent brain development is common when alcohol and or other drug usage including marijuana - begins at a young age. “Some frequent users feel a lack of initiative and concern about the future, find it hard to become or stay motivated, and think things will take care of them selves,” (Wapner, Roger, 1995). As a result, the normal maturation process is interrupted. Development of coping skills, a code of ethics, acceptance of responsibility, and other signs of maturity frequently cease or regress. A frequent user’s emotional development may be delayed when he starts using, and may take much longer to develop once the user has become clean and sober for an extended period of time. Drug misuse usually leads to denial. “Denial is one of the hallmarks of chemical dependency. Frequent users not only deny that their drug use is a problem; they may begin using denial to pretend other problems do not exist either. Forgotten birthdays, missed social engagements, and unmet commitments are all ‘no big deal’.” (Wapner, Roger, 1995)

Jonathon Shedler and Jack Block (University of California, Berkeley) have done extensive studies of teenagers, which included abstainers, occasional users, and frequent users. “Frequent users are described (by family and peers) as not dependable or responsible, not productive or able to get things done, guileful and deceitful, opportunistic, unpredictable and changeable in attitudes and behavior, unable to delay gratification, rebellious and nonconforming, prone to push and stretch limits, self-indulgent, not ethically consistent, not having high aspirations, and prone to express hostile feelings directly.” (Shedler and Block, 1990)

Marijuana Effects

The specific effects of marijuana, however, vary greatly, depending on the quality and dosage of the drug, the personality and mood of the user, the user’s past experiences with the drug, the social setting, and the user’s expectations. Considerable consensus exists however among regular users that when marijuana is smoked and inhaled, a state of slight intoxication results. This state is one of mild euphoria distinguished by increased feelings of well-being, heightened perceptual acuity, and pleasant relaxation, often accompanied by a sensation of drifting or floating away. Sensory inputs are intensified. Often a person’s sense of time is stretched or distorted, so that an event that lasts only a few seconds may seem to cover a much longer span. Short-term memory may also be affected, as one notices that a bite has been taken out of a sandwich but does not remember having taken it. For most users, pleasurable experiences, including sexual intercourse, are reportedly enhanced. When smoked, marijuana is rapidly absorbed and its effects appear within seconds to minutes but seldom last more than 2 to 3 hours (Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley, 2004).

Marijuana may lead to unpleasant as well as pleasant experiences. For example, if a person uses the drug while in an unhappy, angry, suspicious, or frightened mood, these feelings may be magnified. With higher dosages and with certain unstable or susceptible individuals, marijuana can produce extreme euphoria, hilarity, and over talkativeness, but it can also produce intense anxiety and depression as well as delusions, hallucinations, and other psychotic-like experiences. Evidence suggests a strong relationship between daily marijuana use and the occurrence of self-reported psychotic symptoms (Tien & Anthony, 1990).

Marijuana’s short-range physiological effects include a moderate increase in heart rate, a slowing of reaction time, a slight contraction of pupil size, bloodshot and itchy eyes, a dry mouth, and increased appetite. Furthermore, marijuana induces memory dysfunction and a slowing of information processing (Poe, Gruber, et al., 2001). Continued use of high dosages over time tends to produce lethargy and passivity. In such cases marijuana appears to have a hallucinogenic effect. The effects of long-term and habitual marijuana use are still under investigation, although a number of possible adverse side effects have been related to the prolonged, heavy use of marijuana. For example, marijuana tends to diminish self-control. One study exploring past substance use history in incarcerated murderers reported that among men who committed murder, marijuana was the most commonly used drug. One-third indicated that they used the drug before the homicide, and two-thirds were experiencing some effects of the drug at the time of the murder (Spunt et al., 1994).

Marijuana does not lead to extreme physiological dependence, as heroin does. It can, however, lead to psychological dependence, in which the person experiences a strong need for the drug whenever he or she feels anxious or tense. In fact, recent research has reported that many marijuana use abstainers reported having withdrawal-like symptoms such as nervousness, tension, sleep problems, and appetite change (Budney, Hughes, et al., 2001; Kouri and Pope, 2000). One recent study of substance abusers reported that marijuana users were more ambivalent and less confident about stopping use than were cocaine abusers (Budney, Radonovich, et al., 1998).

Self – Diagnosis

1. Does your periodic marijuana use and intoxication interfere with your performance at work or school?
2. Is your periodic marijuana use and intoxication physically hazardous in situations such as driving a car?
3. Do you or have you had legal problems as a consequence of arrests for marijuana possession?
4. Do you or have you had arguments with spouses or parents over the possession of marijuana in the home or its use in the presence of children?

If you answered “Yes” to any one of the above – you may meet criteria for a diagnosis of Cannabis Abuse and I would recommend that you undergo an alcohol/ substance abuse evaluation by a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) and comply with all treatment recommendations.

If you are having psychological or physical problems associated with compulsively using marijuana, such as:

1. Craving;
2. Withdrawal symptoms;
3. Irritability;
4. Sleeplessness; and/ or
5. Anxiety

- when trying to quit, then a diagnosis of Cannabis Dependence should be considered rather than Cannabis Abuse. Likewise, I would recommend that you undergo an alcohol/ substance abuse evaluation by a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) and comply with all treatment recommendations.

Multiple Addictions

In 2001, marijuana was a contributing factor in more than 110,000 emergency department visits in the United States. In a survey of drug-related visits to the emergency room (DAWN Report, 2001), 16 percent of drug-related visits were for marijuana abuse. Many of these emergency room visits, as one might suspect, involved the use of other substances along with marijuana. If you had trouble answering “Yes” to one of the above self-diagnosis questions, because you have used alcohol and/ or other drugs along with marijuana and you cannot contribute your problems to marijuana alone, then you may meet the criteria for – Poly-substance Dependence and or “Poly-behavioral Addiction,” – see below. Since it is impossible to expect treatment for one addiction to be beneficial when other addictions co-exist, the initial therapeutic intervention for any addiction needs to include an assessment for other addictions. National surveys revealed that very high correlation exists between cannabis abuse and/ or other substance abuse and behavioral addictions.

Poor Prognosis

We have come to realize today more than any other time in history that the treatment of Cannabis Dependence and other lifestyle diseases and behavioral addictions related to gambling, food, sex, and/ or religion, (etc.) are often a difficult and frustrating task for all concerned. Repeated failures abound with all of the addictions, even with utilizing the most effective treatment strategies. But why do 47% of patients treated in private addiction treatment programs (for example) relapse within the first year following treatment (Gorski, T., 2001)? Have addiction specialists become conditioned to accept failure as the norm? There are many reasons for this poor prognosis. Some would proclaim that addictions are psychosomatically- induced and maintained in a semi-balanced force field of driving and restraining multidimensional forces. Others would say that failures are due simply to a lack of self-motivation or will power. Most would agree that lifestyle behavioral addictions are serious health risks that deserve our attention, but could it possibly be that patients with multiple addictions are being under diagnosed (with a single dependence) simply due to a lack of diagnostic tools and resources that are incapable of resolving the complexity of assessing and treating a patient with multiple addictions?

Diagnostic Delineation

Thus far, the DSM-IV-TR has not delineated a diagnosis for the complexity of multiple behavioral and substance addictions. It has reserved the Poly-substance Dependence diagnosis for a person who is repeatedly using at least three groups of substances during the same 12-month period, but the criteria for this diagnosis do not involve any behavioral addiction symptoms. In the Psychological Factors Affecting Medical Condition’s section (DSM-IV-TR, 2000); maladaptive health behaviors (e.g., unsafe sexual practices, excessive alcohol, drug use, and over eating, etc.) may be listed on Axis I, only if they are significantly affecting the course of treatment of a medical or mental condition.

Since successful treatment outcomes are dependent on thorough assessments, accurate diagnoses, and comprehensive individualized treatment planning, it is no wonder that repeated rehabilitation failures and low success rates are the norm instead of the exception in the addictions field, when the latest DSM-IV-TR does not even include a diagnosis for multiple addictive behavioral disorders. Treatment clinics need to have a treatment planning system and referral network that is equipped to thoroughly assess multiple addictive and mental health disorders and related treatment needs and comprehensively provide education/ awareness, prevention strategy groups, and/ or specific addictions treatment services for individuals diagnosed with multiple addictions. Written treatment goals and objectives should be specified for each separate addiction and dimension of an individuals’ life, and the desired performance outcome or completion criteria should be specifically stated, behaviorally based (a visible activity), and measurable.

New Proposed Diagnosis

To assist in resolving the limited DSM-IV-TRs’ diagnostic capability, a multidimensional diagnosis of “Poly-behavioral Addiction,” is proposed for more accurate diagnosis leading to more effective treatment planning. This diagnosis encompasses the broadest category of addictive disorders that would include an individual manifesting a combination of substance abuse addictions, and other obsessively-compulsive behavioral addictive behavioral patterns to pathological gambling, religion, and/ or sex / pornography, etc.). Behavioral addictions are just as damaging - psychologically and socially as alcohol and drug abuse. They are comparative to other life-style diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease in their behavioral manifestations, their etiologies, and their resistance to treatments. They are progressive disorders that involve obsessive thinking and compulsive behaviors. They are also characterized by a preoccupation with a continuous or periodic loss of control, and continuous irrational behavior in spite of adverse consequences.

Poly-behavioral addiction would be described as a state of periodic or chronic physical, mental, emotional, cultural, sexual and/ or spiritual/ religious intoxication. These various types of intoxication are produced by repeated obsessive thoughts and compulsive practices involved in pathological relationships to any mood-altering substance, person, organization, belief system, and/ or activity. The individual has an overpowering desire, need or compulsion with the presence of a tendency to intensify their adherence to these practices, and evidence of phenomena of tolerance, abstinence and withdrawal, in which there is always physical and/ or psychic dependence on the effects of this pathological relationship. In addition, there is a 12 - month period in which an individual is pathologically involved with three or more behavioral and/ or substance use addictions simultaneously, but the criteria are not met for dependence for any one addiction in particular (Slobodzien, J., 2005). In essence, Poly-behavioral addiction is the synergistically integrated chronic dependence on multiple physiologically addictive substances and behaviors (e.g., using/ abusing substances - nicotine, alcohol, & drugs, and/or acting impulsively or obsessively compulsive in regards to gambling, food binging, sex, and/ or religion, etc.) simultaneously.
Multidimensional Treatment

Since chronic lifestyle diseases and disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, alcoholism, drug and behavioral addictions cannot be cured, but only managed - how should we effectively manage poly-behavioral addiction?

The Addiction Recovery Measurement System (ARMS) is proposed utilizing a multidimensional integrative assessment, treatment planning, treatment progress, and treatment outcome measurement tracking system that facilitates rapid and accurate recognition and evaluation of an individual’s comprehensive life-functioning progress dimensions. The ARMS hypothesis purports that there is a multidimensional synergistically negative resistance that individual’s develop to any one form of treatment to a single dimension of their lives, because the effects of an individual’s addiction have dynamically interacted multi-dimensionally. Having the primary focus on one dimension is insufficient. Traditionally, addiction treatment programs have failed to accommodate for the multidimensional synergistically negative effects of an individual having multiple addictions, (e.g. nicotine, alcohol, and obesity, etc.). Behavioral addictions interact negatively with each other and with strategies to improve overall functioning. They tend to encourage the use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, help increase violence, decrease functional capacity, and promote social isolation. Most treatment theories today involve assessing other dimensions to identify dual diagnosis or co-morbidity diagnoses, or to assess contributing factors that may play a role in the individual’s primary addiction. The ARMS’ theory proclaims that a multidimensional treatment plan must be devised addressing the possible multiple addictions identified for each one of an individual’s life dimensions in addition to developing specific goals and objectives for each dimension.

Conclusion

This article was not written with the intent to demonize or glorify the most widely used illicit and top US cash crop (U.S. growers produce nearly $35 billion worth of marijuana annually, making the illegal drug the country's largest cash crop, bigger than corn and wheat combined, an advocate of medical marijuana use said in a study released on 18 Dec. 06, WASHINGTON), “Reuters.” Nor was it written to advocate the use or non-use of marijuana whether legally for medicinal purposes or illegally. There are numerous articles readily available that already accomplish that mission. It is my hope though, that the 10 to 15 percent of individuals that have multiple complex problems involving marijuana usage will find the help that they need. Considering the wide range of addictive behaviors in our world today, one should always take into account an individual’s ethnic, cultural, religious, and social background prior to making any clinical judgments, and it would be wise to not over-pathologize in this area. However, since successful treatment outcomes are dependent on thorough assessments, accurate diagnoses, and comprehensive individualized treatment planning - Poly-behavioral Addiction needs to be identified to effectively treat the complexity of multiple behavioral and substance addictions.

For more info see:
Poly-Behavioral Addiction and the Addictions Recovery Measurement System (ARMS)
By James Slobodzien, Psy.D. CSAC at:

http://www.geocities.com/drslbdzn/Behavioral_Addictions.html
James Slobodzien, Psy.D. CSAC, is a Hawaii licensed psychologist and certified substance abuse counselor who earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology. The National Registry of Health Service Providers in Psychology credentials Dr. Slobodzien. He has over 20-years of mental health experience primarily working in the fields of alcohol/ substance abuse and behavioral addictions in medical, correctional, and judicial settings. He is an adjunct professor of Psychology and also maintains a private practice as a mental health consultant.
Sources
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Marijuana Facts Parents Need to Know, September 2004, What is Marijuana, How is Marijuana Used?
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings, September 2006
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, Initiation of Marijuana Use: Trends, Patterns and Implications, July 2002.
National Institute on Drug Abuse and University of Michigan, Monitoring the Future 2005 Data From In-School Surveys of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-Grade Students, December 2005
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2005, June 2006
National Institute on Drug Abuse and University of Michigan, Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975–2005, Volume II: College Students & Adults Ages 19–45 (PDF), 2006
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Drug Use and Dependence, State and Federal Prisoners, 2004, October 2006
National Institute on Drug Abuse, InfoFacts: Marijuana, April 2006
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Research Report Series—Marijuana Abuse, October 2001.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2004: National Estimates of Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits, April 2006
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Mortality Data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2001 (PDF), January 2003.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) Highlights—2004 (PDF), February 2006
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the United States, 2005, September 2006
National Drug Intelligence Center, National Drug Threat Assessment 2007, October 2006
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Drug Use and Dependence, State and Federal Prisoners, 2004, October 2006
United States Sentencing Commission, 2005 Sourcebook of Federal Sentencing Statistics, June 2006
National Drug Intelligence Center, National Drug Threat Assessment 2007, October 2006
National Drug Intelligence Center, National Drug Threat Assessment 2007, October 2006

About the Author

James Slobodzien, Psy.D. CSAC, is a Hawaii licensed psychologist and certified substance abuse counselor who earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology. The National Registry of Health Service Providers in Psychology credentials Dr. Slobodzien. He has over 20-years of mental health experience primarily working in the fields of alcohol/ substance abuse and behavioral addictions in medical, correctional, and judicial settings. He is an adjunct professor of Psychology and also maintains a private practice as a mental health consultant.

http://www.geocities.com/drslbdzn/Behavioral_Addictions.html

Source: ArticleTrader.com

Dont CRI

Hey Don't Cri !
"Usually I creep into the poor guys neck first and he calls me the pain in the neck.

How superficial? I think when he speaks to friends like that.

He usually helps me by working more and caring less about the problems I cause, for God has not given him time, he says. (I tend to agree with him, it must be God's will, for how else can God create me without offering me a means of survival.)

The humans have not yet recognized me. But let it be. It is said that they want to find only viruses and bacteria or now a days genes. (Yes of course, hats off to our great new age leaders like HIV and our old and awe-inspiring fighter, in fact our role model when young, the TB) How funny?

Ya ya, It is said that I am the offspring of many years of constant prayer by our race, the Diseases, to beat the man at their own game. This is our time. When we beat them at their technology or through their technology? Their Computers? The blasted things, which are helping them to think and work against us. Now you see why I am a hero. I beat them in their own game.

You know how long I had to lie dormant? There was great hope around 200 years before when they started their so-called industries (We, the elite of the Diseases, call it our restaurants and Resorts). But soon somebody found us out and reported. They made life so difficult to us by working in proper conditions and soon you see we are available in good fertile countries like India only.

Ya, you want to know how I do it? It is my secret. Still for somebody like you I shall open my mind. Computers are my vectors. You know vectors. Like my uncle the Malaria and cousin Dengue, they use mosquitoes as vectors & I use computers. Yes, you see I use them to pass me on and I seep into anybody looking at the computers.

No they can't find me. No microscope can do it. As long as they don't look into themselves I am fine. You see. I am they and they are me. Does it not sound like "Aham Brahmasmi".

See him. That guy over the corner. He is the best fodder for me around. See how keenly he is looking into the computers. How important he thinks his work is or rather he is. How much he wants to be the performer. (Growls) Ya, I will show him in just 365 days. If he is cooperating that is. I can make him sit back at home looking at the sky with enough drugs from a shrink to help him out of his depression because of his lost job. You Bet.

NO NO, not the neck alone. I get in through where I like. Neck, wrists, head, eyes, ears, low back, legs. You name it I can get in through there.

Yaaaa, I also help my old folks who are my relatives like Diabetes, Blood Pressure, Heart problems. But you see many a times we work together. Then it is great fun. We make the guy run around different specialists and really we go touring. In these tours we also meet different preys (read humans) who are suitable for any one of us. You see, on one such travel I really fell in love with a beautiful secretary of a doctor instantly. It is a shame in our community to fall in love with one of our preys. But I could not help it. She had beautiful eyes and long hair and most important she had my dearest friend the computer in front of her. She was but short and had high heels and a most uncomfortable chair. I must really thank the good doctor for being so mean. I immediately started working and worked up from her hip. No, No, not lured by her hip hugging dress of course but by her way of sitting in front of the computer which made it very suitable for me (A suitable woman, she is). Now she regularly takes me to the orthopedician and gynecologist and she is worried about why she is not getting pregnant. Ya, in a way, I also help in bringing down the population of these human creatures.

Probably. Even if I am in love with her I cannot forget the duty to my race.

No my life is not confined to computer professionals alone. Really I was named RSI (Repetitive Strain Injuries) and I can live in many groups of people who work in improper working conditions for long periods or maintain improper positions and postures or out of size instruments or gadgets or furniture. Infact I thrive in all of them. You can find my divine (his words) presence in as I said Office Secretaries to CEOs. From Bank employees to Accountants in local grocery stores. I am everywhere. But people working on Computers are my all time favorites. And then some humans started calling me CRI. (Computer Related Injuries). I liked it. It was cool. I felt it sounded like what I was doing to my preys. Making them CRY. You noticed the similarity. CRI. CRY. CRY CRI. Fry. Fried CRIs. Crying CRIs. Fried Crying CRIs. (The fellow got hysterical at this stage and continued for long with his gibberish and the author had to offer him a piece of his own neck to nibble before he calmed down. The mentioning of his strange ornaments also brought him back to a state of normalcy)

These? Do you like them? Ya, I shall tell you in brief about my signs and symptoms which are my ornaments. Carpel Tunnel Syndrome? You have heard about it in connection with me? But in fact CTS is only a small and dangerous percentage of typing injuries which I cause. Tendinitis, Bursitis, Tenosynovitis, DeQuervain's Syndrome , Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Trigger Finger/Thumb , Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and several others are also there in my treasure box. All of these are serious and in advanced cases can cause great pain and permanent disability……………………………………"

(The above was a piece of dialogue by Mr CRI (alias RSI) who the author has met on several occasions when he paid a visit at the authors clinic with several of his clients)

Life , Health , Happiness, Comfort and all the works of God ………so beautiful. It is a mystery how the Computer Professionals of our times, the news kings and queens of the world forget that a there is a life beyond the depth of the internet or the life in the computer.

Aged no more than 2 decades the health problems generated by the computer industry is comparable to the same created by the industrial revolution in the late 18th century in its social magnitude, severity, diversity and financial implications to the members of this grand profession. In spite of the huge profits generated by the industry, the lords of the same turning a blind eye towards the indicators of this problem, fast attaining epidemic proportions, has not helped much in properly understanding or preventing CRI.

Data collected from the more than 2000 computer professionals afflicted with CRI, who had sought help from Sanjeevani in Bangalore and Trivandrum, on analysis proves that maximum number of people have developed some or other kind of diseases related to the vertebral column (often presented to the doctor as neck pain or stiffness, vertigo or dizziness, low back pain and pain or numbness radiating into the legs) followed by head ache, sinusitis, too frequently recurring cold and running nose and digestive problems including excessive gas formation - flatulence- and pain in the eye or problems of vision as the third. More than 75% of them have complained of very high mental stress, sleeplessness and excessive fatigue. In comparison with the normal population, computer professionals are highly prone to High blood pressure and diabetes, as a group, especially comprising of maximum number of youth. Fertility and marital bliss are also evading this supposed to be rich population at an alarming rate.

Studies suggest that 20 percent to 25 percent of computer users worldwide, both vocational and recreational, have symptoms related to their computer activities. The first CRI "epidemic" was noticed in Australia 15 years ago and then emerged in many other industrialized countries.

There is a great need for spreading the awareness about CRI because it is devastating not only for the injured party but it also affects the company he works for. It accounted for 66% of work related illnesses in the US, in 1999. The estimated costs in lost productivity and compensation due to it are in the region of $60-100 billion annually. No one is immune to CRI, and it can seriously disrupt work and domestic life. About 20-25 % of all computer users worldwide are estimated to have it, which is why it is essential to raise public awareness as quickly as possible before a new generation of computer users is exposed to the risks.

Due to lack of awareness about CRI, Computer users tend to ignore its initial symptoms. A survey of 500 software professionals at Hyderabad (in 2000) established that 50% had symptoms of established CRI. Preliminary results of an ongoing survey among over 400 IT professionals in projects it as high as 75%.

The pattern and nature of CRI in India is significantly different from that in the west. There may be significant anthropological differences in body shape and dimensions work practices and furniture design that only a comprehensive study can unearth. As these problems are unique to our country, so should the solutions.

In India, thanks to the lack of adequate laws and procedures, employers don't have any obligation to compensate for the problems accrued by the employees in long run. Government laws and regulations on employee welfare and safety do not show any concern for the provision of ergonomically designed office products, tools and work environment.

As more and more work, education and recreation involves computers, everyone needs to be aware of the hazard of Repetitive Strain Injuries (Cumulative Trauma Disorder). i.e. to the hands and arms resulting from the use of computer keyboards and mice. This can be a serious and very painful condition that is far easier to prevent than to cure once contracted, and can occur even in young physically fit individuals. It is not uncommon for people to have to leave computer-dependent careers as a result, or even to be permanently disabled and unable to perform tasks such as driving or dressing themselves.
What are the Symptoms?
ü Tightness, discomfort, stiffness, soreness or burning in the hands, wrists, fingers, forearms, or elbows

ü Tingling, coldness, or numbness in the hands

ü Clumsiness or loss of strength and coordination in the hands

ü Pain that wakes you up at night

ü Feeling a need to massage your hands, wrists, and arms

ü Pain in the upper back, shoulders, or neck associated with using the computer.

WHO IS AT RISK?

Any computer keyboard user, including pre-school children, who uses the computer 2 or more hours a day, is at high risk for CRI. They are in the 20-40 year age group, which is the most productive one. It is estimated that a large proportion of the software professionals, students and other computer users (e.g. secretaries, clerks, cashiers, etc) in India would soon develop CRI, if the current situation prevails.

As with other things in life, too much of anything is dangerous. But that doesn't mean that one should avoid using computers or alter the duration of computing sessions. A judicious mix of working habits, proper ergonomic infrastructure support and medical support & care can prevent the development of most of the symptoms.

As you know, prevention is better than cure. Some prevention tips have been given which is sure to make you feel computing a safe & healthy experience.

MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS:

Common causes of musculoskeletal problems include poor workstation design, bad posture and sitting down for extended periods of time. The vertebrae of the spine are arranged in a loose 'S', with a slight curve in the lower back. The typical office chair offers little support and actually encourages poor posture by forcing you to round out your lower back and hunch your shoulders. Symptoms of musculoskeletal problems include:

§ Sore muscles, particularly the shoulders and upper back
§ Stiffness
§ Headache
§ Backache.

Prevention tips:

Suggestions to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal problems include:

§ Correct posture at the desk: A monitor position lower and farther away may be better. The chair and keyboard are to be set so that the thighs and forearms are level (or sloping slightly down away from the body), and that the wrists are straight and level - not bent far down or way back.

§ Position your keyboard at a height that allows your elbows to rest comfortably at your side, roughly parallel with the floor and level with your keyboard. While you are actually typing your wrists should not rest on anything, and should not be bent up, down, or to the side. Your arms should move your hands around instead of resting your wrists and stretching to hit keys with the fingers. (palm rests give you a place to rest your hands only when pausing from typing, not while you are typing.) When you stop typing for a while, rest your hands in your lap and/or on their sides instead of leaving them on the keyboard.

§ Wrists also should not be bent to the side, . . .

. . . but instead your fingers should be in a straight line with your forearm as viewed from above.

(All of the above is easier to do if you tilt the back edge of your keyboard down, away from you. Put a prop an inch or two thick under the edge of the keyboard closest to you, but make sure the whole thing is still low enough so you aren't reaching up.)

§ Take frequent short breaks and go for a walk or perform stretching exercises at your desk. Stand often. Take lots of breaks to stretch and relax. This means both momentary breaks every few minutes and longer breaks every hour or so.

§ Adjust your chair so that your feet rest flat on the floor & Switch to an ergonomic chair, which helps your spine to naturally hold its 'S' curve while sitting.

§ Use a footstool (if your feet do not rest on the floor when the chair is adjusted to have the arms in a good posture).

Ayurvedic prevention tips:

Massaging daily with oils such as Dhanwantaram OR Shashtikadi lepa tailam in a specific manner so as to loosen and strengthen the constantly injured muscles can be one of the best prevention for many who is prone to CRI. As CRI is a repetitive strain Injury, repetitive and regular support through medicines is found to be very effective in the prevention and management of this problem. The self-massaging skills can be developed with proper guidance from a doctor. Also getting massaged through the Sulochana techniques is equally effective in warding of CRI.

Ayurvedic cure:

Includes specialized external manipulation of muscles and bones and judicious internal medication. Medicines such as Narayana Tailam, and treatment procedures like Sulochana, Rookshaswedam, Pizhichil etc administered under proper supervision of expert doctors and internal medicines like kashayam and grithams administered timely proves very fruitful in helping people to come out of the problems of CRI.
OVERUSE INJURIES:

Muscles and tendons can become irritated and inflamed by repetitive movements and awkward postures. This is known as 'overuse injury'. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common example of an overuse injury associated with computer work. This painful disorder of the hand is caused by pressure on the main nerve that runs through the wrist. The fingers are also prone to overuse injury, particularly the finger that clicks the mouse buttons. Symptoms of an overuse injury include:

§ Pain
§ Swelling
§ Restricted mobility of the joint
§ Weakness
§ Numbness.
Prevention tips:

Suggestions to reduce the risk of overuse injuries include:

§ Keep your mouse at the same height as your correctly positioned keyboard.

§ Position the mouse as close as possible to the side of the keyboard.

§ Use your whole arm, not just your wrist, when using the mouse.

§ Hold the mouse lightly, don't grip it hard or squeeze it. Place the pointing device where you don't have to reach up or over very far to use it; close to the keyboard is best. Better yet: learn and use keyboard equivalent commands, whenever possible, as no pointing device is risk-free. Even trackballs have injured users.

§ Type lightly & gently & don't pound on the keys, use a light touch.
§ Keep your arms & hands warm. Cold muscles & tendons are at much greater risk for overuse injuries, and many offices are over-air-conditioned.

§ Eliminate unnecessary computer usage. No amount of ergonomic changes, fancy keyboards, or exercises is going to help if you are simply typing more than your body can handle. Don't try to be the fastest, most powerful hacker around - the cost is too high. Also: is there recreational computer use you can reduce? Can some of your electronic mail messages be replaced by telephone calls or conversations in person? And lose the computer/video games . . ., which often involve long, unbroken sessions of very tense keyboard or controller use. If nothing else, PAUSE the game every 3 - 4 minutes. Don't sacrifice your hands to a game!

§ Mix your tasks to avoid long, uninterrupted stretches of typing. Use two hands to perform double key operations like ctrl-c or Alt-c instead of twisting one hand to do it.

§ Remove the hands from the keyboard when not actively typing, to allow the arms to relax.

Ayurvedic care & cure:

Ayurveda offers treatments including external relaxation and muscle & joint soothening manipulations and marma (vital points) revitalizing treatments like Sulochana, Elakkizhi, and Abhyangam etc and these medications when administered by trained hands are the best available preventive methods available for the Overuse injuries.

These include specialized external applications of oils and herbal pastes and along with internal medication, shall bring down the inflammation and pain. Medicines such as Jadamayadi lepa choornam, Nagaradi lepa choornam and treatment procedures like Elakkizhi, Njavara Kizhi etc and internal medicines like kashayam and Arishtams are very effective, in fact more preferable to any anti-inflammatory analgesics of our time, which themselves proclaim to gift lots of complications on long term use.

VISION SYNDROME:

Concentrated tasks can cause tired eyes and blurred vision. Using a computer does not cause any permanent damage to your eyes. However, working on a computer is a demanding visual task that can cause eye discomfort. If you have an uncorrected vision it can make computer use uncomfortable and can lead to blurred vision and eyestrain. Focusing your eyes at the same distance & point for extended periods of time causes fatigue. Ayurveda specifically mentions about continuous eye fatigue leading to damage to the eyesight. The human eye structurally prefers to look at objects further than six meters away, so any work-performed close-up places extra demands on the tiny muscles. The illuminated computer screen can also contribute to eye fatigue.

Symptoms include:
§ Blurred vision
§ Temporary inability to focus on faraway objects
§ Headache.

In case of vision problems, though the monitors are themselves not a culprit, the way they are utilized creates the problems. The problems like long working hours without break, glare and improper lighting can be easily eliminated by good working habits such as resting periodically and refocusing eyes on objects at different distances, overhead lighting and appropriate placement of monitor. Placing monitor at right angle from brightly lit windows can reduce screen glare.

Moreover there are exercises to keep the eyes healthy. Changing the eyes focus can relax the ciliary muscles of the eyes. Blinking can moisten the eyes and stimulates tear production that can wash away the pollutants.

Ayurvedic Care and cure:

According to Ayurveda, for prevention the best medication would be to consume Tribhala choornam, specially prepared, daily with milk or with plain water. Washing eyes twice daily with special eye care herbal medicines and doing eye exercises is a very effective way to prevent potential eye disorders and fatigue. These medications not only keep the eye non-strained and cool but can also prevent even retinal damages owing to constant strain. For cure of eye disorders Ayurveda offers very particular internal medicines and also treatments like Tarpanam, Nasyam etc along with internal medicines like Jeevaneeya Gana Gritam. Special procedures like "Sudarsana" gives one of the best available preventive and curative care for the eye, be it simple eye strain or retinal disorders.

Prevention tips:

Suggestions to reduce the risk of eyestrain include:

Ø Make sure your primary light source (such as a window) isn't shining into your face or directly onto the monitor.

Ø Tilt the monitor slightly to eliminate reflections or glare.

Ø Make sure your computer screen isn't too close to your face.

Ø Position the screen so that it is either at eye level, or slightly lower.

Ø Reduce the contrast and brightness of your screen by adjusting the controls on the monitor & also consider using colour schemes that are easier on the eyes, particularly shades of gray for text documents.

Ø Increase your font sizes.

Ø Frequently look away from the screen and focus on faraway objects.

Ø Have regular eye examinations to check that blurring, headaches and other associated problems aren't caused by any underlying disorders.

STRESS:

The heavy demand of work thrust upon the employees creates a level of stress that makes injury more likely. Whenever a user feels anxiety, the muscle automatically tightens up and it increases the likelihood of getting a computer related injury. Here it is worthwhile to mention the problems and excess stress faced by the call center employees. The excess stress of changing their circadian rhythm once in 30 or 40 days is the most major stress factor faced by them. Loss of sleep or disturbed sleep is a very common symptom among them as is mouth ulcers and digestive problems and headaches.

Ayurvedic Prevention and Care:

Yoga and special kinds of medicines along with mediation shall be the best combination to tackle this, other than the realization and attitude change of people towards causes of stresses. More than these techniques, treatments with internal medicines like Manasa mitra vatakom, Saraswata Gritam, Saraswatarishtam etc and treatment procedures like Takra dhara , Ksheera dhara and Taila dhara including relaxation massages are very good for overcoming mental stress. Food stuffs like drum sticks included in the menu would be good for call center employees which shall help them to stay awake at night without much strain. Also food like Milk and snake gourd and drum stick leaves at night, Ash gourd juice daily morning (before sleep- specific only for call center employees), Butter milk with a lot with curry leaves ground and mixed with it at noon, tender coconut water etc can be very effective in managing mental and physical stress. Also it is better to avoid curd & fish at night.
OTHER SUGGESTIONS:

v Evaluate other activities. Problems may be caused or aggravated by other things you do frequently. Sports, carrying children, hobbies requiring intense small work (like knitting), and excess effort/tension in other daily things may have enormous impact too. So avoid these activities, which may trigger the problems to more severe intensity.
v Don't tuck the telephone between your shoulder and ear

v Consider voice recognition.

General suggestions:

Other ways to reduce the risk of computer related injuries include:

v Make sure your work space is well ventilated

v Maintain equipment, such as laser printers and photocopiers, to reduce emissions.

CHILDREN AND COMPUTERS:

Kids are at risk too with increasing hours in front of the computer at home and school, using equipment that rarely is set up correctly for people their size. Parents can reduce the risk of children developing computer related injuries in additional ways, including:

ü Set up the computer, desk, chair and keyboard to suit your child

ü Install a smaller mouse that contours to the child's hand

ü Show your child how to use the keyboard and mouse properly and safely

ü Encourage frequent breaks

ü Reasonably limit your child's game-playing time

ü Make sure your child has enough time for other activities, such as sport.

Ayurvedic prevention and care:

Children should be helped with dietary supplements (like Flowers of Sesbania grandiflora, drum stick leaves, carrots and Grapes) and massages so that the formative muscles and bones do not get bad as it is the stage where maximum damage can occur and also preventive and curative efforts can be the most effective.

What If I Have Symptoms of RSI?

We all have occasional aches and pains that go away in a day or two, especially when we overdo anything. But if you have the symptoms listed above regularly when you are using the computer, run; do not walk to your doctor or health care provider RIGHT AWAY. Dealing with this early is critical to limiting the damage, and to spare you a world of hurt, trouble, and frustration. You are not overreacting: by the time you have symptoms there has already been some damage done, and if you try to ignore the pain you may sustain a serious injury. If your doctor doesn't seem to know much about RSI, find one who does. When you find one, listen to them and check with them about any changes you intend to make or therapy you want to try.

Remember that "RSI" is a mechanism of injury, not a diagnosis. Where or how seriously you are injured, and how best to treat it, varies immensely from person to person. Also, many systemic disorders such as diabetes can mimic or exacerbate RSI, and these can be ruled out by medical tests, so don't go chasing a treatment you may have heard about UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN A DOCTOR.

Last but not the least, PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY. Pain is your body yelling that it is in big trouble but learning what is comfortable or awkward for your body before you are in pain may prevent injury.

Look to nature - it adopts. So can you.

About the Author

****************************************************************************************** An article by Dr. G. Geetha Krishnan MD, Chief Physician, Sanjeevani Holistic Health Care Services (P) Ltd, Singasandra Post, Hosur Main Road, Bangalore 68 Karnataka India Ayurvedic Department, Mahabodhi Mallige Hospital, Siddhapura Bangalore Sanjeevani Center, J P Nagar 1st Phase, Bangalore. Shradha Sanjeevani Ayurvedic Center, Koramangala I Block. Shradha Sanjeevani Ayurvedic Center, Koramangala VIII Block. Shradha Sanjeevani Ayurvedic Center, Tavarakare Tel: 91 080 5731505, 5731506, 51119911, 56907096, 6632441 e-mail: drgk2000@yahoo.com Compiled and edited by Jayachandran.R. freelance content writer who also owns http://www.aayurmart.comFor more details mailto:ayurmart@gmail.com **********************************************************************************************

Source: ArticleTrader.com

Why you should avoid 99% of the mass-market anti-ageing creams

Flick through any women’s or men’s magazine and you will see dozens of full page, glossy advertisements for the latest ‘wonder youth cream’. The marketing text will boast that the cream contains some new, miracle ingredient that has a dubious pseudo-scientific name whose rejuvenating properties can be yours – for a price. Forgive my scepticism but I think these anti-ageing claims owe more to the marketing agencies imagination than sound, scientific evidence. In most cases you are being asked to part with your money, and it can be a substantial amount of money, on nothing more than trust and hope.

There are literally hundreds of supposedly ‘anti-ageing’ creams and lotions to choose from all claiming to be ‘the one’ you need, so how can you be sure that those special ingredients do what they actually say they do and the cream is worth the money? You can’t, unless you spend weeks, even years and an awful lot of your hard earned money testing every single one for yourself or doing extensive research into the adverts claims and product ingredients.

One way to avoid all that time and expense is to opt for a product that contains ingredients that have been used for dozens, hundreds, even thousands of years to help keep the skin of men and women soft and youthful. Why? Because generation after generation has born witness to and recorded down their beneficial affects. They have done all the hard work for you. The results are proven. After all, if these substances didn’t work, men and women down the ages would not have kept on using them.

So what should you be looking for in an anti-ageing cream that has at least a chance of working for you?

For a start you are going to have to avoid 99.9% of all the creams you can buy at your local drugstore or chemist i.e. the mass market products. Why? Because more often than not the major ingredients in these products are cheap and plentiful water and mineral oil. But you won’t find them listed as such on the back of the pot but instead called, for reasons known only to the cosmetic industry, under the pseudo Latin names of Aqua and Liquidium Pariffinium.

There’s no doubt these creams do have a moisturising effect as they use the mineral oil to hold the water against your skin which stops it drying out but that’s all they do, sit on top of your skin or at the very most, get partially absorbed into the epidermis, the thin, upper most layer of your skin.

That’s because the molecules in mineral oil are far too large to actually penetrate the epidermis and penetrate deeply into the lower, supporting layer (Dermis) where it can actually do some good. Any rejuvenating effects you may have noticed using these kinds of cream is, I suspect, probably due to the effects of massaging the skin which promotes improved circulation to your skin, rather than the cream itself.

So, having dismissed most of the mass market products, what you are looking for is a natural substance that not only has been proven over the years to help keep the skin looking younger for longer, but one that has been proven to actually penetrate the skin deeply and helps to rejuvenate it from within.

Luckily there are four natural oils that do just that, so if you find any cream or lotion containing these anti-ageing substances, you are onto a winner. These oils are not like the heavy, greasy vegetable or mineral oils you find in most modern cosmetics, in fact, their texture is so fine and light they act more like water than oil and are the essential ingredient in a branch of so-called ‘complimentary’ or ‘alternative’ medicine called Aromatherapy.

Although the word Aromatherapy was only coined fairly recently, it has it’s origins in the most ancient of healing practices, for the plants from which we derive what are termed ‘essential oils’ has been used in one form or another as long as man has existed on the planet.

Before we take a closer look at Aromatherapy, let me first take you on a brief history of herbal, or plant based medicine, if only to demonstrate that the benefits you will enjoy from using these oils is not some pet theory I dreamed up, but based on evidence gathered from all four corners of the world since the dawn of early civilisation.

No-one is quite sure how humans first discovered that what was growing all around them could also help them cure their illnesses or ward off disease, but it's likely early hominids made the discovery by accident, after observing that some of the roots and berries they gathered for food also made them feel better or helped heal wounds more quickly.

They may also have taken note of the plants sick animals chose to eat and be curious as to why the creature suddenly appeared to regain its health not long afterwards and tried it on themselves. Perhaps, by design or accident, certain leaves, stems and flowers were burnt in the fire or fell into the cooking pot and were breathed in or ingested in ignorance but their effects brought enlightenment

Such herbal wisdom would have been of great importance to primitive tribes who depended on their immediate environment for survival. Once discovered, it is likely that such knowledge was handed down first orally and then, as language became more sophisticated, by the written word.

Every great civilisation we have known, be it the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese or South Americans, developed to one degree or another, a sophisticated herbal law from which healers of the time made pills, powders, teas, ointments and pastes from a wide variety of local trees, plants, animal and mineral substances.

Papyrus documents dating from around 2,890 BC show that the ancient Egyptians were using aromatic plants for medicine, beauty and to embalm their dead 3000 years before the birth of Christ. They utilised a wide variety of now familiar products such as castor oil, coriander, cumin, garlic, grapes and water melon for the treatment of all manner of common ailments.

The Egyptians invented a rudimentary distillation machine that allowed for the crude extraction of Cedarwood oil. It is also thought by some that Persia and India may have also invented crude distillation machines to extract oils from plants, but very little is known.

Oils of Cedarwood, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and myrrh were used by the Egyptians to embalm the dead. When a tomb was opened in the early 20th century, traces of the herbs were discovered with intact portions of the body. The scent, although faint, was still apparent. Although the Cedarwood the Egyptians used was distilled by a crude distillation process, the other oils the Egyptians used were most likely infused oils.

The Egyptians also used infused oils and herbal preparations for spiritual, medicinal, fragrant and cosmetic use. It is thought that the Egyptians coined the term perfume, from the Latin per fumum which translates as ‘through the smoke’. Egyptian men of the time used fragrance as readily as the women. An interesting method that the men used to fragrance themselves was to place a solid cone of perfume on their heads. It would gradually melt and would cover them in fragrance.

Further to the east, the sophisticated Babylonians were well versed in plant medicine, planting gardens of therapeutic cucumber, coriander, juniper, myrrh, pumpkins, garlic, onions, fennel, saffron, thyme, mustard and many others.

Perhaps one of the most famous and influential of ancient civilisations was the Greek Empire. More than any other, this ancient world power has done more to shape the modern world than any other. Many of the concepts of civilised behaviour and government, such as democracy, were devised in ancient Greece. Modern medicine too owes much to this antiquarian society. The most famous and revered of all Greek physicians was Hippocrates, born about 460 BC.

In his writings he catalogues a vast number of medicinal plants still used for their therapeutic benefits, such as rhubarb, quince and Myrrh. We all know the Christian story of the three wise men from the east that carried gold, Frankincense and Myrrh to the infant baby Jesus. Myrrh was considered a very valuable medicinal plant long before the birth of Christ and was well known to Hippocrates.

In his time, Greek soldiers carried Myrrh into battle for the treatment of wounds. Just as modern herbalists do today, Hippocrates entreated people to use these medicinal plants as a preventative medicine when he said "Let your medicine be your food and your food be your medicine."

Thousands of years after his death, he is still known today by medical students all over the world as the 'father of all medicine'. Such is this man's importance in the history and development of modern medical practice that those same students studying to be doctors in many different countries are still required to swear allegiance to the Hippocratic Oath, binding him or her to the code of medical ethics contained in it.

In the 2nd Century A.D. another, now famous, Greek physicians by the name of Galen divided plants into various medicinal categories, a practice we still refer to as 'Galenic'.

The Greeks learned a great deal from the Egyptians, but Greek mythology apparently credits the gift and knowledge of perfumes to the gods. The Greeks also recognized the medicinal and aromatic benefits of plants. Hippocrates practiced fumigations for both aromatic and medicinal benefit. A Greek perfumer by the name of Megallus created a perfume called Megaleion. Megaleion included myrrh in a fatty-oil base and served several purposes: (1) for its aroma, (2) for its anti-inflammatory properties towards the skin and (3) to heal wounds.

In India, ancient religious texts dating back 2000 years B.C. contain formulae and instructions for the use of plants such as cloves, ginger, pepper, sandalwood, sesame and aloes, plants that today still form the basis of India's traditional Ayurveda medical philosophy. Ayurveda medicine uses benzoin, caraway, cardamon, clove, ginger, pepper, sandalwood, cannabis, castor oil, sesame oil, aloe and sugar cane, the first seven of which are used in aromatherapy.
Walk down any busy street in a modern city and you are sure to come across a shop that sells traditional Chinese herbal remedies. China's herbal tradition is one of the worlds oldest with the earliest written guide thought to have been committed to paper some 4000 years ago. It was called the 'Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine' or 'Huang Ti Nei Ching' and contains over 8000 different plant based formulae including liquorice, peach, gentian and walnut, complimented by the other great health-giving arts of Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Acupuncture.

The Chinese may have been one of the first cultures to use aromatic plants for well-being through the use of incense burning to help create harmony and balance.

The Roman Empire built upon the knowledge of the Egyptians and Greeks. Discorides wrote a book called ‘De Materia Medica’ that described the properties of approximately 500 plants. It is also reported that Discorides studied distillation. Distillation during this period, however, focused on extracting aromatic floral waters and not essential oils.

A major event for the distillation of essential oils came with the invention of a coiled cooling pipe by an 11th century Persian called Avicenna. He invented a coiled pipe which allowed the plant vapour and steam to cool down more effectively than previous distillers that used a straight cooling pipe. Avicenna's contributions lead to more focus on essential oils and their benefits.

We know from surviving manuscripts that in Medieval Europe Lavender, Rosemary and Thyme, all now known to possess effective anti-bacterial and antiseptic qualities, were held to the mouth in the form of a posy that was breathed through in order to ward off diseases such as the Black Death in the 14th century.

It is believed that some perfumers may have avoided the plague by their constant contact with these natural aromatics.

By the 15th century, the amount of books written on the subject of natural medicine was growing as more and more plants were being distilled to create essential oils, such as frankincense, juniper, rose, sage and rosemary. Paracelsus, an alchemist, medical doctor and radical thinker of the time is credited with coining the term ‘Essence’. His studies radically challenged the nature of alchemy and he focused upon using plants as medicines.

During the 16th century, one could begin purchasing oils from an "apothecary," and many more essential oils were introduced, so much so that by the 16th and 17th centuries, perfume started to be considered an art form, and it was more clearly defined as its own field.

One of the most famous herbalists of the 16th century was Nicolas Culpeper, who produced one of the most thoroughly researched and wide ranging guides to herbal medicine of the time. 'The Complete Herbal' contains information on hundreds of different plants and how they could benefit the user. This authoritative reference book is still used today as a trusted source of knowledge.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, chemists continued to conduct research into the beneficial properties of plants, identifying the now familiar substances of caffeine, quinine, morphine and aspirin, the latter being one of the most widely used and popular modern pain killers. It was during this century that perfumery became a very prosperous industry. Women would have their jeweller create a special bottle to hold their treasured perfume. The 19th century was also important scientifically as major constituents of essential oils became isolated.

By the 20th century, the now well established knowledge of how to separate the active constituents of essential oils was used to create synthetic chemicals and drugs. It was believed then, as it is now, that by separating the major active constituents of plants and then using the extracted constituents alone or in synthetic form would be more beneficial therapeutically and economically. These discoveries and beliefs helped lead to "modern medicine" and synthetic fragrances, however, nearly all practitioners of ‘complimentary medicine’ will tell you that this actually weakens the beneficial effect as most natural remedies are ‘synergistic’. This means that different active ingredients of the plant must work together for the greatest benefit, as nature intended.

It was also at this time that a French chemist by the name of René-Maurice Gattefossé became interested in the use of essential oils for their medicinal use. Previously, he focused on the aromatic use of essential oils, but his interest in their medicinal use grew after an accident heightened his curiosity. While working, he burned his arm rather badly. By reflex, he plunged his burned arm into the closest liquid which happened to be a large container of lavender essential oil. The burn he suffered healed quickly and left no scar.

Gattefossé is credited with coining the now familiar term aromatherapy in 1928 in an article he wrote supporting the use of using essential oils in their whole without breaking them down into their primary constituents. Later, in 1937, Gattefossé wrote a book called Aromathérapie: Les Huiles essentielles hormones végétales that was later translated into English and named Gattefossé's Aromatherapy. It is still in print and widely read.

Other highly respected 20th century aromatherapists include Jean Valnet, Madam Marguerite Maury, and Robert B. Tisserand. Jean Valnet is most remembered for his work using essential oils to treat injured soldiers during the war and for his book, The Practice of Aromatherapy, originally entitled Aromathérapie in French. Austrian Madam Marguerite Maury is remembered as a biochemist that avidly studied, practiced and taught the use of aromatherapy for primarily cosmetic benefit.

Robert B. Tisserand is an English aromatherapist who is responsible for being one of the first individuals to bring knowledge and education of aromatherapy to English speaking nations. He has written books and articles including the highly respected 1977 publication The Art of Aromatherapy - the first aromatherapy book published in English.

From the late 20th century and on into the 21st century, as the limitations and unwanted side effects of mainstream medicine have become more and more evident, the general public have shown a growing interest in more natural medicinal products, including essential oils, for therapeutic, cosmetic and aromatic benefit. The use of essential oils never ceased, but the scientific revolution minimized the popularity and use of essential oils in one's everyday life. Today's heightened awareness regarding the use of synthetics coupled with the increased availability of aromatherapy information within books and the Internet has refuelled the use of essential oils for therapeutic, cosmetic, fragrant and spiritual use.

So what exactly is aromatherapy?

In brief, aromatherapy is the use of volatile plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical well-being. The essential oils used in aromatherapy are what give the plants from which they are extracted their characteristic odour or flavour. Essential oils are found in various parts of the plants such as the seeds, flowers, bark or leaves and it can take many pounds of plant material to make up just one tiny bottle of concentrated oil. The natural chemical composition of each essential oil differs according to the plant from which it is extracted and therefore the therapeutic benefits of each oil can also differ.

One thing all essential oils have in common is their ability to be readily absorbed by the skin. That’s because their unique molecular structure allows them to pass through the cells that make up the outer, semi permeable layers of the skin and into the body where they can have beneficial effects.

Here’s an interesting experiment you might like to try to prove this to yourself. Garlic has been used medicinally for nearly 5000 years and for good reason. Its unique anti-viral and anti-bacterial chemical makeup means it is one of the most versatile of herbal remedies that is said to help treat many common ailments including blood pressure, coughs and cold, acne, asthma and many others.

Garlic oil also contains essential oils. Break open a capsule of the oil and massage it into your skin, somewhere on your body. Within a few hours you should be able to smell the garlic on your breath without ever having eaten it! That’s because the oils have been absorbed through your skin and have made their way around your body to the respiratory system. Be careful though, garlic oil has been known to irritate the skin in sensitive people.

Another thing all essential oils have in common is that they are to a lesser to greater extent, all of them contain naturally anti-bacterial and antiseptic chemicals, so using a cream or lotion containing any essential oil will go some way to help keep spots and pimples at bay. The most powerfully antiseptic of all the essential oils is Ti Tree. Click here to learn more about Ti Tree oil.

So now let’s take a closer look at the four oils I believe have been shown to be particularly beneficial to skin health and beauty. I’ve been using them for years and my friends have always said I do not look my age, so here’s my secret anti-ageing recipe.

The first of these anti-ageing oils is Frankincense. Pale yellow or green in colour, Frankincense comes from a small tree called Boswellia Carterii - a native to North Africa and some of the countries of the Middle East. When the bark of the tree is damaged or cut, the tree exudes a resin from which this essential oil is extracted. As mentioned earlier, Christians believe that 3 “wise men from the east” came to worship the newly born Jesus and brought the gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

In those times, Frankincense was so precious; it was valued almost as much as gold and so was indeed a very great gift. Many ancient cultures burned it as part of their religious rituals; perhaps because it’s woody, spicy and lemony aroma is known to have a calming effect and so may aids religious or spiritual contemplation and meditation.

The ancient Egyptians used it both in religious practice and to embalm their dead because the oil has always been known to have a remarkable preserving effect on the skin. You only need look at how well preserved the bodies of some of the ancient King of Egypt are after thousands of years to realise Just take at how why it is still well known as a wonderful preserver for the skin and used in one of the more popular contemporary natural anti-ageing creams!

In modern skincare Frankincense is known to be an excellent and effective rejuvenating tonic for skin of all ages, it’s remarkable properties helping to tone up slack facial skin, prevent the formation of wrinkles and reduce those any creases already there. Its excellent moisturising properties also mean it is very effective in restoring dry or chapped skin. Those in their teens, twenties or thirties who do not yet show any sign of their age may still find it a great preventative treatment to preserving their youthful glow whilst the more mature may find it to be a wonderful tonic for a tired visage.

Frankincense contains monoterpene compounds which give the oil natural antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. No wonder then that in ancient times, long before the advent of modern, synthetic antiseptics, it was used to fumigate the sick. Today users will find those same germ-killing and healing properties useful for the treatments of skin ulcers, scar tissue, wounds and inflammation.

The next essential oil no skin should be without is called Neroli. Neroli is extracted from the flowers of the Bitter Orange or Seville Orange, is deep brown in colour and has a bitter sweet aroma thought to be one of the most beautiful of all the essential oils. No surprise then that it is widely used for commercial perfumes. The name is thought to be named after an Italian princess called Anne-Marie de la Tremoille, Countess of Nerola who used this oil both as a perfume and to scent her bathwater. It takes about 1000lbs of orange blossoms to make just 1lb of Neroli oil

Neroli oil contains the chemicals Pinene, limonene, Linalyl acetate, Linalol, Nerolidol, Nerol, Geraniol and Citral making it particularly soothing and helpful for ageing, dry or sensitive skin. It has the special property of being able to stimulate the grown of new healthy skin cells and therefore, like Frankincense, has certain rejuvenating abilities and so can help in the treatment of scar tissue and stretch marks. Its gentle nature makes it suitable for all skin types and, like most other essential oils, it also has an antiseptic, anti-infectious effect on the skin.

The next essential skin oil vital for skin health and vitality is Lavender oil. Lavender is an evergreen woody shrub whose flowering tops yield the full flowery smelling oil. Lavender has been used therapeutically and cosmetically for thousands of years, either as an essential oil or by using the dried flowers.
The name Lavender is derived from the Latin word ‘lavera’ which means ‘to wash’. The Romans used Lavender extensively in their bath routine and it is thought it was they who brought the plant from their Mediterranean home to northern Europe where it is now widely cultivated as a cash crop. As one of the most versatile of all the oils, Lavender has been continually used for a wide variety of medicinal, beauty and hygiene purposes even when the other essential oils and aromatherapy itself fell out of favour. Some of you may remember your parents or grandparents using bags or socks filled with lavender flowers in clothes cupboard and drawers to keep their clothes fresh and the moths at away, as it is an excellent insect repellent.

You may remember from earlier in this article that Rene-Maurice Gattefosse’s, one of the early pioneers of research into essential oils, who noted Lavender’s dramatic healing abilities when he used the oil to treat a burn he sustained in his laboratory. It was this discovery that inspired him to deepen his research and later to coin the word ‘aromatherapie’.

Lavender’s complex chemical structure of Borneol, Geraniol, Linalool, Lavendulyl acetate, Linalyl acetate and Cineol, mean that it is one of the more anti-septic, anti-bacterial and analgesic oils in the aromatherapy pantheon, making it a particularly effective, gentle and soothing treatment of burns, abscesses, acne, oily skin, boils, sunburn, eczema, wounds, insect bites and stings. Lavender is also well known as one of the three most powerful oils in stimulating the growth of healthy, new skin cells and so may help to maintain a ‘fresh’ appearance.

The fourth and final essential oil your skin will thank you using is Carrot Seed. An annual or biennial herb with hairy leaves and umbels of white lacy flowers with purple centres, the name is derived from the Greek 'Carotos'.

The familiar bright orange carrot has been used as a medicinal plant at least since the first century AD and, as the name suggests, the oil is extracted from the seeds of the plant, not the edible root we all know. The oil is a pale yellow colour and has the characteristic smell of carrots. The presence of daucol, lomonene, pinene and especially carotene, a precursor to Vitamin A. make it a very nourishing ‘skin food’. In skin care this is excellent oil. It improves the complexion due to its strengthening effect on red blood cells, adding tone and elasticity to the skin. It is said to promote more 'youthful' appearance by restoring tone and elasticity whilst helping to reduce wrinkles and remove 'age' spots. It is also said to assists in the removal of toxins and water build up in the skin giving it a fresher, firmer appearance and can be an effective treatment for such skin conditions as eczema and psoriasis.

So there you have it, my special ‘recipe’ for I believe are the four essential oils vital to keeping your skin healthy and young looking.

Now if only there were a natural facial skin cream that had all four of these oils in it. One that you could use either as a daily moisturiser or a nourishing night-time facial treatment, is suitable for men and women, that was very affordable, is all-natural, not tested on animals, could be ordered discreetly over the Internet and came with a 30 day money-back guarantee! Well, it just so happens there is one. Hand-made in the UK, it’s the only product I know of that contains all four of these wonderful ‘youth oils.’ If you’d like to find out more about this great anti-ageing moisturiser go to www.anti-ageing-cream.co.uk.

About the Author

Simon Goodall is a regularly published, professional freelance writer who has been writing articles for magazines around the world for the past 10 years.

Source: ArticleTrader.com

The Business Plan For an International Bank

In the following I have provided the business plan of an international bank starting from Switzerland. the persons or organization who wish to assist me in establishing this project can kindly write me to the email address
johnrobert.schneider@gmail.com

I am looking for help in two lines one for the management team for the bank and second investors and partners who assist me in funding the project. the range of investment is from 100,000.00 usd to above reach to billions usd. please never try for sending scam letter type of investment. No response will be sent to such letters. we seek investors who provide finance for this investment without any fee fraud perpetuation. The investor is advised to send us a full details of himself and how to contract us.

Persepolis Bank Business Plan
Table of Contents
1. Executive summary
1.0 Executive summary
1.1 Key to success
2. Company summary
2.0 Company summary
2.1 Company ownership
2.2 Start up summary
2.3 Two question
3. Products
4. Market analysis summary
5. Strategy and implementation summary
6. Management summary
6.0 Management Summary
6.1 Personnel Plan
1. Executive Summary

1.0 Executive Summary
Persepolis Bank is a starting up investment company providing all the international banking and investment Services. Our bank will provide thoughtful, complete and cost effective financial solutions. The company has identified and seeks to complete the following successive Objectives: first objective is forming of a Swiss corporation (AG or S.A.). The second objective at least two physical persons to create a Swiss corporation. The third an entire Swiss bank management team with proper credentials acceptable to the Swiss Banking commission. Finally, there is the need to develop a comprehensive marketing plan and promotional campaign. The Persepolice Bank will target to provide all the international banking services in Europe and International market. The bank will reach these segments in several ways, including direct mailings, brochures, through a website and e-commerce, advertisements in trade publications. The main segments that will be targeted are the Europe market as a whole, international market. All segments have a high percent growth rate.

Persepolis Bank will leverage their competitive edges, which are based on product innovations/features and price competitiveness. Lastly, Persepolis Bank will employ a glide ease stretcher system making entry and exit as easy as possible. All Persepolis units are designed to be compact, efficient and safe.
Persepolis will assemble a strong management team to execute their solid plan.
The Bank will achieve profitability by the end of year one, with **** million in profit for year two, rising to *** billions.
The following are the business goals and objectives for Persepolis Bank.
Expand the bank to an international broker for investment in forex and stocks market.
Expand the bank network by set up branches in European countries and USA and Asia Develop a marketing plan, service literature, website, e-commerce, and needed departments. This step will be implemented after the approval.
1.1 Keys to Success
Once the company approved the next key to success will be strong marketing efforts to increase brand awareness and customer acceptance. For this purpose, we will attend all major trade shows, publish high quality literatures, and through a website.

2. Company summary

2.0 Company Summary
The persepolis bank will set up its first branch in Geneva in Switzerland. we are going to buy A suitable building for the first branch. as the second branch we will expand our network in London ,USA and china. all the four location have a high potential of capital follows.
2.1 Start-up Summary
1. the forming of a Swiss corporation (AG or S.A.)
2. at least two physical persons to create a Swiss corporation
3. a minimum fully paid-in share capital of CHF100’000
4. majority of directors in the Swiss corporation must be Swiss Once the Swiss corporation has been established, you must apply for a Swiss banking chapter (license) which involves
:5. an in-depth thorough due diligence and background check on all individuals involved. This background check includes but is not limited to:
6. investigative credit report(s)
7. reports of good standing from your local community(ies) and state(s) where you and your associates have resided during the past 10 to 15 years concerning personal character and integrity
8. minimum of USD100mio. or more capitalization in cash depending on….
9. an entire Swiss bank management team with proper credentials acceptable to the Swiss Banking Commission is an absolute must and most difficult to assemble.
Par. 6 and 7 also apply to the management team irrelevant of their present bank employee or directorial banking status
The set-up of any company in Switzerland progresses naturally in several stages. There exists official companies that will make this service and will be there every step of the way to eliminate any problems of a practical nature and thus allow us to focus our efforts on managing our business. They can take charge of the entire procedure and make our transition to Switzerland as quick and agreeable as possible.

Who owns the banks in Switzerland?
Most banks are owned by shareholders. The big banks are owned by private shareholders, while the cantonal banks are wholly or majority-owned by the cantons. But there are also some private banks owned by a few individuals forming a partnership.
Who is allowed to set up a bank in Switzerland nowadays?
Anyone who meets the statutory conditions and obtains authorization from the Federal Banking Commission may open a bank in Switzerland. The conditions for authorization, which are laid down in the Banking Law, are strict, as savers and investors need to be protected. For example, a bank must show that it has a sound organizational structure and the required minimum capital. Also, those entrusted with its administration and management must "enjoy a good reputation and thereby assure the proper conduct of business operations."
3. Products

The bank will have a legal, research, bond, mutual fund, mortgage center and investment centers separately. Also we will set up a Courier service. Persepolice Bank is committed to fully complying with the laws and regulations and the Right to Financial Privacy Act that have been established to protect the confidentiality of customer information. A bank should and indeed must be primarily a provider of services. Our market success is gauged first and foremost by how well it performs this function. The yardstick is customer satisfaction, to which we at Persepolicebank are wholeheartedly committed.
We see ourselves as an efficient provider of financial services for demanding private customers in Europe. We are also the creative relationship bank for the successful Europe Mittelstand , for major corporate and institutions in Europe as well as multinationals from all over the world.
4. Market analysis summary

The Persepolice Bank will target to provide all the international banking services in Europe and International market. The bank will reach these segments in several ways, including direct mailings, brochures, through a website and e-commerce, advertisements in trade publications, and a demo unit. The main segments that will be targeted are the Europe market as a whole, international markets. All segments have a high percent growth rate.
In regional terms, we are concentrating on Europe, where we provide integrated financial services, operating a nationwide branch network to advise and sell our products to all customer groups. In corporate business, we also look upon Western, Central and Eastern Europe as our core market and North America as well.
As with many other specialty items, a key approach in targeting future customers is advertising in trade publications and trade shows. This allows the customer to compare the quality and prices.

5. Strategy and implementation summary

The set-up of any company in Switzerland progresses naturally in several stages. There exists official companies that will make this service and will be there every step of the way to eliminate any problems of a practical nature and thus allow us to focus our efforts on managing your business. They can take charge of the entire procedure and make our transition to Switzerland as quick and agreeable as possible.

Swiss cantons are very different in terms of language, culture and taxation. Major factors such as the proximity of airports and highways aside, there are many subtle distinctions that make the comparison of different areas in Switzerland indispensable before settling there.

We can wait until obtaining the residence permit before incorporating a Swiss company. We have the choice of forming a business corporation (100,000 Swiss francs of registered capital, of which 50,000 francs must be released at the time of the incorporation) or a limited liability company (20,000 Swiss francs of registered capital). Once they have checked that the company name is free, and the articles of incorporation, the administrators and the incorporators have been chosen, and the capital has been deposited, the company can generally be incorporated in less than two weeks..
Once we have their premises, there are still a number of things to deal with before we can begin to work: telephone lines, fax, photocopiers, computers, furniture, Internet connections, cleaning services, etc. They can save us precious time by giving us the benefit of our experience to find the best suppliers and service providers for the best price.

As the head of a business, we would no doubt rather concentrate on developing our new company than spend time running about after apartments, schools, cars, telephones, etc. Let them handle things, and that way we can get to work without delay.
6. Management Summary
6.0 Management Summary
Persepolis Bank is an investment company owned and operated by **. The company will add personnel as it grows, based on projections and timetables, keeping the cost of overhead low. The following is our plan for management, staffs, and additional employees.

6.1 Personnel Plan
The personnel plan layout is the foundation for Persepolis Bank having the key people in place will enable the company to start with a solid foundation. Employees will be added as business necessitates them.
Bank in brief
Persepolis would be global bank headquartered in Geneva
It is focused on serving its clients in three business lines:
Investment banking, private banking and asset management
Persepolis will renown for providing expert advice and holistic
Solutions and innovative products to a wide range of corporate and
Institutional clients and high-net-worth individuals globally, as well
As retail clients in Switzerland

The vision of Persepolis is to become the world’s premier bank, renowned for
its expertise in investment banking, private banking and asset management, and
most valued for its advice, innovation and execution.

In investment banking, Persepolis will offer securities products and financial
advisory services to corporations, governments and institutional investors.
Operating in ** locations across ** countries, Persepolis investment
banking business specializes in innovative solutions, drawing on expertise from
across the full spectrum of products.
Products and services include debt and equity underwriting, sales and trading,
mergers and acquisitions, investment research, correspondent and prime
brokerage services

In private banking, persepolis will provide comprehensive advice and a broad
range of investment products and services tailored to the complex needs of highnet-
worth individuals globally. The bank structured advisory process encompasses both asset and liability management. Wealth management solutions include tax planning; pension planning; life
insurance solutions; wealth and inheritance advice, trusts and foundations.
We will offer multiple booking platforms and global execution capabilities.
In Switzerland, persepolicebank will supply banking products and services to private
banking clients as well as to business and retail clients.

The bank will manage portfolios, mutual funds, and other investment vehicles for a broad spectrum of clients globally ranging from governments, institutions and
corporations to private individuals persepolicebank offers investment products across the full spectrum of asset classes, ranging from equities, fixed income, commodities and multiple-asset class products .
persepolis will be a world-leader in providing alternative asset solutions, and offers the full range of alternative investments including real estate, hedge funds, private equity and volatility management. The bank asset management business will be operated as globally integrated network, creating continuous cross-border information sharing to deliver our best investment ideas and capabilities to clients around the world
Corporate Governance

The Board of Directors is composed of a majority of independent members.
The Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee are exclusively
composed of independent members not holding an executive position within the
Group.
Code of Conduct: The Group strives to act with integrity, responsibility, fairness,
Transparency and discretion at all times.
The Group’s external reporting provides an accurate, fair and transparent picture
of the Group’s financial condition.
Strong internal and external auditors are critical for providing an independent
Assessment of the Group’s operations and internal controls.

Board of Directors of Persepolicebank Group

Chairman of the Board of Directors
Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors
Chief Executive Officer Private Banking Chief Financial Officer of persepolisbank
Chief Executive Officer Asset Management Chief Risk Officer of persepolisbank
Chief Executive Officer Investment Banking General Counsel of persepolisbank

Executive Board of persepolicebank

Chief Executive Officer
Chairman of the Group Executive Board

Heads of Business Divisions
Chief Executive Officer

Private Banking
Chief Executive Officer

Asset Management
Chief Executive Officer

Investment Banking
Chief Executive Officer
Chairman of the Executive Board

Private Banking Services

Retail Banking will bean important pillar of the bank group. The close cooperation with the banking department Asset Management means that private customers at persepolisbank profit from individual counseling and innovative products.

At over ** branches competent counselors are ready to assist our millions private customers in all issues connected with money. Besides this branch presence, with persepolicebank Telephone Banking and our Branch in the Internet we offer two other access routes which you can use for your transactions independently of time and space.
Persepolis would be also a financial consulting firm. With offices in Geneva, and over ** locations (our headquarters), we serve clients from different countries

With Direct Net we make payments and issue securities orders directly from your computer. You benefit from the following functions:
Settle bills
Carry out transfers between accounts
Execute file transfers
Create payment and salary lists
Receive and pay e-Bills
Check balances of accounts and safekeeping accounts
Place stock market orders
Call up news, analyses and charts
SMS and e-mail alerts.

Personal Banking
From opening a checking account online to buying the perfect home, PERSEPOLIS would be the partner that can help clients take charge of their financial future by planning in the present

PERSEPOLIS offers a range of products that meet the everyday financial needs of individuals. We serve millions of clients around the world, with leading operations all over the world
personal banking services offered by Persepolis
• Personal loans
• Credit cards
• Mortgages
• Savings
• Retirement planning
• Education planning
• Personal internet banking
• Insurance

PERSEPOLIS will also offer a relationship-banking approach for mass-affluent customers, professionals and business owners. Our approach would be designed to meet our clients' needs for individual recognition and fulfill their desire for a greater range of products and services, beyond simple banking transactions.

Private Banking
We will offer highly personalized banking for our private clients, aiming to structure and enhance their wealth with services ranging from discretionary portfolio management to international estate planning and trust.

Private clients will have an assigned relationship manager who will discuss their unique financial circumstances with them and tailor products to meet their objectives.

We can help private clients in the following areas:
• Banking
• Investment advisory
• Discretionary portfolio management
• Investment funds
• International estate planning

Business and Commercial Clients

We offer a full range of commercial financial and lending services for small to larger-sized businesses.

Our services can help clients finance their business, manage their cash flow, trade internationally, succeed in e-commerce and find new opportunities.

With many of customers around the globe and a major presence in a range of markets, we will have considerable scope for economies of scale and sharing of best practices. We will have a local presence and a domestic focus on our various markets. At the same time, the advantages we gain from the synergies between our businesses benefit our clients.

Our experienced professionals will operate a team with specialists from all areas of our organization, tailoring solutions to meet our clients' needs.

Corporate and Institutional Clients

Our clients will increasingly require a comprehensive choice of products, specialist skills and excellence of service, both locally and globally.PERSEPOLIS meets these demands by integrating corporate and investment banking services for our corporate and institutional clients across **countries.

This combination offers clients the best of both worlds: a full spectrum of products that give them exactly what they need, regardless of whether they are a mid-sized company or a world leader in their sector.

Our aim is to be the preferred corporate and investment banking provider for global pioneers operating across regions, including both rising champions in emerging markets and ambitious companies in developed markets.

We shall meet our goals by delivering a full range of tailored advisory, financing and operational services to our clients, with the intent to maintain our top positions in selected sectors and products. This leading position gives us the appropriate scale and stature to guarantee the highest level of service expected by our clients.

Our client-focused approach will offer our clients a single point of contact providing a gateway to all the bank's products. We don't focus on short-term profit, but concentrate on building long-term relationships and standing by clients whenever they need us.
Asset management services

We provide fund manager identification, assessment and selection services to Institutional Investors across Europe. By adopting a rigorous, exhaustive and transparent process combined with comprehensive coverage of potential fund managers, we ensure that the most appropriate and competitive offering is identified - most closely matching our clients' requirements.

Our collective knowledge of the institutional fund management marketplace, our comprehensive research and analysis are drawn to scope out the universe of appropriate fund managers. Our proprietary IT system enables us to approach the broadest possible selection of potential providers.

Persepolisbank then supports the client through the due-diligence process necessary to identify a suitable fund manager deemed capable of responding to the requirements of the specific mandate.

Mutual Funds
PERSEPOLIS will provide individuals, private clients, institutions and leading financial intermediaries with a full range of investment fund products and services. These consist of families of mutual funds, unit trusts and investment trusts. Other collective investment schemes are offered, as well as a range of alternative investment products.
PERSEPOLIS will manage over ** billion in these funds worldwide. Assets are managed through our central operation, PERSEPOLIS Investment Management. Together, these resources enable us to combine ‘top-down’ market analysis with ‘bottom-up’ stock research and local knowledge in all major markets.

PERSPECTIVE FOR THE ORGANISATION CHARTERING
For the organization chart as international business i can consider three major line with the following
ports. All the three parts will perform under the administration service group which spoken in the
management team part in the business plan . Senior executive committee, board chairman, president or CEO, and senior vice president.

1. Line one
a. fund raising and fund management division
b. investment and funding group
c. portfolio management and money-market desk
d. institutional banking department
e. capital market department
f. asset/liability management
g. planning department

2. Line 2
a. funds-allocation division
b. commercial financial service group
c. commercial credit department
d. commercial real state department
e. corporate service department
f. credit card department
g. affiliated bankers group
h. loan review group
i. loan work out group

3. Line 3
a. personal financial service division
b. private banking service department
c. trust services
d. executive and professional service department
e. residential lending department
f. customers service department
g. safe deposit department
h. lobby service group
i. motor bank department
j. marketing department

There would be other lines one for
international banking department that operates
multinational loans ,
trading finance ,and
foreign office group

And the second an
operations department having auditing and
control department ,
branch office management department
human resources department ,
teller department ,
securities department
regulatory compliance group .

Financial statement for the first year activities
Income statement for year one of the bank activities (in millions usd)

Interest income

1. Income on C&I loans 743.40
2. Income on real state loans 582.68
3. Income on consumer loans 375
4. Income on other loans 1.53
5. Income on leases 8.56
6. Total interest on fees on loans and leases 1,711.55

7. Interest on deposit at other institutions 4.53
8. Interest on fed funds and RPs 33.67
9. Interest on US treasury and agency securities 249.99
10. Interest on municipals 56.11
11. Interest on other debt and securities 263.92
12. Total interest income on investment securities 608.22
13. Total 2,319.77

Interest expense
14. interest on now accounts 64.78
15. interest on MMDA accounts 207.58
16. Interest on other savings 44.53
17. Interest on retail CDs 86.21
18. Interest on wole sale CDs 394.16
19. Total interest on deposit accounts 797.26

20. Interest on fed funds and RPs 257.23
21. interest on other borrowed funds 3.87
22. Interest on subordinated 47.34
23. Total interest expense 1,105.70

24. Net interest income 1,214.70
25. Provision for loan losses 46.70

Non interest income
26. Income from fiduciary activities 196.18
27. Service charges on deposit accounts 190.80
28. Other gains from trading assets and liabilities 14.70
29. Other non interest income 271.70
30. Total non interest income 673.38

Non interest expenses
31. Salaries and employee benefit 597.21
32. Expenses on premises and fixed assets 175.83
33. Other noninterest expenses 425.96
34. Total noninterest expenses 1,199.00

35. Income before taxes and extraordinary items 641.75
36. Applicable income taxes 222.92
37. Extraordinary items 0.00
38. Net income 418.83
the above income statement does not include income from forex activities i can not anticipate that now . Let me provide it later.
Balance sheet of Persepolis for the first year (the amounts are in millions usd)

Assets
1. Vault cash 396.44$
2. Deposits at federal reserve 105.11
3. Deposits at other financial institutions 388.80
4. Cash items in process of collection 1,285.45
5. Cash and balance due for depository institutions 2,175.80
6. Interest bearing deposit at other FIs 44.72
7. Federal funds sold 1,077.50
8. Repurchase agreements 22.20
9. US treasury securities 1381,00
10. US agency securities 987.00
11. Securities issued by state and political subdivisions 909.06
12. Mortgage backed securities 4,842.90
13. Other debt and equity securities 916.04
14. Investment securities 10,180.42
15. Commercial and industrial loans 9,613.20
16. Loans secured by real state 4,669.20
17. Consumer loans 5,344.40
18. Other loans 20.90
19. Leases 169.20
20. Gross loans and leases 19,826.90
21. Less: unread income 63.70
22. Reserve on loans and lease losses 383.00
23. Jet loans and leases 19,380.20
24. Premises and fixed assets 637.50
25. Other real state owned 26.78
26. Investment in unconsolidated subsidiaries 1.00
27. Intangible assets 345.50
28. Other 956.60
29. Other assets 1,967.38
30. Total assets 33,703.80

Liabilities

1. demand deposits 5,824.56
2. NOW accounts 1,011.47
3. MMDAs 8,399.41
4. Other saving deposits 1,616.50
5. Retail CDs 7,570.32
6. Core deposits 24,422.26
7. Whole sale CDs 1,471.90
8. Total deposits 25,894.16
9. Federal funds purchased 1, 608.82
10. Repurchase agreement 752.38
11. Other borrowed funds 1,398.90
12. Subordinated notes and debentures 615.13
13. Other liabilities 30,775.74
14. preferred stock 0.96
15. common stock 129.62
16. Surplus and paid-in capital 984.56
17. Retained earning 1,812.62
18. Total equity capital 2,928,06
19. Total liabilities and equity capital 33,703.80$
Persepolis trust services
The purpose of this part is to provide several of the most important of the non deposit financial services of our project. banks has faced an increasingly intense struggling recent years to attract funds needed to make loans and investments and boost revenues .one of the most fertile fields for greater future growth in bank revenues and profits has appeared to many bankers to be non deposit
bank service lines including many new non traditional bank service offerings. these nontraditional bank services include fees generated by offering trust services to businesses and households ; by executing customer orders for purchases and sales of stocks, bonds and mutual funds ;and by selling insurance related products such as life and casualty insurance policies ,annuities and retirement plans .

In trust services we manage the properties owned by bank customers, such as securities, land,
Buildings, and other investments .in trust department we will generate very large deposits because we manage properties for the customers which usually include business firms, units of governments,
individuals and families ,and charities and foundations .our trust department function in a tremendous variety of roles. it routinely serve as executers or administers of wills, identifying , inventorying .trust department act as agent for companies and need to service security issues ,such as issuing new stock, and issuing retiring bonds for client firms .and often manage the pension or retirement plans of both businesses and individuals .

Persepolis brief description
I am going to describe briefly the products and services of the Persepolis project .
first let me go through the name of Persepolis . I am going to replace the name Persepolis
by the similar one Persepolis which is more convenient . As I told we have to offer several
names in the registration of the company and it will be searched if it would not have any conflict
with other intellectual properties .i think our first offer may be Persepolis . The cause of the choice
of this name was that i was going to use a very beautiful home page of Persepolis historical
place for the bank home page website . May be I select another name. because I am also going to set up this bank in a complete American manner and style .

For the bank products in the first step are the retail banking services that we can even copy from other banks. Perhaps we may choose some lower prices for encouraging the clients .let me list
these products as I remember . May be some details be added
1. Carry out transfer between accounts
2. Creative payments and salary lists
3. Receive and pay e-bills
4. Check balance of accounts and safekeeping accounts
5. Personal loans
6. Credit cards
7. Mortgages
8. Savings
9. Retirement planning
10. Personal internet banking
11. Insurance
12. Investment advisory
13. Managing many ATMs and their cards services
14. Online banking services, mobile banking, telephone banking services.
15. Mobile banking services
16. Managing automatic loan machines
17. Managing self services machine

For investment banking we offer securities products and financial advisory services to corporations, governments and institutional investors. Products and services include debt and equity underwriting, sales and trading mergers and acquisitions, investment research, correspondent and brokerage services.

We will be a service provider and offer also direct investments services to clients to invest in
Forex and stock markets. We will provide brokerage services to invest in all the stock exchanges
And provide online trading, investment advisory, discretionary portfolio management, international estate planning.

In asset management we will manage portfolios, mutual funds, and other investment vehicles for a board spectrum of clients ranging governments, institutions, corporations to private individuals.

in the forex case we will be an international broker in forex .I am considering this for the next several years program and do not expect to do so at the first step because this needs much funding for example more than 500 bn usd . This is because in forex positions the amount of
each position will be multiplicated by 50 and this needs a huge back up of assets . For example if you study internax it has at the moment 700 bn asset under management . Although there exists
some companies with 300 or 350 bn usd that have some smaller and restricted motivations in forex and stock investment .our mutual fund part is also a subsidiary of this part .

In business and commercial port we offer full range of commercial financial and lending services for small to large sized businesses .with many customers around the globe and a major presence
In a range of markets we have considerable scope for economies of sale and sharing of best practice.

About the Author

John Robert Schneider

Source: ArticleTrader.com