#NOTALONE
Our merry month of May is known for Derby races, flowers blooming, a Wall Street arguable adage about “invest in May and go away”, plus Mental Health Month. Please don’t go…
I’ll bet a nickel that most boomers hope that equities will continue to climb a wall of worry. And another nickel that most of us “Encore aged” folks in America had some darker than “normal” days in our lockdown year. Are there any takers on my wagers?
But wait, even in the best of times – mental health problems stagger most casual observers and professionals! Three statistics follow for your consideration;
Our National Alliance on Mental Illness offers a sad summary of mental health statistics for 2020 which makes                 “Mental health is UNFAIR” an understatement in my opinion.
You might [correctly] imagine that Military Veterans, folks in the Criminal Justice System, and minorities are well past tipping points as outliers for UNhealthy mental states. We know more, too!
SCIENTIA IMPERIUM
Now, today’s entry is a layman’s Public Service Announcement (PSA), and hope that readers can know enough about possible symptoms to say something IF they see something. That “something” could be a red flag in a family member, friend, or community member. It could be depression, suicide risk, major sleep problems or PTSD. Knowledge is indeed POWER – in ancient tongues or in modern English.
Like:
- Feeling very sad or withdrawn for more than two weeks
- Trying to harm or end one’s life or making plans to do so
- Severe, out-of-control, risk-taking behavior that causes harm to self or others
- Sudden overwhelming fear for no reason, sometimes with a racing heart, physical discomfort, or difficulty breathing
- Significant weight loss or gain
- Seeing, hearing, or believing unreal things
- Excessive use of alcohol or drugs
- Drastic changes in mood, behavior, personality, or sleeping habits
- Extreme difficulty in concentrating or staying still
- Intense worries or fears get in the way of daily activities.
And, most certainly EXERCISE can help one’s mental health in good times or bad. This British site summarizes the positive role of exercise to improve mental health better than I…And, this infographic about older people and mental health strikes home!
ref: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
#NOTALONE.
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