The World 111820

NATURAL HEALTH CORNER | JOSHUA SINGER
Have you known any centenarians?
I mean anyone who’s lived
over 100 years. There have been
studies done in different places throughout
the world where centenarians are more
common in order to better understand
longevity. We all wonder if this is simply
good genes or if diet and exercise really
do have to do with it.
SOCIAL HEALTH IMPACTS OUR LONGEVITY
Accessibility to good medical care is surely a factor.
Though aside from medical care, diet and saunas, what I
found most interesting when reading about these studies was
around the common theme of social health. Maybe you’ve
read some more recent research, but I’m remembering what
stood out from published articles written several years ago.
The social piece has stuck with me and seems significant to
all of us, something we can focus on along with our cholesterol
levels and recorded daily steps.
Most centenarians are living with others, even if able to
be independent. This is often with family members. They
have remained active in their communities; some even being
treated with respect for what they’ve learned from their life
experience. I’ve found that the elders in our country are often
not viewed with admiration or with curiosity for what they
can share with us. I see social health defined as how we “fit”
within our community, how we interact with those around us.
HOW DO YOU FIT IN?
Consider how you feel within the social context around
you. First, do you feel safe? Do you feel a part of something
bigger than yourself? Something even beyond your family?
Do you feel respected and cared about by your neighbors? Do
you respect and care about your neighbors? What activities
do you participate in or are even part of creating? People who
live long lives are often involved with social activities on
a regular basis, engaged with their communities. They balance
their at-home life with joining the larger group around
them. I imagine we’re like pack animals rather than isolated
ones, most effective when part of the larger group. And this
truly influences our physical, emotional, and mental health.
Whether you’re an introverted or an extroverted individual
will influence how you find your social balance.
Along with the physical concerns of a current worldwide
pandemic, the social limitations that this brings may also be
observed in our health. This additionally seems relevant as
I’m writing this a few days after the recent national and local
government elections, amongst other current global issues
one may feel passionate about. It sure is a heightened time
of division amongst us, becoming more solid with some and
more separated from others because of our similarities and
differences. We have mixed emotions of frustration because
of those differences and deeper, maybe hidden, pain because
of the separation. Can we have the differences without the
separation?
BACK TO YIN AND YANG
My daily view, observing others in a medical setting,
comes from the historical perspective of Chinese Medicine.
The understanding of Yin and Yang is at the heart of that
perspective. You can probably envision the Yin/Yang symbol
as two halves of one circle, with a curved line separating the
black and white halves. There’s a dot of the opposite in each
half. One may see this as a symbol of social health in these
times.
We can remember that we human beings, who may be divided
at times in our values or opinions, are a group needing
to work together for the sake of ourselves and everything else
around us. Even when we feel differently, we can still relate
to each other (like the dot of the opposite within each half) as
fellow human beings. We can easily lose sight of the similarities
amidst the passionate differences.
STRONGER AS A WHOLE
Often, physical illness can build the immune system and
make one stronger to fight future illness. Haven’t you seen
this in your growing children or grandchildren? The same
must be true for one’s social health. How we each manage
this time of social challenge in the larger world around us
will have an impact on our future well-being. Wouldn’t it be
helpful to seek out guidance from our local centenarians and
elders, as their experience may give perspective and steer us
in the direction of good health?
Joshua Singer is a nationally board certified and licensed
acupuncturist in private practice in Montpelier. Josh has relocated
his practice to 301 River Street in Montpelier. This is
at River Street Wellness, a collaborative team of practitioners
under one roof supporting the health care of our community.
He continues to see patients in his practice and at National
Life Cancer Treatment Center at CVMC. Josh’s contact
information is singerjoshua9@gmail.com and 802-613-3904.
Please feel free to reach out to him with suggestions or comments
at any time.
Family Caregivers – Essential to Vermont’s
COVID-19 Crisis Response and Recovery
November is National Family Caregivers Month, an opportunity
to honor family caregivers as the backbone of our home
and community-based support system for Vermonters who are
aging or living with a disability. According to the National
Center on Caregiving, more than 40 million Americans,
including 64,000 Vermonters, provide care for a loved one
who has a disability, is chronically ill, or is aging, and spend
an average of 20 hours per week providing care.
Every day, family caregivers manage health emergencies,
juggle priorities, and suffer isolation – and all that was before
COVID-19. The pandemic has brought even more challenges
as family caregivers handle caregiving in crisis. Loss of economic
security, staying home to avoid health risks, navigating
telehealth appointments and reduced access to respite services
all increase stress on caregivers and can lead to negative
health outcomes or moving a loved one out of their home.
The Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent
Living (DAIL) works to support older Vermonters and
Vermonters with disabilities through a comprehensive system
of long-term services and supports, including supports for
family caregivers. Our diverse community partners provide
information and referrals, caregiver education and training,
and targeted funds for respite. Our partners have quickly
adjusted services and programs during the pandemic; for
• • •
example, conducting support groups online or by phone,
changing services to address isolation, and offering extra
funding to families and caregivers where possible.
DAIL has compiled a handout of some Remote Caregiver
Support Options available in Vermont here.
As the COVID-19 crisis continues this winter, family caregiver
support must be a priority, and DAIL is seeking to learn
more about what caregivers need to remain resilient in their
ability to support loved ones at home. We have recently conducted
a survey of family caregivers of older Vermonters in
preparation for our next State Plan on Aging, results soon to
be posted at asd.vermont.gov, and we will use this information
to guide programs and services going forward. In addition,
we look to reports for insights, like Caregivers in Crisis:
Caregiving in the Time of COVID-19, released in October by
the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, which details the
increased stress and burden experienced by family caregivers
nationwide and recommends increased supports such as
access to clinical counseling for caregivers.
If you or someone you know is a family caregiver of an
older Vermonter, call the Area Agencies on Aging Helpline at
1-800-642-5119 to find out about caregiver support in your
region. Other Vermonters should call 2-1-1.
I.O.U a Drink: 1 in 4 Vermonters
Admit to Having Used Borrowed
Money to Buy Alcohol
• Over 1 in 4 people admit to dipping into their savings to
buy alcohol.
• 18% say they purchase alcohol on store credit.
• Over 1 in 10 admit they would leave off items from their
grocery list to buy alcohol instead.
• 21% of Americans say they have used money borrowed
from loved ones to buy booze.
• More than a third would still lend money to their loved one,
even if they knew it was for alcohol.
It’s no secret that drinking alcohol is not a cheap habit to
maintain, especially during this period of economic uncertainty
following the pandemic in which many Americans are
struggling to make ends meet. However, with the added emotional
stress, many people across the country are drinking
more* during this time, even with limited income. Due to the
addictive nature of alcohol, abusing it can lead to serious
financial complications**, such as personal debt to family and
friends, credit card debt, inability to pay bills and decreased
job productivity.
National Alcohol Debt: AlcoholRehab.com, a leading provider
of alcohol and drug addiction treatment resources, conducted
a survey of 3,050 adults (aged 21+) to see how many
purchased alcohol with borrowed money. It was discovered
that over 1 in 4 (27%) Vermonters admit to having borrowed
money to buy alcohol (compared to a national average of
19%).
Ongoing drinking over a prolonged period of time can
cause severe economic strain as when an individual begins to
abuse alcohol, it can broaden the gap between anticipated
earnings and expenses, and actual earnings and expenses**.
People who drink can quickly spend their way through the
family budget, which could be especially problematic during
these financially challenging times.
Broken down across the country, alcohol purchases seem to
have emptied the wallets of drinkers in West Virginia the most
with nearly half (44%) of people admitting to buying alcohol
with borrowed money. Comparatively, 5% of Kansans say this
has been the case.
The economic complications brought on by the coronavirus
resulted in more than 40 million*** Americans having lost
their job since the start of the pandemic. Given this, many may
be struggling to make ends meet in terms of paying bills to run
their households. In fact, a survey**** found that 30% of
people with retirement savings admit to having dipped into
these accounts since the start of the pandemic, with more than
half using the money to cover expenses. More worryingly, the
survey revealed that over a quarter (28%) of people admit they
have dipped into their savings to buy alcohol.
Booze or Bread? More than 1 in 10 (12%) drinkers admit
they would leave off items from their grocery list to buy alcohol.
Additionally, nearly 1 in 5 (18%) admit to having purchased
alcohol on store credit. Alcohol abuse can have
extreme economic consequences including an increased risk
of credit card debt. Utilizing credit cards to buy alcohol could
affect a person’s credit score if they are unable to pay it back
on time.
Alcohol abuse typically causes the person to make drinking
a priority in their life, which can exacerbate financial issues
and disrupt close relationships. One in 5 (20%) drinkers admit
they have borrowed money from friends or family to buy
alcohol.
Perhaps of even more concern, the survey found that 37%
of people say they would still lend money to friends or family,
even if they knew it was for alcohol. Often, this enabling
behavior reduces the possibility of the person taking accountability
for their actions. Even if it is with good intent, loved
ones of people with problematic drinking should refrain from
enabling this unhealthy behavior.
“Unfortunately, during this economically stressful time,
many have turned to a number of unhealthy coping mechanisms,
including drinking,” said Tabitha Johnson, clinical
director at Desert Hope Treatment Center and spokesperson
for AlcoholRehab.com. “Purchasing alcohol is not a worrying
action, but if your financial capabilities do not allow for that
purchase, and extenuating efforts are made in order to procure
it, it may be time to reevaluate your relationship with alcohol.”
* https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/05/23/
americans-are-drinking-more-during-pandemic-craft-distillers-arent-getting-any-love/
** https://americanaddictioncenters.org/alcoholism-treatment/family-marital-problems
*** https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/28/
us-job-losses-unemployment-coronavirus
**** https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/14/americans-areforced-to-raid-retirement-savings-during-the-pandemic.html
APOTHECARY
Food Sensitivity/Nutritional Testing
9th Chakra Activation Technique
SRT Neck Release
Reiki
Energy Healing
Ionic Footbath
Herbal Profiling
Herbal Preparations
Auricular Acupuncture
Also, Follow me on Facebook or email me at
Manywordsherbs@yahoo.com
Cell 802-793-9371 - REFERRALS ONLY
1176 Route 302, East Barre
Many Words Herbs
Rosalene Bussiere
Certified Therapeutic Herbalist
Certified SRT Neck Release Practitioner
Certified NADA, Cert. Reiki III
DENTIST
Dr. Michael Adler, DDS
Full Service Filling, Extractions,
Root Canals, Crowns, etc.
Also offering Dental Hygiene
417 US Route 302 • Berlin, VT 05641
622-0801
TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH
To be the best, it takes
more than just the training
and expertise to diagnose
and treat patients. It takes
heart. Providing quality
healthcare in a community
setting is what it’s all about,
and we take pride in making
our patients and their
families feel at ease. We’re
committed to providing the
care, the service and the
respect you deserve.
ACUPUNCTURE
Joshua Singer, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncturist
Located at River Street Wellness
A collaboration of
independent health care
providers under one roof
301 River Street, Suite 101
Montpelier, Vermont 05602
Tel: 802-613-3904
Fax: 802-613-3924
Email: singerjoshua9@gmail.com
CHIROPRACTIC
Lynch Family
Chiropractic, LLC
Gentle, effective family
chiropractic since 1983
James M. Lynch, D.C.
Shane J. Lynch, D.C.
Saturday appointments
now available
VISIT US ON
223-3811
214 Elm St., Montpelier
November 18, 2020 The WORLD page 13