When proceeding through a divorce or child custody battle it is well established that your health may be compromised. The stress of these events can dampen the immune system making the body more susceptible to communicable diseases. Likewise, there may be a psychological impact that can adversely affect health. Finally, this period of transition may result in initiation, resumption, or increase in poor health habits as well as associations with people who model poor behaviours. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Make a suggestion for me to write about.
In health classes and throughout medical literature you may have encountered diseases being classified in one of two categories; communicable and noncommunicable. Under an absolutists' view disease is readily classified into one of the two categories. I contend and endeavor to demonstrate here that such a dichotomy does not adequately represent the factors relevant to the proliferation of disease and that the spread of disease once considered to be noncommunicable is actually communicable.
I recently wrote about societal scripts and perceptions in Turning Negatives Into Positives Through Cognitive Modification where I made the point that the scripts that have molded our lens of consciousness can be modified. In this article I am again going to dispute some societal scripts. It is my premise that what are labeled as non-communicable disease are actually communicable.
Typically it has been ailments passed through infected fluids secreted by mucus membranes that are held to be communicable diseases. Communicable diseases may be subdivided into viral, bacterial, fungal, sexually transmitted, or contagions of insect or parasite origin. They are spread via various modes of transmission. Mononucleosis through saliva. AIDS through blood. Influenza through sneezes and coughs.
Ailments such as cancers, coronary artery disease, diabetes, atherosclerosis, or Alzheimer's Disease are said to be non-communicable. They are dysfunction within the body due to environmental or lifestyle influences.
So let's examine what it means to be communicable. Communication is the transmission and receipt of information. Information can be transmitted through a diverse array of modes. Typically we think of speaking and writing -- we hear it or read it. Think of the blind who feel it. Think of how you determine if a food contains an alkali metal [salty], sugar [sweet], hydrogen [sour], toxin [bitter], or meaty/fermented [umami]. Think of encountering a stranger and determining his or her mood or level of friendliness. You can see from these brief examples that we are involved in communication continually without being conscious of it.
A virus, bacteria, protein or DNA strand are all information. Thus, when passed to you as an infective agent the information the agent contains is communicated to your body. It isn’t really the material passed to you that ails you but the information about contagion replication and your body’s defenses which allows the agent to divert your body’s resources to its benefit which it does. But what about the material passed to you that may ail you but doesn’t contain self-replication information?
What I am referring to here is the materials you deliberately put into body. This is the food and beverages, the drugs, the topical applications [soaps, lotions, cosmetics, deodorants], and the airborne particulate matter [air fresheners, esters, non-methane hydrocarbons].
For purposes here I will limit the array of these materials to commercially available products. So it’s the food and beverage products, the pharmaceuticals, the toiletries, and indoor air additives to which I will refer. All of these are advertised which influences our decisions on whether to use these products. The influences on our decisions whether to use products are most likely resulting from cultural exposure. Commercial advertising is usually limited to influencing immediacy of action or brand preference.
Our families, friends, cults, community, and even national identity can affect our decisions. Take cigarette smoking for example. Rates of smoking differ widely by country, family, community, and specific demographic. It has also changed dramatically over time. I see this in movies spanning nearly 100 years. What was once treated as part of the typical accoutrements of a social gathering is now rarely offered or accommodated in some areas.
A “no smoking” sign sends a message. A parent smoking in the home as a toddler looks on sends a message. When friends at a party pass a bottle and everyone takes a pill or drink a message is being transmitted and received. When an event host offers doughnuts or hotdogs that sends a message. When people give praises about the scent of perfume imbued homes that sends a message. Likewise when admiration is shown for someone covered with cosmetics that sends a message. When someone refuses to engage in an unhealthy activity and another gives a disapproving or puzzling look that sends a message. These actions all communicate thoughts about whether one approves or disapproves of a cultural norm which affects health.
Now I take you back to cancers, coronary artery disease, diabetes, atherosclerosis, or Alzheimer's Disease which are generally thought to be non-communicable. These conditions and many others like them are nearly wholly environmentally triggered. That is, it takes the act of breathing, eating, or absorbing something for these conditions to develop. Now think about what triggers them.
What I have broadly referred to here as “food” actually includes garbage made to appear as food. Eating from this niche of consumables along with the manner and amount of consumption, and the modes of delivery, are largely responsible for those ailments. Other significant contributors are drugs -- especially if delivered via smoking -- and chemicals in topical applications.
The decision whether to inflict harm upon our bodies by using these items is influenced significantly by information communicated to us about them. It my be the facial expressions of our social group, highway signage, or what was inculcated through the daily practices of our parents. Also consider the influence of popular culture such as movies. In one I recently watched a character offered fruit juice to another who rebuffed the offer and requested soda instead. This was met with a scolding about soda being loaded with sugar. This demonstrates a clear cultural perception that fruit juices and sodas are on different ends of the healthful spectrum. But, fruit juices, other than citrus, are nothing more than sucrose extract of fruit - table sugar. So, I contend that ultimately these ailments are also communicable diseases.
Looking back to the viral, bacterial, or fungal pathogens we find preventative measures in protective wear, hygienic practices, and vaccines. These cannot protect us from this new class of communicable diseases though. There are analogous options though.
Protection from receiving the harmful information can first come from blocking it. As I previously said this information is advertised. For numerous reasons television broadcasts should not be viewed. Likewise advertisements encountered during internet usage should be ignored.
Next one should clean out his or her immediate environment. This means removing the harmful influences or staying away from them. This includes people as well as products. Places such as bars should be avoided. Paying for gas at the pump rather than being exposed to all the harmful products in the convenience mart can reduce the perception that those items are acceptable.
Psychologically, exposure tends to breed acceptance. This is when one is said to be conditioned. It’s the practice that cults use through the adoption of rituals, ornaments, symbolism, media and socialization. When cult images adorn the home, texts related to the cult are present and read, music or television programs are cult related, and the social network is limited to cult members then the message becomes inculcated.
If cult ideology, which is typically absurd and is delivered in a purposeful and blatant manner, can be inculcated through exposure then just imagine how easy it is to come to accept the cultural norms that are discretely applied. Fruit juice is an example of that. There is a cultural assumption that fruit juice is healthier than table sugar but the body treats them the same. Of course there are much broader cultural norms when it comes to consumables.
It is generally considered polite to accept and eat food products when offered. Likewise, the same was applied ubiquitously to alcohol, cigarettes and arsenic. People accepted these when offered purely as custom even though all were harmful and promoted disease. Well, I guess people refused arsenic because it would kill them. Over time society would come to reject smoking tobacco and consuming alcohol as a perfunctory element of polite socializing because it was apparent that they promote death also. The same is slowly and sporadically coming to fruition in regards to garbage manufactured to appear as food. Thus, the disease effect of the message communicated that these deadly practices were part of good and polite living has diminished as that message has been rebuffed.
A final consideration is the type of people with whom you may associate. Steer clear of people who are depressed, angry, hostile, negative, or despondent. They tend to overtly and covertly send messages about the world that can have a negative psychological impact and consequently have an adverse effect on your immune system. If you are in a child custody battle and participate in online forums related to this topic you may well notice a general victimhood attitude and worse. Just like association with a cult can adversely affect health so can the exposure to self-pity and outwardly directed action often espoused among these groups which behave quite similarly to cults.
Disease is almost purely a result of deliberate action -- the effect of choosing. So, to avoid “catching” one of the diseases primarily thought of as non-communicable you should choose wisely about the information to which you allow yourself to be exposed.
Parents who would like to achieve the best outcome for their children in a contested child custody case should visit my website and contact my scheduler to make an appointment to meet with me. Attorneys may request a free consultation to learn how I can maximize their advocacy for their clients.
Connect with me for the latest Indiana child custody related policy considerations, findings, court rulings and discussions. 
Monday, September 18, 2017
Most disease may be communicable and affecting your well-being
Monday, September 11, 2017
Turning Negatives Into Positives Through Cognitive Modification
As I listened to a recent lecture the professor mentioned “but, of course, not every moment of that is going to be enjoyable.” I was immediately struck by that caveat, especially the emphasis that the presumed displeasure seemed to be a natural consequence. He was referring to infant rearing. The conflict that I felt with that life script or schema for child rearing underpins the essence of cognitive behaviour therapy [CBT] – reality is only what the brain perceives it to be. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Make a suggestion for me to write about.
At another time I will write about how every moment of rearing my son was pleasurable. In today's posting I am instead going to articulate the primary foundation that I provide to clients receiving CBT. While much of what I provide here is still discussed during individual therapy, understanding the cognitive process is substantial and better achieved with advanced knowledge of general principles.
Whether the symptom is child custody or relationship conflict, financial disorder, employment dissatisfaction, mood disorder, body shape problems, or other wellness issues the basis lies in cognition. It is the manner in which we perceive the world that affects our actions and it is those deliberate, yet often reflexive or habitual, acts which account for these outcomes.
Our perceptions are based upon the emotional attachment given to memories. This is a point of particular importance. Emotional attachment is a significant driving force.
The societal scripts that are inculcated by our brains have the greatest staying power when attached to an emotion. The purveyors of these scripts do so to maintain order, regulate group dynamics, and best serve their interest or that of those advocating them.
So let's jump right into this with statutory law and prison. We are told that laws exist to maintain order, preserve the peace, facilitate cooperation, and provide for the common welfare of the community. While we are encouraged to abide the laws our motivation to do so is based upon fear. The fear of prison, stigma, loss of employment, loss of physical freedom, and loss of connections to loved ones is perpetuated through culture.
This lever of compliance breaks down when the perceived reward exceeds the perceived consequence. Or . . . when the perceived consequence is diminished.
Fix in your mind your impression of prison life. Do you imagine fighting, cramped miserable conditions, incessant noise, horrible food, abusive guards, and a general threat to your health and safety? What about your family connections?
Now I want for you to jump to the opposite end of the spectrum. Imagine that you are living in a gated community with a diverse population. There are sporting facilities, cafeteria, health clinic, library, and other amenities all within a brief walk. Unemployment is zero, the grounds crew keeps the community clean, and maintenance crews quickly tend to any issues in your home. Residents of this community extend their life expectancy while living there as compared to those outside the community. In the evening you may sit by the ball court, sipping on tea or lemonade while watching others stroll the pathways or workout while the sun sets. The neighborhood health clinic doesn't require appointments, often provides same-day service and dispenses its own meds. The kicker of it all is there is no charge – housing, food, healthcare, recreation, entertainment, and even clothing. It's free.
Thus, whether prison is good or bad is dependent upon perception. If it is viewed from the perspective of deprivation – what one has to give up – then it may be perceived as adverse. However, if one changes cognition to see what is obtained then the perception becomes that the experience is positive.
Here is how this plays out. The deprivation view is that incarceration is a loss of freedom. Additionally, a common view from some people is that prison is a dangerous environment where safety is lost. I see these people as a paradox. They may lock themselves in cars, in their homes, or in office buildings. Their housing community, apartment building, or workplace may have guards posted or patrolling. It seems as though they perceive their environment as being unsafe and under constant threat. The beneficial view is that prison is a respite from the responsibilities of living in that larger, dangerous society which is prohibited from bringing its problems into the inmate community. Prison, after all, is the ultimate gated-community with around-the-clock armed guards patrolling the perimeter and guards posted at the entrances or roaming throughout the housing units prepared to respond at a moments notice to any threat against a resident.
Those on the outside may see that one in prison is deprived of preparing whatever he wants to eat. On the inside I was given the privilege of being able to go to the diner with friends three times a day and have our meals served to us at no charge.
How horrible it must be to be in prison deprived of the opportunity of trying to select and pay for a healthcare plan, schedule an appointment with an in-network provider, obtain a necessary referral, get time off work for treatment, then go pick up a prescription. In prison I was stuck with walking to the hospital, being seen that day, receiving evaluation or treatment, taking hold of any prescription, and then heading off to work. Entirely without payment, employment consequence, or limitation. It was my Constitutional right.
As you may not plan to engage in an intrusion into the domain of a financial superior, such as manufacturing, transporting, or delivering drugs outside of the pharmaceutical protocol, then prison may not be on your horizon. For you I will provide some other example to illustrate this premise – that you only experience what you perceive.
You don't give up doughnuts, french fries, and hot dogs. Instead give yourself an opportunity to truly taste delicious foods, feel more elated, and savor succulent flavours more often.
You don't give up having the ability to see your child on a daily basis. Instead, you give yourself one evening a week dedicated solely to your child. You give yourself time during the week to take care of the mundane chores of living and make alternating weekends special times where your child gets your full attention.
Your spousal figure doesn't argue with you to keep you from getting your way. Rather, he or she cares enough about you to use his or her time and effort to convince you to adopt an alternate position.
Here is why I congratulate people when they get fired from their jobs. You don't get fired from a job and lose your income. Instead, you appreciate that someone made an assessment of your satisfaction with the job, determined that you would be happier elsewhere, and you took advantage of the push to change. Also, you appreciate the fortitude that you exhibited by building some savings and reducing obligations which allowed you to take a hiatus from working which builds your esteem.
These few examples are not intended to be extrapolations from a how-to list of negative thoughts changed to positive ones. If it was that simple then therapy, which is guided exploration, would be unnecessary. These examples are the outcomes.
The path to these outcomes lies in determining the emotional attachment given to the stimulus and if those are objectively valid. That is, are the feelings you have given to a merit-based job termination a universal consequence of a firing.
I used to eat doughnuts. I enjoyed eating doughnuts. The aroma alone could elevate my mood. There is a doughnut shop within view of my house. Sometimes I experience a fleeting thought that I should get a doughnut. It comes from deep within my mind based on long past experiences.
Going to the doughnut shop when I was young and getting to select my portion of the dozen meant that I was spending time with my father. It was during the weekend when he would set aside some time for this activity with my sister and I. It even continued into my adolescence on Sundays after I completed my newspaper delivery.
I don't recall much from my childhood but I know he was there for dinner most nights but that it didn't necessarily correlate to being home for the evening. We had our weekend morning but the rest of the time could be dedicated to working around the house or going back to the office. I estimate that time at the office accounted for about 60 hours in a typical week.
Thus, doughnut mornings where significant to me and I formed a strong emotional attachment to doughnuts and subsequently the feelings experienced while eating them.
While improving my wellness doughnuts clearly had to go. It took recognizing that emotional attachment to do it. I yearned for a meaningful father-son relationship. Even into my early 40's I wasn't able to actively listen to the song Cats in the Cradle without crying.
Objectively I assessed the doughnut eating experience. It was a blast of sugar tinted by flavours that nearly obscured a somewhat metallic taste which provided brief exuberance. This was followed by a depressed state that wasn't sadness but more akin to just blah. I think that is the technical term. The “Blahs” may be mentioned in the ISDM-IV. Then there was the lethargic feeling as that artificially flavoured sugary lump of dough traversed my colon having stimulated neurotransmitters and my immune system.
I also made the realization that the father-son relationship I had was what it was and eating doughnuts wasn't going to change it. My father valued his employment. He cherished the “Vice-President” title, the corner office and, I suspect, the attention of the employees with greater appreciation for that of the females.
I had an option of trying to build a meaningful father-son relationship well into my adult life or seeking solace elsewhere. I don't even like it that a so-called food was the basis of a father-son relationship. I opted for satisfaction in a strong father-son relationship. It was through a position flip though. I am the father in my exceedingly gratifying father-son relationship which doesn't include doughnuts. A Chinese buffet may be in there though. On a good day it could still include me yanking on the connective tissue in a crab claw to pinch my son's face or nearly poke out an eye as he struggles to evade the Crustacean attack.
The scripts that have molded our lens of consciousness can be modified. We are not automatons destined to follow a particular course or view the world in a particularly skewed manner. Our reality is what we perceive it to be. When properly guided we are able to see all situations objectively, without the interference of emotion, and in a manner that facilitates a positive outcome.
Whether you have seen the glass half full or half empty becomes irrelevant once you master perception and are able to see what I see – that I have a pitcher and ready access to the tap.
Parents who would like to achieve the best outcome for their children in a contested child custody case should visit my website and contact my scheduler to make an appointment to meet with me. Attorneys may request a free consultation to learn how I can maximize their advocacy for their clients.
Connect with me for the latest Indiana child custody related policy considerations, findings, court rulings and discussions.
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
A cognitive schema for seeing what is before your eyes
At age 48 it has now been about eight years since I noticed deterioration in my vision. It was 10 years ago when people began to mention to me the pitfalls of growing older and how at around age 40 a marked decline will become apparent. Whether a truism or a self-fulfilling prophecy, sure enough some gray hairs appeared on my head, my cycling speed was down from 20 years earlier and . . . I started going blind. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Make a suggestion for me to write about.
It was clearly my perception that my vision had deteriorated significantly. Texts that had once been clearly legible at a half foot from my face were still blurry at twice, now thrice, that distance.
Obtaining corrective lenses has been relegated to the level of importance near that of getting draperies for my windows. It would be an admission that my body is deteriorating which is something I vigorously resists. Nonetheless, I have pledged that by age 50 I will succumb to admitting that the forces of nature have bested my will to the contrary and will relent by using eyeglasses.
Towards that end, last week when presented with an opportunity for a free eye screening conducted by members of the Lions' Club I availed myself. I quickly rattled off the first six lines of letters accurately until encountering some ambiguities among the characters on the seventh line. When all was said and done my right eye showed a deficiency on the near-sighted screen registering 20/30. All others were 20/20.
This revelation sparked a thought about self-perception and why so many parents get blindsided in a child custody case.
Essentially, parents perform their own fitness analysis as I had done with my eyesight. This leaves them susceptible to their bias which may find its roots in culture, upbringing or personal experience.
When my son was in elementary school he participated in the regional science fair. As we were walking through the exhibit hall I spotted a display that would be of interest to him. I read the title and pointed it out. Repeatedly! As we walked toward it from four aisles away he was finally able to see the title which I referenced. That was at a distance of one aisle. When we returned to home I replicated the scenario using various texts. I could read at a distance four times greater than him.
I quizzed him about various aspects of sight and behaviours which revealed that he was accommodating his visual deficiency. His accommodations includes actions such as choosing to sit near the front of the classroom or looking out the side windows of the car rather than the front.
He had no indication that his eyesight was deficient as it was the only vision he had ever known. He indicated that his eyesight had not deteriorated and that he assumed everyone else saw as he did. It was after I mentioned it to his mother, the custodial parent, that an objective analysis was performed by an optometrist and eyeglasses were obtained.
In child custody cases parents may be subjected to the same type of cognitive deficiency. The social comparison theory postulates that we have an internal drive to objectively evaluate ourselves in relation to others. This laudable goal suffers from a few psychological pressures and thus is impractical. First, is that our social network tends to be reflective of ourselves. We tend to live among, work with and socialize with people who have similar values and demographic characteristics as ourselves. That is we seek similarity and avoid conflict. Then we must confront that the tendency to compare oneself to another person decreases as the difference between their opinions and abilities becomes more divergent. In other words, if someone is much different from you, you are less likely to compare yourself to that person. Also, the self-esteem pressure, which may be heightened during a custody battle, can lead to downward social comparisons; "at least I don't beat my child."
But there is no objective evaluation method of parental performance that calculates fulfillment of parenting objectives. Certainly there are statutory requirements but those are limited to proscribing neglect. CPS/DCS has a broader parenting rubric but again, it serves the same goal. In child custody proceedings, and parenting generally, it is serving the best interest of the child which is the objective. How that is to be measured is still highly subjective and controverted though.
I could -- although I haven't and won't -- compose a list of objectives for parents that serve the best interest of the child which would bring one into better favour with the presiding judicial officer on the case. However, that would suffer from multiple dynamics. Foremost is the individuality of the child. To demonstrate this I will use "provide a safe living environment" as one of the best interest items.
In rearing my son I removed any of the electrical outlet covers, door latches, or other "safety devices" that his mother had installed which were usually employed in the child warehousing environment where she worked. This is because those devices do not provide a safe environment. They are only obstructions to hazards. The safe environment is one in which he is knowledgeable about the hazards. Thus, his safety is transient -- it goes with him.
I demonstrated to him what was appropriate to plug into an outlet and the polarization of current. Likewise, I demonstrated what was inappropriate by creating shorts resulting in startling sparks and bangs. I also demonstrated on myself the effects of lye and why he should not mess with household chemicals. This may seem to some to be expecting cognition beyond the ability of a child under age three years but this is a guy who since that time never put anything in a VHS/DVD/CD player that was not an appropriate medium. Nor has he handled the media in a way that would render playback less than optimal.
So, as you can see, the objective "provide a safe living environment" is not an objective measure because of the subjectivity in its application. This presents the problem; can an objective formula of analysis for parenting behaviours be constructed?
I postulate that there is a measure of parenting behaviour although aspects of it may be difficult to attribute to a particular parent. The ultimate objective of parenting is to rear the child to reproductive maturity with the skills, knowledge, and general well-being sufficient to subsequently provide the same to his or her progeny.
To this end it is necessary to provide the child with a sense of security across a range of applications. These include food, housing, physical well-being, and the ongoing presence of trustworthy caretakers which may be referred to as emotional well-being .
When a child is in want of any of these domains then the result is anxiety. Anxiety can be expressed through a broad spectrum of behaviours or symptoms. Being knowledgeable about the manifestations of anxiety can provide a report to a parent, or any other evaluator, as to whether the child is receiving care by fit parents. Filtering the data can point to whether the deficiency in care is by a particular parent.
While there do exists objective measures for eyesight it was not facilitation of those devices which led me to discover the vision deficiency of my son. Rather, it was observation and detection of the symptoms. Similarly, when a child is deficient in proper parenting, symptoms will be present. Although it is unlikely that typical parents will be able to evaluate and draw accurate conclusions from the symptoms expressed by the child they shall nonetheless be able to document them. A third-party professional will be able to interpret the data and offer a platform of strategies to be employed by either or both parents to effectuate a reduction in the level of anxiety experienced by the child.
Parents who would like to achieve the best outcome for their children in a contested child custody case should visit my website and contact my scheduler to make an appointment to meet with me. Attorneys may request a free consultation to learn how I can maximize their advocacy for their clients.
Connect with me for the latest Indiana child custody related policy considerations, findings, court rulings and discussions.
Thursday, June 1, 2017
The nexus between your child custody order and a 24-Hour allergy relief drug
So what does an allergy relief drug and a child custody order have to do with each other? This odd pairing by me is not without its purpose and I do intend to show more than a tangential connection. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Make a suggestion for me to write about.
I happened to catch a Zyrtec commercial recently which stated "Zyrtec starts working at hour 1 . . ." then proceeded to claim that the 24 hour allergy relief drug is as effective the twenty-fourth hour as the first. Pause to become conscious of your first impression of that claim. I will tell you mine in a moment but first think about that claim and consider its meaning.
Does that claim state that the drug is efficacious in combating the body's immunological response to allergens for a full calendar day? That is what the marketers of Zyrtec what you to think. It may be a true claim but that is irrelevant to my purpose here. Instead I want for you to understand what is said.
Analyze this claim by drawing two palm size circles juxtaposed on a sheet of paper. Write "first hour" in one and "24th hour" in the other. Then make a few strips of paper long enough on which ten letters can be written. Write "none", "some", and "complete" on those. Then place them over the circle or circles on which the level of effectiveness could theoretically be the same.
What you should see is three strips placed within both circles. The conclusion from this is that "as effective" means "the same" and is only a comparative measure. It is like saying "this vehicle provides as smooth of a ride on the twenty-fourth trip as the first." But if the vehicle is a crudely built wagon without any springs or shock dampening system traversing a cobblestone roadway then the ride is likely anything but smooth. Yet, your first impression was likely that the vehicle provided a smooth ride.
When I heard that claim my immediate thought was, "Wow, they just said it doesn't work at all." This is because change requires action. The probability that no change will occur within a system or that an actively changed system will regress to its mean is greater than the probability that an active change will remain constant for a set duration. Thus, the probability that the car parked near my house will be moving at the null rate now and twenty-four hours from now is greater than any of the actively changed speed of cars passing by now moving at the same speed at the same time tomorrow morning.
Now it is time to take the positive bias that you may hold which you likely have if you thought that Zyrtec statement equated efficacy and apply it to child custody orders. Applying bias to the circumstances surrounding child custody litigation can be a costly mistake. Thus, objectivity is to be considered paramount.
I had a client whom I was counseling about his feelings towards the mother of their son and his resentment related to her interactions with the child. Particularly, he was upset at the level of care provided by mother which he labeled "clear neglect" and "probably abusive". At some point he revealed that he was keeping a record of incidents involving the child.
He then detailed a plan to keep gathering accounts of neglect or abusive of the child from mom's neighbors, parents or friends of the child and personnel from the school the child attends. In about a year or so he planned to drop the bomb and file for sole custody which he was confident that he would get because of the abundance of evidence of abuse and neglect he would present.
I paused briefly and asked, "Why would you plan to go into a court room to admit to a crime and that you didn't care that your child was subjected to ongoing abuse and neglect?" He appeared perplexed. Precisely because he was biased.
However, I viewed the plan objectively. A parent suspects that his child is being abused or neglected. For a period of approximately one year this parent documented the abuse or neglect. Indiana has a must report criminal statute which requires any person to report suspected abuse or neglect of a child. This parent willfully chose not to report the suspected abuse or neglect. This parent willfully chose not to intervene to halt the suspected abuse or neglect. His bias was that he saw the neglect of the child as done by mother as the result of her action but not by his inaction.
When it comes to parenting time decisions I have had numerous clients and have read the accounts of many other parents who have sought an equal division of time with the child. The bases for these claims is generally based upon a similar scenario; two working parents who both shared parenting responsibilities prior to the demise of the sole family unit. It is from this perspective that these parents have configured schedules to accommodate the parent's schedules while maximizing the time each has with the child while maintaining an equal division of the child's time.
I find this bias to be fundamentally flawed. When devising a parenting time proposal the primary objective should be to formulate a schedule which provides a superior level of continuity to the child and best mimics the former parent-child interactions.
I also perceive a hazard in submitting a strictly formulated 50-50 schedule. In divorce each parent is to submit a financial declaration. In Indiana there is a presumption of an equal division of marital property and debts. In these cases it is customary to submit proposals for the distribution of assets and obligations to achieve an equally valued division. When a parent concurrently tenders a parenting time proposal that follows the same format it is difficult for a judicial officer to not see the implicit attribution toward the child; that the child is an object of the marriage to be equally divided. Holding the bias that the child should continue to have the same amount of time with each parent can be a detriment to one seeking parenting time.
A conversation between some judges and myself once touched upon this issue. A judge was lamenting the circumstance of a hostile custody case in which neither parent would agree to deviate from an absolute equally division of time with the child which resulted in a 3:00 a.m. exchange. This absurdity raised the ire of all. The judge presenting the anecdote queried the others as to how to handle these types of "parents". One response appeared to surmise the opinion of all -- "Place the child with someone who cares about him and let those two fight it out over who is to blame for them losing custody of their child."
Claims, whether they be a solicitation to induce the listener to engage in a commercial transaction or those made during the progression of a child custody case, should always be viewed objectively. Failure to do so can leave someone subjected to the pitfalls resulting when not all parties to the interaction hold the same bias.
Parents who would like to achieve the best outcome for their children in a contested child custody case should visit my website and contact my scheduler to make an appointment to meet with me. Attorneys may request a free consultation to learn how I can maximize their advocacy for their clients.
Connect with me for the latest Indiana child custody related policy considerations, findings, court rulings and discussions.
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Is your health care plan keeping you healthy or just costing money
Have you ever said I would have given anything to have been able to; fill in the blank with whatever event, person, or aspect of your life which was affected because of hospitalization, injury, illness, lacking stamina or, not being in an emotional state to have participated? If you have then you realize that it is in the past and you can't give anything for it now. But you likely could have given something prior to that time which would have accommodated it. That something is your attention to your well-being. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Make a suggestion for me to write about.
Parents facing or engaged in a child custody battle will be challenged by the potential for great disruption to their daily lives and long-term life plan. This turmoil will ultimately impact their health and it is their health which significantly affects the extent to which this turmoil will impact their daily lives and long-term life plan which includes the future parent-child relationship.
Thus, while the initial steps I take with new clients includes the legal aspects of their child custody case, my early focus centers around a health evaluation. After the receipt of an extensive questionnaire I conduct an interview in which I ask clients to detail their health plan to me.
With nearly complete uniformity between clients, viewing Facebook discussions, various health advice sources and general research into the subject of health plans I have found that the immediate focus is on a medical care indemnity plan; compensation for professionally addressing malfunction in the body's health system. This is not surprising to me though as we have been culturally scripted to focus on remediation of malfunction rather than prevention and optimization of performance. We can see this in the bombardment of advertising that we encounter which proclaims to cure, repair, eliminate, or otherwise supplant problems encountered with our possessions or ourselves. Just look at the safety devices in automobiles or other machinery and ask yourself which came first: the decapitations, various other traumas, and permanent maiming of people or the safety devices intended to prevent such harms. In short, we react to malady rather than prevent. Essentially it is a form of laziness; why go through the effort now if I am not sure I absolutely need to do so?
Largely I have found that the health care plan which most people have has been based on a decision to delegate their health care responsibility to medical professionals; healthcare. The National Institute of Health Care Reform and the National Institute for Health Care Management both address health through an indemnity approach. Even the National Institute on Aging focuses primary on diet and weight gain as health management.
Unlike using proper restraints in a motor vehicle, such as a five-point harness which may never be used to its fullest potential, a health plan is something that we use daily. It is the content of the current plan which determines the methodology to be applied in formulating a future plan and the costs of both.
One exception to the general population is the athlete who, while having a preventative attitude toward health malady, still jeopardize his or her health through rote compliance with societal norms. When I was an athlete at the Olympic Training Center [OTC] I was measured, tested, sampled, and generally poked and prodded all in an effort to evaluate whether my body had the physical attributes capable of optimal human performance in selected events. Additionally though, the coaching staff also counseled us in sports psychology as well as general mental health. The elite athlete is a finely tuned machine adapted to its particular purpose. I recall clearly the advice of a national team member, whom we affectionately called "Fat Mike", who despite his self-admitted high fat percentage [>10%] said that there is an event in which we can excel. The event for which we train must be that in which we can excel not necessarily that in which we wish to excel.
There is great truth in that statement. Just as it is in Olympic sport so too is it in life. In any endeavor we are likely to achieve success if we are doing what we are capable of doing rather than what we want to do. Before going to the OTC I spoke with another former attendee who said that I would either give up or push forward with greater resolve. I left with a greater resolve to achieve success and after competing another year as an amateur I turned pro. If you examine your current health plan I feel you will face a similar turning point. It is for you to decide if you want to choose the path of avoidance and treatment or investment and prevention.
In this rationation I intend to convey the idea that having a health care plan[fn1], in place now, which is based upon prevention of, rather than treatment of, malady is the wiser investment financially and also produces a more satisfying life outcome and relationship with your children and others than a healthcare plan[fn2] may.
Without detailing precise methods I will identify numerous platforms of health, based upon my practices, which one should consider in devising any health care plan. Before proceeding further exam your thoughts as to a correlation between financial spending and health.
Unlike the healthcare industry which promotes the concept that healthy living is difficult to achieve and expensive I provide a plan that is the opposite. The beauty of this health care plan is that every aspect of it is directed toward simplifying life and reducing costs.
I will jump right in with the big ones that we all know about and then move down to important matters that are often not considered part of a health care plan. Throughout I will only be speaking broadly and in no way intend for this itemization to be exhaustive but, rather, is intend to guide you into thinking about the plethora of health related aspects you encounter on a daily basis. Some are significant while others have only a minute impact on health but are illustrative of the vastness of daily life encounters that affect health.
Diet and exercise headline just about every wellness guide I encountered in a web search once I got past all the sites that were substantively about indemnity coverage. Diet is the most important aspect of health having the obvious impact on physiology but also significantly affects one's psyche and mental functioning.
I will mention food only briefly as there is vast amounts of valid diet information readily available. I do want to first mention that I do not appreciate or subscribe to the use of the adjective qualifiers of food. Terms such as "junk-food", "unhealthy food", "highly processed food", and others which seek to quantify the paucity of nutrients are self-contradictory. A "food" is what it takes to nourish the body, maintain life and facilitate growth. Thus, if a food has been adulterated to the point that it no longer sufficiently contributes to nourishing the body, maintaining life and promoting universal growth but provides little else than calories then it is no longer a food. When a food has been adulterated it is then a "food-like substance".
As I now begin relating to you my practices which affect my health I ask you to consider my personal aspects. I am 48 years of age. My height is 177cm, weight is 63kg. I serve as a healthy control subject for psychological and physiological clinical studies because I have no maladies in either domain. My blood pressure is generally 125/75. My resting heart rate is usually within 50-55bpm which I can lower to around 38 in meditation. I have not received healthcare treatment since a follow-up surgery in 1991 related to a motor vehicle collision. The only drugs I consume are caffeine [in some tea] and alcohol [in wine]. The last time I consumed other drugs were anesthetics during teeth extractions [2013 I think] and some ibuprofen to reduce swelling after having those 14 taken out in one sitting.
I start with the FOOD I consume on a typical day which is eight pounds or more. If I am trying to lose weight I will eat a bit more. About 50% of my calories come from fruits and vegetables. I take off the outer layer of onions and pineapples, and additionally trim remnants of stems but otherwise consume entire foods. Grains and legumes account for about 40%. The remaining 10% is fatty fish and olive oil. I have no set eating timetable but instead eat as needed which is often; about 7 - 10 times daily.
Preparation of food is a component of nutrition that is largely ignored by other advisors but is important. I do not wash foods. I also avoid using soaps or detergents on food preparation surfaces including utensils. The naturally occurring bacteria on foods are beneficial to the human body. As much of food as possible should be obtained from organic gardening as this is not only relaxing but exposes the body to local bacteria on a regular basis. Foods should be eaten when well-ripened and are beginning to show signs of degradation as this is when they are providing the greatest level of nutrients.
There is some difficulty in obtaining healthful food in America as there exists a deliberate effort to induce sickness through the food supply. Many of the food processors and distributors are part of larger conglomerates that also produce or sell remedies for ailments. Thus, it is in their financial interest to cause sickness. Be weary of grocery stores that also sell pharmaceuticals and such. You may find eggs [which are to be avoided] and produce being refrigerated which is not natural. The natural state for an egg is warmth under the hen. Foods should be stored and served close to room temperature. Coldness of ingested food, especially drink, should be avoided as this can trigger an immunological response which is a stressor. When cooking the use of stainless steel, copper or iron cook-wear should be used instead of non basic elemental products as the human body has no nutritional need for those as it does copper and iron.
What I don't consumer are the aforementioned food-like substances. This includes anything with sugar on the label, HFCS, artificial flavours or colours, hydrogenated oils, bleached grains, or juices. I do not drink calories other than an occasional glass of wine. Although it is a food I avoid corn in any form. Adulterated foods are limited by me as much as possible. This means I generally avoid restaurants. I may eat at a buffet about once a month but otherwise I prepare all my food.
One of the problems with adulterated foods is the flavour is disguised. The physiological reason for avoiding artificial flavours is that the human body has evolved to nourish itself through the proper selection of foods. The body has adapted to recognize certain flavours as satiating particular nutritional needs. Understand that hunger is the body's signal of nutrient deficiency. An artificial sweetener will trick the body's regulation of blood sugar resulting in low blood sugar, cravings for sugar and other deleterious effects. This is why people who use them are often fat. A final caution about food consumption is to never consume antacids. This is not only damaging to the digestive process and absorption of nutrients but also exposes the body to pathogens that are otherwise killed by stomach acid[fn3].
EXERCISE is as critically important as eating. In this section I will help you to understand exercise in a broader sense than what is commercially projected. I won't go into specific exercise routines which are readily available elsewhere or can be provided by me on an individual basis. My day begins with stretching that includes deliberate breathing and meditation. There is no typical day for me as it relates to exercise. It could be riding my bicycle to Indy and back which is around 100km. My day of exercise could be cleaning my house, gardening, repairing someone's house, and preparing food. On other days when I may not be traveling or performing various physical tasks I will use the machines.
Exercise does not need to be measured by time on a treadmill or the other machines. Exercise is the use of a system or organism. So, by avoiding the use of remote controls and instead moving continually you are exercising. Still, you should engage in some strenuous activity that raises the heart rate to around two to three times the resting rate for a period of no less than three hours a week. In short when given the opportunity to use an automated application or manual choose the manual. Open the overhead garage door by hand rather than by machine. It likely has a tightly wound coil spring that does most of the work. Blend food ingredients by hand rather than machine. Think to yourself; is this the way a caveman would have done it? Understand that our bodies have evolved through selective patterns over tens of thousands of years. It is only until comparatively recent times that much of the daily physical activity necessary to sustain life has been replaced by mechanical means. Physical activity has been a favourable reproductive trait because humans had to perform daily physical tasks to survive and those who didn't removed themselves from the gene pool through their demise. Thus, our wellness is dependent upon the regular daily physical activity which has long been a component of survival.
Your ENVIRONMENT, especially your home environment can be a safe refuge from the harmful elements that may be imposed by the industrialized community. Conversely, it could be a haven of environmental hazards which inhibit your well-being. Cigarette smoke in the home is an immense harm. It exists there even when the actual smoking is done outside because it comes in on clothing. This is due to molecular permeation. Molecules of a particular substance tend to diffuse rather than staying concentrated. Smoke carcinogens on clothing when exposed to clear air will diffuse through that interface. To illustrate this take a coloured liquid and let one drop fall into the water in a toilet bowl. You will notice that the coloured droplet quickly diffuses into that interface; the water. Whatever substance that can vaporize which come in from the outside spreads throughout the inside air.
I do not have smoke detectors in my home. Those may contain radioactive materials. Nor do I have air conditioning. That can cause stress reactions in the body especially if one is frequently moving between natural and climate controlled environments. Residing in an area where diesel fumes are prevalent exposes the body to harm because those emissions have a higher level of carcinogens than those which are gasoline based.
Another environmental hazard that has been largely ignored and is not frequently understood is the threat to wellness resulting from television broadcasts. I have not received them in my home since X-Files ceased production. The hazard from these broadcast are due to the absorption and processing of the information by the subconscious. Through ambient listening - playing the TV just for background noise - the brain interprets all input as true and reflective of the real world that you experience. This makes news broadcasts especially harmful as those are highly disproportionally filled by sensationalized negative situations. Even people who employ active listening may make false attributions that still allow the broadcasts to be a negative stimulus. People may view stories of wars, natural disasters, or man-made disasters - which may include earthquakes[fn4] and not apply a rational interpretation as to the probability of these occurring in the geographical location in which the home is located.
This subconscious interpretation of input as true is a reason I do not like true/false exams being used as a test of student knowledge. The subconscious interprets input from the world as actual. If a student taking a true/false exam reads "The Earth is the center of the universe" then that is implanted in the memory as real by the subconscious. That is unless the student knows it to be false and reads is to himself as "It is not true that the Earth is the center of the universe" or otherwise consciously directs his mind to reject the false statement. Likewise, if one does not actively watch a television broadcast and say to himself, "It is not true that people typically have this type of lifestyle and are always upbeat and satisfied with life" then the subconscious may develop a self-image of being inferior to fellow man and not capable of having a fulfilling life. Television broadcasts on the whole display the world as a hostile and dangerous place.
I taught my son quite the opposite. At age five years I let him take off on his own to ride around town - about a quarter square mile area - with a time limit of an hour or two. I did this to avoid harming him through the induction of anxiety about the world around him which is overwhelmingly a safe place. Around the same time we went to Chicago and even walked through the Lake Park area, occasionally stopping to chat with residents. This was helpful to counter the negative images he may encounter elsewhere which could induce adversity to his mental well-being.
PERSONAL CARE as it is practiced by humans - particularly those in industrialized societies and more so Americans - is nearly an oxymoron. Many hygiene habits are not based upon necessary healthful practice but are instead the manifestation of appeal to emotion and other manipulations by marketers of goods and services. The most common act of personal care is likely to be bathing. It is common daily practice to flush the epidermis with a solvent that is often heated to increase its efficacy and may be accompanied by a detergent to remove epidermal flora. The result is a semi-permeable membrane stripped of naturally occurring protective coatings and bacteria that prevent transient pathogenic organisms from colonizing the skin surface. This is why I bathe on a schedule of three times per year. I may additionally rinse my skin when it has been covered by contaminants such as those encountered while working in attics or crawlspaces while I was not wearing protective clothing.
Daily showering contributes to the hazard from dry cleaning especially when the dry cleaning chemicals in the clothing are exposed to the skin immediately following the skin being ruptured by the washing. I do not wear any dry cleaned clothing.
It is common for me to wear latex or similar gloves throughout the day. Usually I wear some type of fabric glove over them. This provides a layer of protection against biological and physical hazards. This does not mean that I don't cut through the gloves, my skin, and into the tendon and bone on a knuckle as I recently did with an angle grinder but the gloves certainly mitigated the damage. When prudent I also wear ear and eye protection. The costs in doing such is minimal compared to the remediation costs and the frustration from lose of use should that occur. I am already feeling the frustration from my eyes apparently naturally deteriorating. I have set a deadline of age 50 for obtaining corrective glasses.
Something I have avoided as an adult which goes against a bombardment of countervailing messages is the potential harm associated with vaccines. Rather than inject toxins into my body which have been proven to possibly lack any efficacy I opt to practice preventative methods as detailed throughout this rationation. This includes not allowing any antibacterial agent except natural antibacterials such as wasabi [the real stuff not American horseradish] or raisins to come into contact with my body. Most commercial antibacterial agents are broad spectrum. That is they attack all bacteria. The use of those is the equivalent of machine-gunning down every person at a stadium because a few gangsters tried to assault you. What you have left is an empty machine gun, dead police, dead employees, dead spectators and a few dead malignant gangsters. Then all is takes is one new malignant gangster to easily take you down.
Finally, not in a possibility sense but for this listing, is my edentulism; lack of teeth. This provides a wonderful example of myths, logic, and profit motivation. You have likely heard the myth that people with teeth are healthier than those without. While this may be accurate it may not be causally scientifically supported. This is because causation may be attributed to correlation. If unhealthy dietary and hygiene habits led to the loss of teeth then it is not the loss of teeth that resulted in an unhealthy state. For me the increase in wellness following the single day extraction of my 14 remaining teeth has been remarkable. Across an array of physiological and psychological domains I have seen an increase in wellness that can be directly related chronologically to the teeth extraction. What has been the financial and time outlay for tooth care since that day? A big zilch.
LIFESTYLE choices are just that; choices. While they may be habitual and a necessary element of desired outcomes they are still based on personal decisions. The single lifestyle decision that I made which promotes wellness to a greater extent than any other is to avoid tasks I do not enjoy. At first blush this may appear to be an unrealistic objective but when thoughtfully approached it is readily attainable. There are two ways to approach this objective which should be used concurrently. First is to change obligations or objectives so as to be able to eliminate tasks which are undesirable. Second is to change perception about the tasks; look for the positive.
Pulling weeds from my gardens could be on the list of tasks to avoid. True, there are other activities which I would rather have occupy my time. So, one thing I do is cultivate plants that will smother the weeds. I also turn the soil or spread soil pulled from the crawlspace that does not contain viable weed seeds. Hitting upon the other approach is to blast some tunes loud enough to suppress the sound of the dog across the road barking and then go out to pull weeds. Instead of perceiving it as the tasks of pulling weeds I see it as an opportunity to enjoy some sunshine, see my neighbors, let my mind drift, and simply relax.
I view time as a valuable asset. My life could end at any moment. Being that I only have this carnal life to live and once it ceases I am gone from existence I value every moment and treat people accordingly. Time dedicated to sleeping serves numerous purposes which lend themselves to wellness. Thus, I allow myself to have adequate sleep and do not use alarm clocks. Instead I awaken upon completion of necessary sleep. This may require some planning if I have chosen to obligate myself to an activity occurring earlier than my usual ambling. While I walk briskly at times I do not do so out of time constraint necessity but rather do so to increase heart rate and also give myself more time for other activities.
Similar to an ambling gate I also drive at or below the speed limit. Driving, for me, is a time to relax, enjoy the scenery, and observe the irrational actions of other drivers buzzing around making little or no progress greater than mine. I enjoy playing turtle to the hares.
The final lifestyle point I want to make is that I share. I do so with about everything; my time, knowledge, money, fruits of the gardens, material items, and services. I tend to over-buy and over-produce so I am often faced with living among a cluttered environment or giving stuff away. For my benefit I began giving much surplus or unwanted items away to people whom I thought may have a particular use or just set items along my front wall. Recently a teller at the bank mentioned that she anticipates getting more vases of cut flowers from me. I provide flowers to various offices at the court house, bank, post office, and other places I frequently pass or visit. I am a bargain hunter in all locals but none is more fun to me than at the grocery. Although my diet is vegan last week I bought 8 one pound containers of cottage cheese at 19 cents each. I couldn't pass up that bargain but I had to give them all away.
When I have taken a truckload of building materials to dump I ask friends or neighbors if they have anything to add. I also provide automotive or household repairs to friends and neighbors. It may be for a few minutes as I am passing by or scheduled projects for which I am then hired.
Many people give back to me upon request or unsolicited. When I came home from the last Thanksgiving gathering there were two meals left on my porch. They contained meat thus it couldn't be from folks who really know me. Turns out two of my neighbors had left them. I get hired to do projects for folks who didn't know I've done building trades throughout my life but only became aware when I provided some unsolicited help as walking by and seeing that my assistance would be beneficial to them. I borrow a truck from a friend as needed and readily help him out with anything and do all the maintenance on the truck. Just last week when riding with a neighbor I was complaining about the horrifically poor fuel efficiency of that truck and needing to go to Indy to pick up a small load hardly worthy of using a truck but excessive for the bicycle. The next morning her roommate brought her car keys to me and said use it anytime during the day as it was her day off and she was going out with a friend.
The more you give the more you receive is a long standing axiom that is founded in the Book of Luke, Wiccan practice, and culturally based practices in one form or another. Score keepers tend to always be on the losing end while those who give freely seem to always be ahead. For good health give freely.
USING YOUR BRAIN is found in the axiom work smarter not harder. This is necessary for maintaining or improving wellness. I don't intend to convey the idea that one should think of ways to avoid labour but, rather, to be aware. Think deeply about circumstances and practices instead of simply accepting perfunctory actions consistent with habit or typical practice. Following are a few particular domains in which the lens through which you see the world affects your health.
Avoidance of thoughts of envy is a long held admonition which is based upon sound reasoning. Envy has the effect of leaving the body feeling that it has an unmet need which is stressful. Concurrent with avoiding envy is to accept all. Be content with the lot in life for which you have provided to yourself. This is not to say to abandon any desire for improvement. Rather, it is a slight shift in perception that eases suffering while simultaneously stimulating motivation. Suffering is the result of wanting. Instead of being in want I hold desires. I am not in want of space to store all of my various accumulations as they are crammed in every nook. However, I do desire to have a more organized area which is a current endeavor. Thus, I am not in envy of people who have larger homes with more space to move about but I am motivated to organize my home so I will have more space to move about.
Exercise is not to be limited to physical activity. Mental stimulation is equally important. Playing games, especially those which tap strategy of logic skills [i.e. Chess], either alone or in groups will help to maintain or build mental acuity. Reading generally or studying any of the academic domains, particularly the sciences, can be relaxing and informative while working the brain.
The domain of judgment can be beneficial as well as harmful. From the standpoint of self-preservation it is important to be judgmental about the condition of a ladder before ascending its rungs. But when it comes to people and their actions I find it best to avoid being judgmental or assessing blame for actions and to instead simply be objective. People often make the judgment that a collision between vehicles was "an accident" which is also saying it was not negligence, recklessness, carelessness, or deliberate. It is easy to say it was a collision and thereby eliminating the potential of having to defend that position. Imagine posting on Facebook, "A child was killed in a car accident by my house this morning" and then reading this comment, "I don't think it was any accident that a drunk driver killed my child today. It was complete disregard for the life of my child and everyone else by that drunk driver." I would have two things to say; don't blame your house for the death and don't call something that is foreseeable and easily preventable an accident.
Here is another example of unnecessary judgmental language. I was recently served a stop-work order by the City of Lebanon the day after completing a ten-month repair project on my house. It read that I "failed to obtain a building permit". Casting aside that I am not going to seek permission to make a safety repair it is the word "failed" which caught my attention. The next day while obtaining the permit I made mention of use of that particular word. I suggested that they not be demeaning and judgmental in their use of language. Saying I "failed" is to say I was not successful. In short that I am an incompetent loser. As I had made no attempt to obtain a building permit then, technically, I could not have failed to obtain one. I suggested that, in the future, correspondence from the office should use objective language such as "did not obtain" or "did not comply" which are objectively accurate. To immediately label someone a failure is not a welcome invitation to voluntary compliance.
My admonitions aside people are still going to be judgmental. Sadly, judgments about people will be made based upon material possessions. I have repossessed cars from people who didn't pay but had lavish houses and expensive adornments. I have helped people through bankruptcies. I have counseled the sad, lonely, or depressed who had a cornucopia of material goods that marketing professionals portrayed as the accoutrements of happy people. Yet, none seemed to be emotionally uplifted by their static possessions. Conversely, I have sat on the streets in downtown Indy and chatted with actual homeless people who were happy. Their only possessions were what was in a bag which accompanied them. Yet, they found pleasure in such things as observing life around them, smiles or pleasant words by a few people passing, and the relaxation afforded by not being accountable to a boss. Instead of chasing satisfaction through materialism they found satisfaction in the intangible. It is the relationships that one develops with others and his or her environment which leads to true life satisfaction. For optimal well-being I suggest dumping the materialistic pursuits.
This may seem counter intuitive but I have seen anecdotal and researcher based results. People who do not have health insurance are healthier based upon that. While healthy people tend to not participate in the medical indemnity scheme, when accounting for health status there exist a relationship between indemnity coverage and sickness. This is because of the subconscious psychological pressure to "get what you pay for". A person who pays for a health club membership but never goes there to workout is going to feel gypped or that the money was wasted. Psychologically it is not sufficient that it is available should it be needed. Medical care indemnity coverage operates on the mind in the same manner. The person who feels that an insurance provider is getting something [premiums] for nothing [no medical care] is going to ensure that nothing doesn't endure. This is the beauty of the subconscious. It systematically aligns actions to thoughts. Thus, the thought that medical care indemnity coverage premiums are being paid for nothing will ensure that the subconscious will facilitate the use of that coverage.
My closing thought for a mindful practice to promote wellness is to not hold any beliefs. I mean don't even believe that the Sun will appear on the eastern horizon tomorrow morning. Do accept that the probability is extremely high based upon well established evidence. Holding a belief is likely to produce conflict then subsequently anxiety. This is because belief cannot be changed even though the scientific evidence may change. Think about the people who believe that children from parents of a particular class of people are limited intellectually to some arbitrary maximum. When the child excels, when the child surpasses the level of their children, when the child attains the top position in some academic domain they feel the sting of their belief. They try to rationalize it, to explain it away, to modify their belief but in the end beliefs cannot be changed. They then live with self-doubt about their reasoning ability. Self-doubt can be debilitating and when it comes to wellness it can actually inhibit the body's protective systems from fully functioning. Appreciate mystery, favour the unknown. Be open to all ideas and evidence.
Your health is ultimately the result of your thoughts, intentions and actions. Whether you direct those toward mindful actions that promote wellness or whether you you direct them toward purchasing indemnity coverage to get paid for being in ill health is your decision. Consider carefully the options of a health care plan which can keep you healthy or a healthcare plan which is costing money and quite possibly your life.
,font size=2>
Footnotes
1] Health care is the maintenance and improvement of physical and mental health, especially through the provision of medical services. Preventative care.
2] Healthcare is the treatment by medical professionals; primarily of bodily or mental malfunction.
3] In one study the level of Cholera necessary to induce ailment was only 1/10,000 for people who took an antacid before exposure.
4] How dams trigger earthquakes. https://www.internationalrivers.org/earthquakes-triggered-by-dams
Parents who would like to achieve the best outcome for their children in a contested child custody case should visit my website and contact my scheduler to make an appointment to meet with me. Attorneys may request a free consultation to learn how I can maximize their advocacy for their clients.
Connect with me for the latest Indiana child custody related policy considerations, findings, court rulings and discussions.
