MENTAL PROBLEMS FOR RETURNING VETS

Only about a third returning from Iraq seek help. What about the rest who don’t seek help and who may need it? What happens to them? I’ve worked with returning military. In order to survive the horrors that they see, they build walls around their feelings. This hampers them in their relationships and in maneuvering in a world not at war. They often have difficulty functioning.

The accounts of more than 300,000 soldiers and Marines returning from several theaters paint an unusually detailed picture of the psychological impact of the various conflicts. Those returning from Iraq consistently reported more psychic distress than those returning from Afghanistan and other conflicts, such as those in Bosnia or Kosovo. That means the more killing they see, the worse the distress. What if we stopped war? Might we have healthier women and men?

OVER FIFTY AND DEPRESSED?

One of the little known facts about depression as we age is that often medication that cures one symptom either increases depression or interacts with other medications to cause depression. Too few people, both professionals and lay individuals know this. I know of one undocumented experiment where a holistic MD started his stint in a residential treatment center for aged and infirm by taking everyone off all but their most essential medications. Verbal report is that patient’s moods got better and that in general they were more active. Unfortunately, the MD was fired before his results could be carefully studied, documented and repeated.

So if you are on multiple meds to lower everything from blood pressure to cholesterol, be ware and take care. You or your family member may be suffering from the side effects of otherwise helpful medications. Take charge and talk to your doctor, read labels and don’t go along with a suggested program without knowing how drugs interact. Also, remember that exercise and diet can often eliminate the need for medication. Take responsibility for your own health. And if you are a couch potato, flip that TV switch to “off” and move. Stop watching reality TV and pay attention to your own reality instead. It may save your life.

BACK TO SCHOOL AT 50

I want to share excerpts of this article with you. It is from MSN today, May 25, 2006. I too cherish the opportunities we have to change our lives.

“Youth,” observed Irish writer George Bernard Shaw, “is wasted on the young.” To that I’d add, so is education. If you’re thinking about returning to school and are worried about being too old, or questioning your study-skills stamina, lose that excuse right now. According a 2004 report from the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 3.2 million adults age 35 and over enrolled in degree-granting, postsecondary institutions…”

This is just the kind of information that www.FiftyandFurthermore.com applauds-Examples of the endless opportunities to re-right one’s life. We are interested in opportunities for those who’ve lived long enough to know what they want and who they are and are willing to meet new challenges. I was not familiar with the terms asynchronous (class work can be completed at a time convenient for you so long as you meet deadlines) and synchronous (there is a scheduled class time where you're required to sign on). What wise creative thinking. These present flexible options that can interface with family, grand kids, travel and your everyday life. This is a great example of what opportunities that are happening today and how our FiftyandFurthermores are continuing to changr from aging to Saging.

NAME YOUR WORST FEARS

Name your worst fears and work backward from there. That is one way to stay sane. A colleague commented that she though FiftyandFurthermore ignored death. On the contrary, I understand death well. I believe it is only when we can stare at it directly that we understand the preciousness of very moment and become freer to live more fully. My colleague is in error.

BOOKEXPO AMERICA MAY19-23-2006

I went to Avalon Publishing's cocktail party in honor of Gordon Livingston, best-selling author of Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart as well as And Never Stop Dancing. Avalon is publishing my next book due early 2007. Its tentative working title is When The Man You Love Is Ill. But, that will be changed to reflect the more upbeat message of the book. Right now, it’s discipline and work. I loved seeing Dr. Livingston and his excellent completed projects. He reminds me there’s an end to this process. For some writing is easy, for others it is not. I am in the in-between group. Not easy, but no longer the torture it was during my first book. Getting Sane Without Going Crazy. A colleague once said: "Writing is easy, just open your veins and let the blood flow.” I wonder?