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Racial disparities in mental health care: An explainer and research roundup
We know these facts. This is only the most recent research showing the negative impacts of loneliness and social isolation on mental and physical health. And yet, we live in a world that keeps making it harder and harder to connect with other human beings. In fact, we increasingly live in a world designed to dehumanize vast numbers of other people and determine our own value solely on the amount of time we spend working. That won’t create community.
We’re only harming ourselves.
‘ve been describing it to friends and coworkers as “the inability to just turn off the fear of other people and their germs”. Because, in some ways, that’s exactly what it was. I’ve spent a year plus barely leaving my house. Sure, I worked from home even before the pandemic, but it’s an extreme sport now, going into the back yard is an adventure into a strange and exotic place, let alone being around other people.
Yesterday, however, I did manage to get out and meet up with a friend and former coworker. I won’t say it wasn’t awkward. But, it wasn’t as awkward as my anxiety had built it up in my head, mostly because I think we both knew it was awkward, and went out of our way to figure out what we were comfortable with. We met in the office building where she works, wearing masks. She asked if I wanted to keep being masked walking to lunch, and we agreed to not, and to sit outside to be safer. And she asked before giving me a hug after lunch.
It was an important lesson to me, that we need to navigate this together with the people we care about, and meet them at the level where they are comfortable. It’s not about racing to be the most “normal” group, it’s about making sure everyone comes along, and is comfortable, because we’ve all dealt with various levels of trauma over the last 14-15 months, trauma that will show up in a variety of ways. There’s nothing wrong with people who are slower to feel comfortable, they are just doing what they can. I’d rather meet them where they are, and where I am, than not see them at all anymore, or shame them about their own hesitation. It’s not a race.
I just wanted to take a moment and mention, once again, that if you are interested in guest blogging a book or movie review on the site, drop me a line and let me know. There are so many good survivor stories being published every day, and Comic Book Guy and I can’t possibly read…
Local North East London newspaper The Wood and Vale reported on a senior nurse that was struck off following the discovery of 370 child abuse and bestiality images on his computer. Stuart Cross was jailed for 21 months in 2011 and placed on the Sex Offender’s Register for a decade. Following his parole the Nursing…
You should read the whole article, Dr. Jeglic does a good job describing the issue, what we do know about female perpetrators and what we don’t know. Mostly we don’t know because of this: “When most people envision a sex offender, they do not picture a woman. While the majority of sex offenders are indeed…
While children are the real victims, those who have to view child sexual abuse images and videos in order to catch and prosecute the predators become incidental victims of the growing crime threat. I have the utmost respect for the people who do this for a living, and I also have complete understanding for whatever…
