The Causes of Poverty in Africa

Poverty is a disease. It is certainly terrible. It is undesirable, yet it is very common in some parts of the world while it is nearly unknown in some other parts of the world. Africa is one of the continents of the world. In fact, the continent is the second largest continent in the world and is only surpassed by Asia which is the largest. The size of Africa is estimated at about 30.2 million km² (11.7 million sq mi) to include adjacent islands and it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area.

The continent is mostly occupied by people referred to as Africans and the people are mostly black in complexion. This is however not to suggest that there are no people with other complexions. Some Africans are even white while there are other complexions in-between. The complexions in Africa are best described as beautiful and elegant mix as well as pot-pourri. Between 1982-2009, the population of the continent has doubled and the population is currently estimated at 1 billion. The continent is tropical and poverty is common.

Poverty, whether by relative definition or absolute one is prevalent on the continent as about 70 percent of Africans still live on less than $2 a day and par capita income is extremely low. Hence, unemployment in most African countries is in excess of 20% while diseases and wars have ravaged many. The capacity for self improvement of many has been compromised predisposing many to crime and premature deaths. Hence, illiteracy is high and governance is weak. Against weak development indicators and wide spread poverty, Africa as a continent is usually referred to as a developing/least developed continent.

On the continent, poverty is in fact deadlier than HIV/AIDS. Although the problem is curable, its prevalence and endemic nature on the continent suggests that it is nearly incurable. Most people on the continent are poor and trapped in the problem. Although they wanted to be out of the problem, it is impossible for them to. Systemic problems appear to have kept them perpetually there. Many battle the problem all their lives and their generations are also banished into it explaining the term Inter generational poverty trap.

The following are the causes of poverty in Africa:

1. Corruption and Poor leadership: Many government officials on the continent are corrupt and abuse their public offices. The governance environment is largely irresponsible. Resources meant for all the citizenry are cornered and embezzled by few just because they are privileged to be in government or corridors of power.
3. Lifestyles: The lifestyles of many Africans induce poverty. Many engage in ways of life that keep them forever in the problem. For instance, many celebrate normal events like naming ceremony in outlandish manners. Africans throw parties on nearly anything. They even borrow money to celebrate dead people in events called burial ceremonies. People without stable income borrow money with huge interests just to meet cultural expectations through needless celebrations. This is one of the major causes of the problem on the continent
5. Illiteracy: There is high level of illiteracy on the continent. Very many Africans do not have access to formal education. This affects their reasoning faculties and drastically reduces their capacity to generate income in the modern environment being driven competitively by knowledge in the knowledge industry
7. Resignation: So many people on the continent have resigned to faith and accepted their situation as normal and sometimes divine. Their thinking now reflect poverty and they have come to see themselves as poor and that there is nothing they could do. They thus live a life that accepts the problem and perceive it as normal.
9. Systemic dis-empowerment: Life on the continent favors the rich and poor people find it difficult to actualize themselves in the system. In many instances, employment and opportunities are hijacked by the rich and those from poor background find it difficult to move up the ladder of success and affluence. The environment thus perpetrates and perpetuates the problem on the continent.

Unemployment Problem

The problem of unemployment is a world-wide reality. The developed countries like the U.S., England, France, Germany, Italy, etc. also suffer from this problem, but it is more pronounced in India. With the passage of time it has become worse.

It has become a threat to India's economic well-being and social development. It is one of the major causes of our poverty, backwardness, crimes and frustration among the people. India is the second largest country after China in terms of populations and man-power. But because of large scale unemployment there is no suitable employment for them. They are forced to remain idle.

There are millions of young men and women waiting and waiting for job opportunities. This chronic problem of unemployment is not confirmed to any particular class, segment or society. It is all pervading. There is massive unemployment among educated, well-trained and skilled people, and it is also there among semi-skilled and unskilled laborers, small and marginal farmers and workers. Then there is underemployment. The jobs being created have miserably failed to keep pace with the ever increasing number of job-seekers. It is a problem which presents a great challenge to leaders, thinkers, planners, economists, industrialists and educationists.

Our education system should be reviewed and changed according to our present needs. Like factories our universities, colleges and schools are still producing on a large scale, a rich crop of graduates fit only for white collar jobs in these offices. These graduates are fit only for such jobs as those of clerks, assistants, officers and bureaucrats sitting at tables in the offices. These educated but unemployed youths numbering millions and millions are a source of great anxiety and concern.

Our education should be work-oriented. It should be such as enables a person to stand on his own feet instead of depending on others. It is really an irony that our highly educated and trained personnel like engineers, doctors, scientists etc. run after the government jobs. It is perhaps because of the education system started by the Britishers long ago, which has totally lost its relevance and still prevails. They depend too much on the government and lack the courage and inspiration to stand on their own feet. There should be more and more emphasis on vocational education. There should be more and more technical institutions and training centers. Indiscriminate and unplanned admissions in colleges and universities should also be checked. Higher education should be reserved only for those who really deserved it.

To alleviate this problem of unemployment and under-employment in villages a progressive employment scheme called Jawahar Rozgar Yojana was introduced in 1989. Over 440 lakh families living under the poverty-line are likely to benefit from it. More such schemes are need to create gainful employment opportunities for scheduled tribes, scheduled castes and other backward classes and communities in the rural areas of the country. The rural unemployment has been a major contributory factor of this highest incidence of poverty in spite of our efforts towards development and industrialization.

Whether a National Minimum Wage Reduces Relative Poverty

Relative poverty reflects the fact that some sections of society have an income far lower (e.g. 50% less) than the average salary. In the UK the National Minimum wage is a legal requirement. Firms must pay workers an hourly wage of at least £5.05 for those over 21. The development rate for those 18-21 is £4.35Since the introduction of the NMW many low paid workers have seen an increase in the hourly wage as firms are obliged to pay workers the statutory minimum wage. To some extent this has helped reduce relative poverty as the lowest paid workers have seen a significant increase in their weekly income. This is more prevalent in the North where wages tended to be lower, fewer jobs in the south have been affected by the NMW.

However it is worth noting that the poorest sections of society tend to be those on benefits such as JSA (60% of the poorest tend to be unemployed) and incapacity benefits, therefore these groups will not benefit from a NMW. Also many on the NMW may be second income earners e.g. the wife of a main breadwinner. Therefore these households may be quite well off and would not classify as being relatively poor anyway. Therefore this is a limitation of the NMW in reducing poverty.

Another concern about the NMW is that if it was increase it may cause unemployment. According to classical theory an increase in the NMW will lead to real wage unemployment.

The extent of unemployment would depend upon the elasticity of demand for labour, if it was inelastic unemployment would only increase a little. However If there was an increase in unemployment this would have the effect of increasing relative poverty rather than reducing it.. This problem may be most likely to occur in industries with low profit margins and regions where equilibrium wages tend to be low.

However evidence suggests that UK labour markets are not perfectly competitive but employers may have significant Monopsony power. This is especially true part time temporary service sector jobs where workers have little union representation and few rights. If workers face Monopsonist a higher Minimum wage may not cause unemployment, in some circumstances it may decrease

Empirical evidence suggest that increasing the NMW does not cause unemployment to increase suggesting this model is more accurate than the classical view. However it will clearly depend upon how much the NMW is increased. It is also likely that some labour markets will be more competitive than others therefore the effect may differ for different industries.

Other positive benefits of the NMW include the fact it may increase the incentive for the unemployed to get a job rather than stay on benefits, however the JSA is quite low and the gap between benefits and work is quite high already.

In conclusion an increase in the NMW can help the low paid increase their income, thereby reducing relative poverty to some extent. A serious concern about an increase is that in some labour markets it may cause real wage unemployment therefore increasing poverty. However evidence suggests that the increase would have to be very significant for this to occur because many labour markets tend to be uncompetitive. There could also be a case for increasing the NMW more in the south where wages tend to be higher, thereby reducing relative poverty in the south.

In conclusion raising the minimum wage can cause a decrease in relative poverty for those in work but its extent is limited as much poverty stems from those living on welfare benefits. In the US the benefits of raising the minimum wage are likely to be higher because of the large numbers of workers working close to the statutory minimum wage.

Effects of Poverty on the Society

Poverty! Can anyone who has really been poor know what poverty is? I really doubt it. How can anyone who enjoys three "square" meals a day explain the phenomenon? Perhaps one will be able to grasp the real meaning of poverty when one struggles real hard to have a miserable meal in twenty-four hours. Poverty and hunger are cousins; simply because the former is tied to the latter.According to my lexicon, poverty is the state of being poor, while the environment is the condition that affects mainly, the behavior and development of something. For instance, if you are putting on a suit, or a complete traditional attire of any kind, you will naturally look rotund in your dress, you may neither understand what poverty entails, nor can you have a true feeling of poverty. If you have some good shirts and pairs of trousers; never mind if they are all casual wears. The fact is if you can from one dress, change into another and these are all you can boast of, thank your star because you are not really poor!

A person begins to have a true feeling of what poverty means when, apart from the tattered clothes on his body, he does not have any other, not even a motley shirt to keep away the cold at night. "Look at these little children looking like cartoons with their parents looking hopeless. They have nothing to eat for the mean time, no good shelter over their heads, talk more of giving the children a sound education. Oh! What a hopeless life to live in". That is the voice of a man journeying through a settlement of the poor.

Furthermore, let us face it straight, the developing countries are majorly identified with poverty on a large scale. Though there are poor people in America too, the difference cannot still be compared with some states, most especially in Africa. You will hitch up with me that anyone who has never slept outside in the open cannot appreciate the harsh realities of homelessness; yet that is what abject poverty is all about. He who can lay claim to a house, however humble, or can afford to rent a flat or a room in a town or city without the landlord troubles cannot honestly claim to be poor.

One of the major effects of poverty is sickness and mortality. A poor person is more prone to a poor health. In the society today, things are not done free. No matter what, after every treatment in hospital money is required; now tell me where you want paupers to get such money; when they cannot afford a meal a day! This often leads to the breeding of immoral people who will do anything to achieve their aim in life either getting into armed robbery or prostitution. I believe the governments all over the world still have a lot to do in getting rid of poverty completely in our societies.

Child Poverty

Poverty (Specifically child poverty) is the greatest calling facing humanity. Will humanity think of these children as distractions? So far history has judged us on the wrong side of the issue.

Anything and everything done in the name of eradicating has not worked so far. The next question is are we going to keep on tackling this issue with the same intensity and techniques that has not served their purpose so far?

Many people think of world hunger and world poverty as a part of life.

Could you imagine your own child, niece, sister, or close friend starving to death? Poverty is the ultimate punishment hungry kids are paying for a crime they did not commit.

We all share some form of blame. Simply because everyone can do his or her part. How? Start by searching a reputable foundation or charity and learn more about it (like whom they help, and how they help). Then if you can afford it, start by giving a dollar or two or three or a hundred.

Do not assume for a second, that giving is someone else's responsibility. Bend the way your mind works and thinks about Hunger and poverty.

There is a great deal you can do about child poverty if giving money is not your choice of attacking this issue. You can write to your government to put the pressure on, you can volunteer your time, you can join a movement like Poverty March ( a virtual online march that is free to join and only needs putting your name saying that you are a member of the poverty marchers, it's a fresh and new way of asking for a change in the progress we're making on eradicating poverty)

Be the change you want see in the world.

Few facts that can be a food for you thought: 27,000 - 30,000 children die every day

That is equivalent to:

* 1 child dying every 3 seconds

* 20 children dying every minute

* A 2004 Asian Tsunami occurring almost every week

* An Iraq-scale death toll every 15 to 35 days

* 10 -11 million children dying every year

* Over 50 million children dying between 2000 and 2005

Child poverty and hunger is an issue that should be tackled and faced with a ferocity that is unparalleled. So are you just going to think about how this was an interesting article, or are you going to contemplate about your next step on what and how you can help to bring about change and awareness?

Poverty March Campaign is a campaign for millions around the world to hold hands and march virtually online by registering their name and to hold hands with someone around the globe and march side-by side. Child poverty and child hunger is going to be stopped by individuals like you and not by a politician, government or the G8 Summit. Register your name to make a difference at http://povertymarch.blogspot.com/, and in the process blow a kiss to a hungry child. Cheers!

 

How to End Poverty

Poverty is lack of quality of life. This lack could either be relative or absolute. In any case, lack of worthwhile quality of life is undesirable and life-threatening. Unfortunately, life of billions of people and households in the world today are threatened every second and every day and this is mostly through poverty. Most poor people die in needless circumstances since they could not afford remedies even to the least dangerous ailments or other conditions. Most are homeless, unemployed, sick, dis-empowered and suffer battered self-esteem. In extreme weather conditions and climate change, poor people are the most affected often and they are unprotected and vulnerable. Also, they suffer most of the consequences of civil wars and poor governance.

Families affected by poverty suffer higher death rates, more marriage instability and disorganization while the children are more predisposed to crime. And, the results and outcomes of all these affect everybody even though the poor people suffer it more directly. That is, when homes are broken, families disorganized and crimes increased, the spiral and ripple effects on the society will not only affect the poor ones but also the non-poor. Consequences of crimes for example are far-reaching. In fact, crimes affect the rich more as they are the targets of crime most times and this include violent ones. Against these backdrop, poverty is bad and dangerous for everyone.

Hence, while the problem is most common in Asia, Africa, Latin America and even the Caribbean, consequences of it are also obvious in developed societies especially as enabled by globalization that has interconnected the world and has reduced time and space distanciation. This could be exemplified through migrations and drug trafficking. As poor people from Asia, South America and Africa escape crime and poverty, they engage in illegal migrations and drug trafficking to industrialized nations with huge and dire consequences for countries of destination like America and Europe. Therefore, to end the poverty, the following suggestions should be taken:

1. Ending the problem must be all inclusive to go beyond the poor people and poor nations themselves. The non-poor people and non-poor nations must be concerned about poverty and involved in its solution. Although the international community has been involved all along as could be seen in Gleaneagles' Make Poverty History Concert to raise money to end the problem in Africa, the G8 Summit and The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), more practical commitments must be made. Ending poverty should go beyond politics and diplomacy to include practical actions and pledges should be translated into concrete actions as consequences of poverty know no bounds.

2. Aside aids and giving of international donations, empowerment of the poor people as persons must be placed on top priority. Programs that will build capacities of the poor people must be initiated and engineered. These programs must go straight to the grassroots and could be through community based associations and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) who are familiar with local dynamics rather than through governments who could divert the resources and corruptly enrich themselves through the support funds.

3. There should be more investment in education to further enlighten the affected people and improve their income generation capabilties.

4. More focus should be put on girl-child education as many suffer Harmful Traditional Practices (HTPs) that dis-empower them and endanger their education and capacity to generate wealth. This is important as could be seen in the saying that 'educate a woman and educate a nation'. The multiplier effects of women education is very crucial and strategic to the issue at hand.

5. There is also the need to enlighten the poor people on the need to build and develop lifestyles that encourage and sustains wealth. This is because experience and research have proved that poor people have lifestyles that perpetrate and perpetuate poverty.

 

The Eradication of Poverty - Why it Will Happen in Our Lifetime

The economic situations of countries are not as constant as it sometimes seems. Especially for the young, who haven't lived as long, it is easy to think that some are poor and others are rich and that that's just they way it is. But that's not the way it is. Nobody needs to be poor for others to be wealthy and in the not-so-distant future, extreme poverty will be little more than an uncomfortable part of human history. Thousands of ongoing concerted efforts towards poverty reduction will at some point in the course of the current century culminate in a near complete eradication of the absolute poverty that today ails some 25% of the world's population.

The best macro-level indicators we have for where we've been, where we are, and where we're going in terms of poverty reduction is the UN's extensive annual report on the progress of their Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In the year 2000, all 192 countries in the UN agreed on 8 main goals to collectively pursue for the next 15 years. The number one goal was to halve the proportion of the world's population who live beneath the poverty line (currently defined as a daily income of less than $1.25 (PPP)) from the 1990 level of 42% to 21% by 2015.

By 2005, the proportion of the world's denizens living below the poverty line had fallen from 42% to 25%, an impressive achievement in a mere 15 years. The greatest progress was made in East Asia and the Pacific, who reduced the proportion of extremely poor from 55% to only 17% in 2005, with countries such as China and Vietnam regularly posting annual growth rates of ten per cent (and sometimes more) for their economies. Southern Asia, led by India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, reduced their proportion from 52% to 40%. The region with the most sluggish growth has, as expected, been sub-Saharan Africa, with only a 7 percentage point reduction from 58% to 51%.

The global recession of 2008, the full extent of which we have yet to see, has stalled much of the progress made between 1990 and 2005, and we may miss the number one MDG when it's due in 2015, but in all likelihood only by a few years.

Stock exchanges are a good indicator of the future of the real economy, or "Main Street" as it is all too commonly referred to. Financial market started turning sour in late 2007 to early 2008, but it is more recently, in 2009 and 2010 that we've seen its real world manifestation with mass lay-offs, a tighter job market and reduced development. There is a delay from Wall Street to Main Street. And the bear market on Wall Street is or has already ended, and indexes and macro-figures are slowly but surely pointing upwards. So if what happens on Wall Street is any indication of what will soon happen on Main Street (which it usually is), we'll soon be back on track. And, by extension, so will the MDG number one.

In 1978, when Deng Xiaoping took over after Mao and trod China's first careful steps towards a free market economy, the country was dirt poor, 64% of the population living on less than $1.25 a day. In 2004, only 26 years later, that same figure was 10% (wow!). With its estimated 1.3 billion inhabitants, China is the most populous country in the world, and home to about one in five humans. 50 years ago, their average lifespan was 36 years. Today it is 74, compared to 78 in the US.

China was the single biggest obstacle to the eradication of extreme poverty. A huge chunk of humanity was lifted out of poverty during the last 30 years. If you live in the western world, that's only 0.4 lifetimes, so imagine what can happen in a full lifetime.

China's GDP is set to surpass that of the US by 2025, and their GDP per capita is poised to equal the that of the US by 2035. So in 25 years, the average Chinese will be as well off as his American counterpart. And I haven't even mentioned India whose GDP per capita will intersect with that of the US in 2060.

Since the vast majority of people in Asia and South America have reached high standards of living, there's really only Africa left. And the good news is that development is going to pick up speed exponentially when new billions of people have money with which to donate or buy products and services, thus creating jobs in the remaining poor countries. It's much easier to extinguish the flames in your neighbor's house when your own house is no longer burning.

If poverty reduction, after we're out of this recession mire, returns to the same rates as between 1990 and 2005, the extremely poor, those living an income of less than $1.25 daily, will constitute a meager 8% by 2025. These 8% are likely to reside mainly in Africa. But even these will eventually escape their impecunious situation, albeit a decade or two later.

It's highly unlikely that a significant proportion of the human population will be desperately poor in 2050. It's largely a matter of economic growth outpacing population growth soon enough. In 2007, the world's population was growing by 1.17% a year, while the world's economic growth rate was 4% in 2007. The freshest figures are a bit lower, but the world as a whole is expected to return to 2007 levels of growth within the next three years.

If you look even farther ahead, to the 2060s and -70s, the vast majority of the world's inhabitants are likely to enjoy a US-level standard of living. Naturally, this is too far ahead, and relies on too many variables, to give accurate predictions.

 

7 Biblical Reasons For Poverty

There are many reasons for poverty in someone's life. Some reasons are out of the person's control (i.e., born in a third world country or stem from systemic influence causing certain ethnic groups' inability to find adequate paying jobs; however, that is not the focus here.There is such a thing as self-imposed poverty. What I mean is that many people are experiencing poverty in their lives as a result of their own choices and foolish behavior. There are many Scriptures in the Bible to prove this.Here are seven reasons, along with supporting Scriptures, which clearly show that poverty can be self-inflicted:

1. Laziness. The Bible associates laziness with poverty and diligence (hard work) with riches. Remember: riches are much more than just money.

Proverbs 6:9, 11 - "How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep - So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man."

Proverbs 10:4 - "He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich."

Proverbs 13: 4 - The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing, but the soul of the diligent makes rich."

2. Foolishness, drunkenness, wastefulness.

Proverbs 23:21 - "For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags."

Proverbs 28:19 - "He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough." When one tills his land it indicates hard work, which leads to a promised reward. On the other hand, frivolity (overindulgence in fun) can lead to poverty.

3. Pride.

Proverbs 17:5 and Proverbs 21:13 - "He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;" "Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, will also cry himself and not be heard."

4. Hiding sin.

Proverbs 28:13 - "He who covers his sins will not prosper but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."

5. The love of money. This is probably the most misused verse in the Bible pertaining to money. People as claimed that "money is the root of evil" but that is not what the Bible states. It is the love of money over all else that God considers to be a root of all kinds of evil.

1 Timothy 6:10 - "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, from which some have strayed from faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

6. Stinginess/Selfishness. Stinginess may lead to poverty. Generosity has just the opposite effect. Selfishness is foolishness in the eyes of God because it dishonors Him and creates enemies.

Proverbs 11: 24, 25 - "There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right but it leads to poverty."

7. Fear.

Ecclesiastes 11:4 - "He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap."

If we are experiencing poverty in our lives, it would be wise to examine ourselves and see if any these things the Bible tells us leads to poverty are in our lives and get rid of it

Technology - The Key to Alleviate World Poverty

Modern age brought out solution to a lot of human problems. Science and technology have become part and parcel of everyday life. Technology is being used to help resolve the dangling and perplexed issues of the humanity. Modern invention and tools are being used to facilitate the life. Technological advancement has helped man eradicating poverty.People were optimistic that technology would become the answer to all human tribulations, mainly those related with poverty. He was also hopeful that travel to space and the nuclear energy would resolve all the problems. Due to this false notion man wasted and over consumed the natural resources in the name of fast economic growth and social development. At once he has come to know that advancement in technology had deprived him of the clean water, fresh air and healthy atmosphere. Pollution led to global warming, food crises and poverty. Poverty has become a serious concern of the modern times.

In spite of the technical advancement, the developing as well as the advanced nation is wanting in commodities of life. The worst preys are the developing nations. The developing nations followed west blindly and spoiled their economies as well as atmosphere. This technology was hardly suitable to the circumstances of people in developing nations. Technology without necessary infrastructure and skills is nothing other than wastage of resources. It does not help to overcome poverty.

Technology is helpful only when it does not harm the local culture, society and skills. Such technology is called appropriate technology. Only this kind of technology is helpful in eradicating poverty. Only appropriate

technology is the solution to the problem of poverty.

Circumstances specific technology

It took a lot of time to reach the conclusion that only appropriate technology is the suitable way to overcome the problems of daily life. Use of technology according to the local circumstances is a new phenomenon and is helping a lot in the war against poverty and food crises.

The acclimatization of technology is the only way to solve the manifold problems of the poor nations. Expertise intended to be appropriate to the requirements and means of a specific community is the only way to eradicate poverty. It utilizes native ability and means that are appropriate to the local circumstances. It does not damage the atmosphere and assists man to overcome the multitude of problems.

Appropriate technology is only way to resolve the present day issues related to poverty. Technology is related to all aspects of life. It has reached its zenith in advancement. This advancement can become helpful if we use the technical expertise according to our local circumstances. Small scale technical projects providing energy and power are the basis of the all programs related to poverty eradication.

People and states should take advantage of technical advancements mainly in sectors of energy, communications, and information technology to give power to the poor and gain fiscal development. Information and communication technologies are basic elements of the universal production, business, investment and capital flow. Incorporation of these technologies into poverty reduction programs is necessary.

Technology that supports Local growth, employment and local enterprise is in fact real technology.

It reinforces local economic progress and involvement of community in the development projects.Technology with its roots in customary skills and resources is the only way to get self-reliance and get rid of poverty.

Poverty In Pakistan: Causes, Effects And Solutions

In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of." (Chinese Proverb)Poverty in Pakistan is one of the most burning issues. As of 2010, "about 40 percent of the total population was living below the poverty line" (World Bank). It means more than one-third of the total population or in other word about 70 million out of 180 million people are living below the poverty line. The history shows that there was declining rate of poverty in 1970s and 1980s. However, from 1990s till today the poverty is in increasing trend. This phenomenon has been called POVERTY BOMB.

The main reasons of Poverty in Pakistan is the destabilizing of democracy, unbridled corruption, fast growing population, sorry state of education sector, ineffective management of natural resources, feudalism, uncontrolled inflation etc. Besides these national factors there are some International factors which have added fuel to the fire. Like global financial crisis, increasing price of oil, world food crisis etc

"Poverty is like punishment for a crime you didn't commit". (Eli Khamarov)

EFFECTS OF POVERTY ON SOCIETY

1. Child Labor

CHILD-LABOR-IN-PAKISTAN

The first and most immediate Effects of Poverty in Pakistani Society is that People will not send their child to Schools. As we know that "CHILD IS THE FATHER OF TOMORROW", if our child wasted in this way then not only our Society but Country will face problems in the future. Today in Pakistan about 4 million Children in the age group of 5-14 years are working (Federal Bureau of Statistics).

This is poverty which force them to work in the formative years at very risky places i.e. Underground mines, work with live electrical wires over 50 V, Cement industry, Tobacco process and manufacturing etc.

2. De-track from Moral and Religious values

"No man can worship God or love his neighbor on an empty stomach." (Woodrow- T. Wilson)

From the above quotation we can very easily understand that what people are doing in the state of Poverty. They did not care of the Moral or Religious value. What is good for them is that which satisfy their needs and necessities.

3. Crimes and Violence

Crime and violence is the direct Effect of Poverty in Pakistan. The most common form of human trafficking is for prostitution (violence), which is largely fueled by poverty. According to a survey, most of poor men violence on their wives for income purposes. They force their women family members to earn something even by selling their bodies. Street crime is also the ultimate Effect of Poverty in Pakistan.

4. Health Problems

Poor people are suffering from so many diseases. They haven't enough resources for treatment. This is the reason that Pakistan is ranked 135th out of 194 countries in the Index of Life Expectancy at the time of Birth. In Pakistan the life Expectancy rate at the time of Birth is very low i.e. 65 years. Whereas, in western countries it is 80+ years i.e. Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, Switzerland, Iceland etc

5. Sub-standard lives

By observing above factors one can very easily understand that overall Effect of Poverty in Pakistani Society is that, they are living Sub-Standard life.

We Need to Define Poverty Before We Measure It

Most of us would say that a homeless person with an undiagnosed mental illness, no job, no marketable skills and no bank account is "poor." Does the label still apply if that person wins a $1 million lottery jackpot?

What about a doctor just out of medical school who has $200,000 in debt, no savings, and a residency that pays $40,000 a year for long hours of arduous work? Is this also an example of poverty?

Is an aspiring novelist "poor" if she has a newly minted liberal arts degree from a prestigious college, $100,000 in debt, a minimum-wage day job and no history of selling any books? How about the novelist's co-worker, who has the same income but has no debt and no higher education?

We are much better at counting poor people than we are at identifying them. This makes no sense, and it explains why decades of anti-poverty programs have made little headway at actually reducing poverty.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2.6 million more Americans were poor in 2010 than in 2009. That brought the poverty rate to 15.1 percent of Americans, the highest since 1993. (1)

Critics of the official poverty index, which is based on comparing food costs to income, point out that it ignores many significant financial dimensions, including non-cash government assistance such as food stamps, as well as non-food expenses such as out-of-pocket medical expenses, transportation and child care. Various alternative measures have been created, but so far none have caught on.

I believe we approach poverty from the wrong direction. Most definitions of poverty focus on an individual's circumstances - how much money the person has, or how much income the person receives, compared to some benchmark.

I think of poverty as a human condition that does not change as quickly or readily as circumstances. A poor person, in my view, is one who cannot adequately provide for himself, or who cannot conserve and manage what resources are available to him.

No wonder anti-poverty efforts ultimately fail when they merely provide cash or goods. If you hand a poor person a check, you still have a poor person, just one who has some money at the moment. The Chinese understood this when they created the proverb about the difference between giving a man a fish and teaching him to fish.
If we measure poverty according to net worth or according to single-year income, the homeless lottery winner is richer than the young doctor, the aspiring novelist and the minimum-wage worker. In fact, the latter two might already be part of the 15.1 percent of the population that is officially considered poor.

But I would consider the mentally ill, homeless person to be the poorest of the group. Winning $1 million may temporarily change this person's circumstances, but it will not change his condition. With no financial skills and an untreated, disabling illness, the lottery winner is likely to quickly squander his windfall and revert to his former situation.

The minimum wage worker, lacking skills or opportunity to better his financial circumstances, also qualifies as poor in my book. But the aspiring novelist working at the same job for the same minimum wage does not - even though the novelist has $100,000 of debt.

The novelist's degree from a prestigious school is a pretty good indicator that she has opted to follow a personal dream instead of choosing a different, more financially secure path. This person's education and intellectual skills should continue to provide opportunities that the unskilled minimum-wage co-worker does not have. Poverty by choice ought not to be seen as poverty at all, at least for purposes of making public policy.
And what about the doctor? The doctor has the lowest net worth, at negative $200,000, of the entire group. When we consider that most minimum-wage-earners are entitled to overtime at time-and-a-half, the doctor, on a per-hour basis, may make even less than the official minimum wage. But hardly anyone would consider the doctor to be truly poor. While medicine is not the automatic ticket to wealth and luxury that people assumed it to be when I was growing up, it still provides a decent living - and provides enormous intellectual and emotional satisfaction to a lot of very smart people, not to mention the benefits to society.

We cannot make the unskilled worker or the disabled homeless person "non-poor" just by giving them cash or goods; doing so only perpetuates their poverty while masking its symptoms. To reduce poverty, we have to offer tangible help in the form of skills, treatment or some sort of structure to manage resources. This is why financial planners like me help clients set up special needs trusts for disabled family members. (My colleagues Shomari Hearn and Anna Pfaehler have written a very good article on this topic.)

Besides tangible help, opportunity is the other vital ingredient in a recipe to reduce poverty, as well as the pseudo-poverty that comes from unemployment of capable people. The truly poor have little chance of escaping poverty when even their formerly better-off neighbors cannot find work. Some people seem to believe it is the wealthy - the people who not only have money, but also the skills (personal or hired) to retain it - who suffer most when businesses struggle with scarce capital, high taxes and onerous regulation. But if you ask someone who is desperate to find work in order to prevent her family from bouncing from one shelter to another, you'll get a different viewpoint. A breadwinner who needs a job does not care how rich the boss gets from her labor.

The deep recession and rotten recovery has hurt a lot of people. It has cost homes, jobs, savings, marriages and more. It has pushed far too many households down to poverty-level income and net worth. But it has not made those people truly poor, at least not yet. We do not help anyone when we lump the unemployed with the unemployable under a single label of "poverty." The problems in both groups are real, but the solutions are not entirely the same.

Source:

1) U.S. Census Bureau

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The Land of Unequal Opportunity - Poverty in America

In the United States, disparities between rich and poor have risen sharply. Low-income individuals are increasingly unlikely to escape from their economic position of poverty. There are few stories of how someone made it from "rags to riches," and poor families are increasing their annual working hours, if they have jobs. Although America is the wealthiest country in the world, income inequality is far greater in here than in other major countries such as Great Britain, Australia, and Canada (Rand, 2004). Current statistics show that the rich is getting richer, middle income Americans are stagnating, and the poor is falling further behind.

Although America is thought of as the land of material wealth and success, poverty has existed persistently since it was founded. Large numbers of Americans have been and still are poor: they lack the resources to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves adequately according to socially defined standards (Rand, 2004). There are many issues when looking at poverty because it is a problem that permeates every dimension of culture and society and has different meanings. Social poverty means that some people will denied the right to a decent education. Political poverty means that innocent people are imprisoned on the basis of their skin color and politicians turn a blind eye. Economic poverty means there will be limited employment opportunities for some and inadequate housing.

When individuals are poverty-stricken, they have to make choices between paying bills or buying school clothes and supplies for their children. When individuals are poor, their living conditions are often lacking in essentials such as gas, water, and electricity. They cannot make life or death decisions because they lack monetary and social capital. In essence, poverty is the state of living without economic, political and social resources that are necessary and requisite for achieving success in this society. Poverty is powerlessness, a lack of representation and freedom. The only point in which individuals would not be considered poverty-stricken is when there is a fundamental change in the distribution of goods and services in American society and everyone is on a more equal playing field. In the United States, poverty can be defined either as biological, meaning that individuals cannot meet biological needs and relative, which describes a person as poor in comparison to other members of their society (Iceland, 2003) .

The Census Bureau measures poverty by using a set of money income thresholds that is based on the family's size and structure. If a family's income falls below that particular threshold, they are considered poor. These thresholds consist of money income before taxes such as work earnings, public assistance, alimony, child support, social security benefits, and trusts. There has been much criticism of the way the Census Bureau measures poverty because it is considered archaic and miscalculated. The most important aspect used to measure whether an individual is living below the poverty line is income. According to the Census Bureau, only cash income is considered in a family's income, not the other types of government assistance such as Food Stamps, school lunch programs and earned income tax credits. A family of four with three children under the age 18 would be considered poverty-stricken if their total income falls below $19, 233. In Chicago, the number of people living below the poverty line dropped by six percent but this does not mean there are fewer people living in poverty. More than half of Chicago's neighborhoods poverty rates has increased.

My definition of poverty is quite different than the one used by the Census Bureau and OMB because I measured not only economic resources, but political and social. The Census and the OMB only measures cash income. The definition used by the Census and the OMB do not allow for constructs such as social and political deprivation. The individuals who use this definition obviously do not understand that being impoverished is more than lacking money. Poverty is a state of mind that causes people fall behind academically, to be more likely to commit criminal acts, and to lose hope. Poverty not only decimates pocketbooks but spirits.There are several ways that poverty might be conceptualized and operationalized. In 2002, the Census Bureau compared a set of alternative measures designed by the National Academy of Sciences with its own official measure. However, the findings were mixed. Under a set of alternative measures that added noncash benefits, the poverty rate increased. That is why the Census Bureau uses its official measure. The United States wants to pretend that poverty does not exist and if it does, only a few are actually afflicted, usually people of color.

The existence of poverty in America is a complex situation and so are the s solutions necessary to correct it. Huge campaign contributions from large corporations and wealthy individuals dominate politics, economics, and social policies in this country. The needs of the poor are not on the agendas of these individuals. Because of those in power, there are conservative government policies that undermine helping the disadvantaged and pad the pockets of the privileged. The various debates on whether the official measure of poverty is correct are stupid and does not change this fact: America has forgotten about a certain segment of people based on their economic background.

Some have argued that the rate economic growth has been insufficient to eliminatepoverty, whereas others maintain that the cause is because of an unequal distribution of income. Some see the poor as lacking the skills or the will to escape their condition; others see the economy as dependent upon the poor to provide a low-wage labor force for various industries. This lack of agreement has long been characteristic of public disagreement about poverty. As long as American society is one of conflict between the classes, poverty will continue to exist and add fire to the many other social problems that currently exists.

 

The Dark Secret About Poverty

The problem is that a significant number of Americans are living in poverty or near poverty, and millions of men, women, and children are suffering.                                                

See The Positives:                                                                                                      

This is a land of unlimited opportunity, with great resources, enormous wealth, and wonderful individual rights and political freedoms.

List The Negatives:

Many state governments are on the verge of bankruptcy because they can't afford to pay for increasingly expensive social welfare programs. The federal government apparently gave up on the "War on Poverty" a long time ago.

Now, our nation has reached the frustrating and desperate point of tying to solve the welfare problem by eliminating direct relief programs for adults, reducing food stamp programs, and almost eliminating Aid to Dependent Children benefits (ADC). Our government is angry, worried, and scared.

Share Feelings:

We need to form study groups to talk about the poverty problem, and honestly share all of our feelings about it. We definitely are angry that poverty won't go away just because we cut programs or try to ignore the problem. We are sad that young mothers who are only children themselves are having more children. We are afraid that families on welfare stay on welfare.

We are guilty that racism, substance abuse, poor education, poor health care, lack of adequate job opportunities, limited affordable housing, and unstable family life, all perpetuate the cycle of poverty in the richest nation in the world, America.

We are probably afraid that our inner cities will turn into armed camps, and that crime will spread to middle class neighborhoods. We are afraid we can't even afford to meet our own daily financial needs when most Americans are working, let alone focus on the needs of people or families who aren't working. We are worried about our own safety, health, prosperity, and happiness.

Let Go:

Can we let go of our negative feelings towards the people on welfare, the working poor, the homeless, and the hopeless? Can we stop projecting our inadequacies, frustrations, or judgments on those who are less fortunate, and who usually suffer from multiple problems and addictions?

It is time and long overdue to accept the fact that racism, poor education, and lack of decent job opportunities for the unskilled-to mention just a few of the causes of poverty, won't go away by themselves.

Forgiveness:

We can begin to make progress again in reducing the poverty level in this county if we face our social mistakes honestly and openly. Can we forgive ourselves and nearsightedness for moving some of our largest corporations with desperately needed jobs outside of America? What about allowing organized crime to turn drug abuse into a billion dollar industry that saps the motivation from our nation's disadvantaged?

What about failing to link welfare to counseling, educational services, training, and on the job mentoring opportunities? The list goes on and on, but one thing we must correct now is institutional racism; where men earn more than women; where white men and women earn more than black men and women, who earn more than brown men; where everybody earns or has more than our Native Americans.

No wonder so many of the poor turn to sex, drugs, and even crime to hide their own pain and suffering. It's time to start forgiving our social denial systems, and stop blaming the poor. Where there is no hope, there is no motivation to make positive choices. We can and we must restore hope for our poor, suffering social brothers and sisters who get sucked into the cycle of poverty.

Gratitude:

Let us be grateful there are some social programs that have a good track record of bringing some people out of the ranks of the poor: i.e., Job Corps, Head Start, Vocational Rehabilitation, Transitional Living, Half-Way Homes, Oxford Homes, Homeless Shelters and Food Kitchens, to mention just a few. Let us be grateful we still have the opportunity to learn from our social, economic, cultural, and political mistakes.

But, let's not wait too long any more. Our many political leaders, corporations, and interest groups must look beyond the profit motive to the emotional gift of human compassion. On this internal and bright, spiritual horizon rests the potential of our social survival.

Hope:

Are you ready to choose the positive for our country as well as for your own growth and development? If necessary we can take steps to create a new political party, or at the very least, push for a new level of consciousness and commitment to humanize social welfare programs.

For example, it's okay for able-bodied welfare recipients to work in exchange for assistance; it's not okay to neglect funding resources that provide retraining and educational opportunities for the poor who can become dependent on dead-end "Work-Fare" jobs like street sweeping and building cleaning.

Of course, the greatest objection to trying a new approach in social welfare is the question of how are we going to pay for it? If one can consider the poor and disadvantaged as human resources, with feelings just like you or I-rather than fiscal liabilities, a new ray of hope for funding welfare programs is possible. This would mean redesigning our welfare system to emphasize human strengths rather than weaknesses.

I spent seven years of my professional life working in the welfare system at the Department of Social Services in Michigan. I challenge you to walk into any welfare office in this county and experience how you will be treated.

You learn very quickly from the dirty, smelly room you wait almost endlessly in, that you are a failure and that you have hit the bottom of the barrel. The attitudes of most of the workers are just as bad, because they are frantically over-worked and placed under extreme pressure by a State system that never provides the necessary resources to defeat the cycle of poverty.

Frankly, the system was never designed to rehabilitate the poor. The majority of the poor are single,

uneducated mothers. Where are the day care centers to teach these mother parenting skills? Where are the counseling programs to deal with substance abuse issues, low self-esteem, and despair?

Where are the job training programs that will prepare these mothers for a life other than subsistence living? You answer, why the Medicaid Program is paying for these service, right?

But, social service and health care providers are refusing to accept Medicaid patients all across our country, because it doesn't adequately compensate for the cost of these services. And now our political leaders debate the necessity of cutting Medicaid services, because government can't afford to pay for these services either.

Most importantly, don't forget that millions of Americans who are working, can't qualify for Medicaid; they also can't afford to pay for their counseling or rehabilitation services either.

So, it is time to react with our heart rather than with our intellect. Why don't we consider investing in the potential of human resources, rather than punishing the victims? This is a way to enlist the power of hope to facilitate change for the poor.

How different our welfare system could be if people needing help would walk into an environment similar to a doctor's office-an environment designed to communicate warmth, caring, and hope. Then instead of a "means test" to verify "eligibility", which implies all welfare recipients are liars and cheats, welfare grants could be considered loans rather than hand-outs.

Recipients might be expected to pay the States back or work for a period of time in public service. The States would have to agree to create a meaningful system of retraining, education, counseling, and public works where the goal is to move the poor back into the main stream of productive living.

Since the majority of the poor are single mothers, this would mean the States would also have to create a viable, safe, and nurturing day care system. Endless possibilities present themselves when we consider making investments rather than expenditures; i.e., low income housing built by people on assistance, but run by the State.

How about peer counseling groups supervised by professionals but staffed by para-professionals from the ranks of the poor? And of course re-cycling projects run by the State could be staffed largely by people on assistance seeking job training experiences.

One thing all of us could do is volunteer to teach people on assistance or the working poor, System 49. We could empower them to help themselves. Once they learn how to focus, release, and replace negative feelings, they will want more training and social treatment programs.

If this seems too overwhelming, or beyond one's limit of involvement, at least some of us could encourage the local welfare boards to start self-help groups, which will teach System 49 principles. The least that can happen right now is for some social workers who are employed within the welfare system to try out some of these ideas.

We can stand together in the name of healthy emotions: peace, forgiveness, gratitude, hope, and love. We can work on our Love-Light inside, and help reach the potential of our forgotten Americans who have much to contribute to helping our county prosper and heal.

Our goal might be to work towards the amelioration of human suffering in this great country of ours. Such a vision could restore compassion and hope for our nations disadvantaged, rather than continue the present, sole preoccupation with wealth and power.

Let us begin a nationwide search and a worldwide one if necessary, for social service treatment and rehabilitation programs that work. We can invest our tax dollars in human resources without shame, and resist the process of bureaucratization.

Social change won't happen just because we elect new leaders or have different programs. Significant reform won't happen until we first face our own negative side that harbors all of those stressful and painful feelings. That's the dark secret.

Our emotions are the doorway to personal healing, recovery, and social reform. So, let's begin to use this knowledge to resolve the serious social challenges that are facing all nations worldwide in the new era of the electronic age.

You have seen how System 49 can be used as a framework for social change. It is time now to do something different to help the millions of men, women, and children living in a total state of despair not just in America but in the rest of the world. We must find a way to reach out and get involved.

When we give a loving hand to others in need, our own healing and recovery will be strengthened and enhanced. This is my contribution to understanding the secret of the "Law of Attraction."

3 Main Reasons for Poverty in Africa

The causes of poverty in Africa are deep-rooted, interconnected and paradoxical. Africa, the cradle of humanity, encompasses some of the most resource-rich areas of the planet. Africans would, in fact, be capable of sustaining their economies and even giving aid to other parts of the world. Something, therefore, must have gone terribly wrong for it to be the poorest of all the continents.

The first reason for Africa's poverty lies in its history and the mindset which this has created both inside and outside its borders. For 3 centuries, the continent was emptied of millions of its strongest people, captured to work as slaves overseas in order to develop other economies. This had the arguable effect of delaying the establishment of economical, political and social structures that might have been comparable with those found elsewhere in the world.

The abolition of slavery opened the door to colonialism, which, while in one sense only a different form of slavery, did bring much-needed benefits such as industrial development, better education and access to medical care. However the colonising Europeans, by means particularly of the bias of the education they provided, groomed Africans to be servants and consumers in a world where white men were the overlords.

At the end of the colonial era, European countries still had need of their old colonies to provide resources for their own continuing development, and neo-colonialism was born. Business contracts were signed in which Europeans blatantly exploited their former colonies while weak or corrupt African leaders failed to negotiate for the benefit of their own people.

The result was that African countries were gripped by impossible debts to foreign regimes, and at the same time ruled by tyrants from among their own people who in many cases were supported by those same foreign regimes. As the rulers took control of the 'honey pot' of the natural resources and forced their countrymen into poverty, the seeds of civil war were sown.

Armed conflict, which disrupts the lives of one fifth of all African people and stems directly from the continent's history, lies behind the poverty of many regions. War makes ordinary life impossible and land unproductive. In addition, it frightens off investors who might otherwise help to boost economic development and create employment.

The second main reason for poverty in Africa can be summarised as poor use of land. This is due partly to lack of education - a historical legacy - and partly to an inability to change. Large areas of land are given over to subsistence farming which, without the use of modern technology, remains inefficient and does not produce anything to sell at market. Hence there is never the money to pay school fees, however low, or to buy the simplest of farm machinery.

Nomadic grazing of livestock was once a way of life, but now population figures are too high and land ownership is too rigid for it to be possible. Over-grazing and over-farming lead to degradation of the land, giving rise to the need for further land to be cleared through slash-and-burn with little regard to the associated loss of biodiversity. Where strict measures - including against poaching - are not put in place, the wild animals which can be a source of revenue through tourism are depleted.

Degradation of the land results in desertification, partly because of the nature of Africa's soil which is in general made up of sand and laterite with little clay or humus to hold moisture. This soil erodes easily and its high iron and aluminium content means that it bakes hard in the sun and absorbs no rain. Desertification, coupled with the climate change to which it contributes, can result in drought and famine in a poor society with no adequate safety net, and famine drives the population further into poverty.

The third main cause of poverty is directly attributable to the actions of the developed world and can be specifically laid at the door of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Banks. These bodies claim to reduce poverty and yet have been criticized for years for increasing it. Under the flag of neoliberalism, they impose what they call Structural Adjustment Policies (SAP's) to ensure debt repayment through economic restructuring.

SAP's decree that repayment of debt must be made a priority over health, education and general development, so the governments of African nations are forced to reduce their spending on the things which most benefit their own people. Loans are granted, therefore, with certain preconditions, the most insidious one being that exports must be increased to provide the cash for repayments. These exports, which may consist of only a very limited range of products, compete with the exports of other countries in a similar situation, and give rise to a glorified price war. This of course has the effect of devaluing them, which favours the importing West, and means that the developing countries struggle increasingly to keep up with their repayments. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer by this means, which has been suggested is in fact the real, cynical underlying agenda of the IMF.

Africa's poverty is a disgrace in a world of food surpluses and mass communication. However the reasons behind it are far from simple. A history of injustice set in motion a vicious circle of lack of resources to pay for education, and lack of education to produce and refine resources. This is compounded by devastating health problems, climate difficulties, and predation by more economically advanced nations which, while providing assistance under the impetus of their people's knee-jerk reactions to specific disasters, have yet to change their underlying attitudes.

How to Recognize the Symptoms of Anxiety - 3 Main Causes

Before we enter into recognizing the physical symptoms for anxiety, we should have a look at the 3 main causes that scientists have pinpointed.

The first, of course, is brain chemistry. Our old friends, serotonin and dopamine suddenly decide to cause trouble by becoming out of balance, thus causing problems between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. A lot of work is being carried out now with Positron Emission Tomography so that what the doctors think is happening, actually is doing so.

Genetics and Heredity can play their part. There's fairly solid evidence that anxiety and certain other mental problems can run in families, most especially if a child is raised in an environment of anxiety and fear. Then it becomes a condition that's learned.

The third cause is simply through life's experiences. If a person's subjected to violence and abuse, it certainly isn't to far of a stretch to predict that they may very well suffer an anxiety condition down the road. Poverty, too, will play its part. A situation where financial deprivation continuously casts its shadow over people is likely to induce anxiety in the strongest of us.

There are about ten symptoms to watch out for, but the American Psychiatric Association's standard is that at least four of these must be present and must occur suddenly and with some intensity. Trembling or shaking can be associated with a number of things, including stress, anger or anxiety, but if it remains permanent it should be checked at once, as it could be a sign of something even more serious.

Palpitations. Normally, we aren't aware of our heartbeats, but if it starts to pound hard, then fear, strong emotions or anxiety could be the reason, as well as certain antidepressant medications.

Sweating can be caused by stress or anxiety as these conditions trigger a hormone in the brain that cause us to perspire.

Anxiety can lead to shortness of breath and a general difficulty breathing.

If you find it difficult to swallow for no good reason. A feeling that a piece of food is stuck in your throat, this can be a token of anxiety.

Abdominal pain, again for no good reason. This is often associated with stress or anxiety.

Sharp pains in the chest. This, of course, is what sends people rushing to emergency rooms, thinking they're suffering heart attacks. It's a sudden heavy feeling and can be quite startling.

Nausea or vomiting. For me, this was a sure sign. It may be caused by various factors, but anxiety is most certainly one. Oddly enough, I don't think I was ever actually sick. I just felt like it.

Hot and cold flashes. These are feelings in the upper body that wash over you like alternate waves.

Dizziness and difficulty in maintaining your balance, even when seated. This is a most peculiar feeling, because you feel as though you're going to fall out of the chair.

Lastly, there's the fear of losing control and quite literally rushing around screaming. This is a really nasty one, especially the first time, because you're convinced you're definitely going over the edge.

Those, then, are the physical symptoms for anxiety, and we've had a look at the three main causes. The problem with the causes is that there may be no cause at all! That's what the doctors and scientists are trying to discover.