I believe that many of us are worried about the mental health of our
country. At the very least, we all
recognize that we are deeply divided with a gulf that is widening daily with
each newscast and tweet that is emanated into our lives. This worry, concern or fear affects
everyone, no matter what side of the “aisle” you are currently sitting.
Democrats are distrustful and angered by President Trump’s demeanor and
actions; feeling The Constitution is under attack and fearing the possible end
of democracy in our country. Republicans
fear that if Democrats take power they will lose a grip on maintaining normalcy
which will result in the country slipping into the chaos of revolutionary
change or destruction of our capitalistic society. Young people are scared to death about their
future on a dying planet. Baby Boomers
worry about being phased out from work before they are ready and being
unprepared for retirement. Children are
worried about guns in their schools and blue-collar workers fear a future where
their jobs are being exported at alarming rates.
We could go on and on with this list.
The causes for anxiety and depression are many, varied and very
personal. We cannot make wide spread
generalities and assumptions about the cases or the cures. A large sector of our population is sick in a
very real and severe way.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, 40 million adults in
America suffer from an anxiety disorder of some kind. In my reading, I cannot tell if this is an
estimate based on reported studies or if these are only the ones that have been
diagnosed. Either way, it is a lot of
people. Putting it into perspective, in
the 2016 election Trump received 62 million votes and Hillary 65 million. If 40 million people in America have mental
health issues, how will that affect our next election? How will the post-election results contribute
to this malaise? How will people react
to an extremely divisive election campaign and/or to a result with which they do
not agree?
An OpEd piece in the New York Times today by Lee Seigel called Why
is America so Depressed? attempts to put this issue into a personal
perspective. He reveals some good
personal insights and observations and is worth the time to read. This article grabbed my attention mostly
because I was planning to write about this topic today and needed a bit more
background from which to write.
My focus on this vast topic is mostly on the effect it will have on the
election process this year. In our
current political climate it will be nearly impossible to find a salve to heal
all wounds; partially because no such salve exists when treating depression,
but mostly because the wounds are being torn and ravaged every day. Causal factors of anxiety are many and
diverse: economic, health, addiction, genetic, and strife, to name only a
few.
As we dive into the New Year, many of us will be actively involved for
nine months in the Revolution for America called the Presidential
election. In all ways, the warring
factions will be at each other’s throats to help insure victory for their
side. In the middle sit many of these
depressed and anxious individuals who just want the racket to go away so that
some order or peace can be restored. No
matter where an individual sits, inside or outside the fray, the likelihood of
unexpected explosive outbursts is very high.
As those involved in the political process reach out to others, they
will need to remain mindful that ticking time-bombs of frustration, fear,
anxiety and hate are waiting to explode at the slightest provocation. Taking an empathetic approach is advised but
it is important to remember this: Words that comfort some may revile
others. I want to caution everyone
to be careful and respectful at all times, but mostly to recognize that Words left unsaid may be the best salve of
all. – Gary
Happy New Year, everybody.
I
think my farmer is in a bit of a mood today.
I agree that there are times when one can think the world is coming to
an end. In the chicken yard last year we
had a coyote attack that ended up killing 4 of my hens. Every one of us was at
risk of being killed. I can tell you
that we were not feeling very safe. Fear
and dread filled the hen house. We were
depressed and anxious. I think you
humans would call it PTSD. As time
passed, my farmer did some things around the chicken yard to help make it more
secure but our fear did not subside and a year later the depression had set in
to the point that the hens quit laying eggs altogether. Several others succumbed to their fear and
died later. I felt hopeless.
Then one spring day, the farmer’s
wife brought us a wonderful surprise; a shipment of new baby chicks. Just listening to the cheeping coming from the
brooder brought new life to the hens. They
started laying eggs again and their soothing clucking sounds in the yard returned.
It was a slow process but by the time the chicks grew large enough to join the
main flock, their optimistic outlook became infectious. New life brought hope.
I heard the my farmer the other day talking about the scientist Stephen Hawking. He said, "There should be no boundaries to human behavior. However bad may life seem, while there is life, there is hope." All I know is that new life in the chicken yard brought hope and optimism to us all... that and a new fenced-in yard. Have a hope-filled day. - Ollie
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