A confluence of topics dealing with mental health, substance abuse, health, public health, Social Work, education, politics, the humanities, and spirituality at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. In short, this blog is devoted to the improvement of the quality of life of human beings in the universe.
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
Tuesday, March 22, 2022
Alcohol related deaths in U.S. up 25% during first year of pandemic
From Fox 5, Washington, DC, on 03/19/22
Their findings showed that alcohol-related deaths increased between 2019 and 2020 from 78,927 deaths to 99, 017 deaths. They said deaths from other causes had smaller increases.
Researchers noted that alcohol-related deaths accounted for 2.8% of all deaths in 2019 and 3.0% in 2020. The number and rate of alcohol-related deaths increased approximately 25% between 2019 and 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They said there were increases for all age groups with the largest increase occurring for people between 35 to 44 years old, with a nearly 40% increase, and 25 to 34 years old, with a 37% increase. They also saw larger increases among men compared to women.
"Deaths involving alcohol reflect hidden tolls of the pandemic," the study’s authors said. "Increased drinking to cope with pandemic-related stressors, shifting alcohol policies, and disrupted treatment access are all possible contributing factors."
Monday, February 14, 2022
Long term and short term memory.
This excerpt is from the February, 2022 issue of The Sun Magazine by James Hillman entitled: "Memory, Short-Term Loss, Long Term Gain."
Could this division have some wisdom in it? Could the mind be refusing to take in new stuff so that images of long ago and far away can rise up in strength and freshness? It may be annoying to you and infuriating to others that you let the kettle boil away, mislay your keys, forget your great-nephew’s name, but is character built of kettles and keys and the names of little boys? . . .
Geriatric psychology finds that older people spend more and more time taking stock, doing their “life review.” This is a work of recovery not from the past but of the past, a work of research — a “recherche du temps perdu,” as Proust called his massive, exquisite treatise on remembering. If past time is not to be lost time, one must give it presence. Therefore, new events come in only when they tie in with old ones. You travel to a foreign city and find yourself talking about another place it reminds you of; you meet a younger relative, and notice only the traits of her mother and aunts, who attended your wedding; you are served a special dish, only to tell how you used to make it. It is not the taste of the new dish or the face of the new relative that matters; only that they prompt old memories.
Sunday, February 13, 2022
Should schools teach reality?
From Scientific American, February, 2022, p. 10
This regressive agenda threatens children’s education by propagating a falsified view of reality in which American history and culture are outcomes of white virtue. It is part of a larger program of avoiding any truths that make some people uncomfortable, which sometimes allows in active disinformation, such as creationism. Children are especially susceptible to misinformation, as Melinda Wenner Moyer writes in “Schooled in Lies.”
It is crucial for young people to learn about equity and social justice so they can thrive in our increasingly global, multilingual and multicultural society. When students become aware of the structural origins of inequality, they better understand the foundations of American society. They are also better equipped to comprehend, interpret and integrate into their worldviews the science they learn in their classrooms and experience in their lives.
Editor's note:
Gaslighting goes on not only on a dyadic level but at a group and societal level as well. Gaslighting would have people who question the disinformation and misinformation they are being taught, that they are the ones who are crazy for questioning the "alternative facts." How does one stand up to this kind of bullying? How are the attempts to silence and marginalize to be managed?
The first step is simply to name the disinformation for what it is. Give it a label.
The second step is to tell the truth.
The third step is to avoid getting defensive and simply let the truth stand there as a beacon of hope, goodness, and beauty.
The fourth step is to repeat the sequence described above.
Tuesday, February 8, 2022
What is a parent who has lost a child called? "Vilomah."
For more click here.
Sunday, February 6, 2022
Is vaccination good for your mental health?
In a recent report from the U.S. Census bureau on 02/02/22 it is stated that unvaccinated Americans show higher levels of depression and anxiety than vaccinated people.
It also found that frontline in-person workers had higher levels of depression and anxiety than in-person non frontline workers.
For more click here.
Reflecting on this data raises some interesting questions such as do higher levels of depression and anxiety interfere with people getting vaccinated or does the lack of vaccination contribute to higher levels of depression and anxiety?