Whatever you are doing right now, stop it. Grab a tall glass of water and chug it. 60% of human bodies are water. Most people don't get enough water in them in a day!! I'm seeing more people with big water bottles to remind them to drink. I have one, but I still need to get more into me. This is purely my opinion, but water, sleep, and HEALTHY food are the three best things for people. When someone is hungry, thirsty, or tired, they will not nearly perform as well as they usually would. That is a personal side note. I will get into it more, but we must take better care of ourselves. Those three things are a fundamental start. Get more sleep, healthy sleep. Don't drink to pass out; that sleep isn't restful. I mean the sleep you get after a long, hard day. Get more water, and I know it is hard, and you may end up peeing more BUT drink that damn water. Eat better! I am a person who eats out a lot, cooks at home a lot, and is used to eating fast food a lot. Greasy fast food tastes fantastic, but I notice feeling fatty and sluggish afterward. Even more so than a sit-down place. Cook with some veggies! Oh, and get some fresh air. Nothing is better than waking up, going outside, and not having that smoggy city air but cool, fresh air. Take in these few little things, and you will feel better.
So, if we want a healthy society, we need it to be filled with healthy people. There are two aspects to health: physical health and mental health. These two things are interconnected; chances are if you have a physical issue, your mental health may not be the best, and if you have a mental problem, likely your physical health is suffering. It is vital to deal with both. Without your health, honestly, what do you have? You could be the wealthiest, most famous person alive, but what's the point if you aren't healthy enough to enjoy it?
Health starts at home and should be taught in school. We had CALM Career and Life Management when I was in high school. It was supposed to prepare us for living in the "real" world. I haven't used any of it in the first 24 years since I finished high school. Overhaul this and teach valuable things, like taxes and HEALTHY LIVING! Sure, we learned how to "budget," and my budget gave me $100 for groceries. Sure as hell, that does not provide good nutritious foods. Also, it didn't give me any money for a gym pass or anything like that. I am drifting off topic here, but these things should be stressed. If I wasn't on a whiskey and chicken wing diet, I might have made better choices when I was younger. Of course, there is a lot more to it, but I wish there had been a more significant emphasis on health, both kinds and healthy living, when I was younger. Maybe it has changed, but I don't think so. We are FINALLY paying attention to mental health. Which is good; we need to keep taking the stigma off of that. It should be encouraged if kids are struggling to talk to someone. This is a complex and thin line to walk. We keep hearing about brainwashing kids; that is different from what I am encouraging. I am asking for actual judgment-free places where students can go and talk. Just talk, get the weight of the world off themselves.
I am all for "sin" taxes. I have no problem paying an extra buck for that bottle of vodka, the pack of cigars, or those edibles. I do not need any of those things, and they are not good for me, so sure, put a tax on them. Don't tax me on things I need to live, like gas, but liquor, sure. Expand the tax and put it on pop, chips, and fast food. However, please don't push it out of reach. People also deserve a "treat" and want these things. I am not saying make it so we can't afford them, but if we are going to buy them, make people pay a bit more. Maybe it would slow down some abuse of these things. The flip side is to give tax breaks, rebates, whatever on good choices. In a year, my hockey costs around $1200 in dues. Let me write some of it off at tax time. Yes, I do it because I enjoy it, but it does have health benefits. Checking my diabetes after a game proves that. Encourage people to get off the couch. We as a society have become more sedentary. Let's try and change that. Not only that, I was told a person should have three hobbies. One to keep them healthy, one to keep the mind going. To me, this is mental health. Do things to keep your mind active. I am not saying this will stop many of the mental health issues we see today, but having an active mind is a good thing. The third hobby is making money, which is a job, so I am not addressing that here.
Stop making unhealthy lifestyles famous. I will probably take flack for this, but 1000Lbs Sisters is a fucking joke. I will be as clear as I can be right now. I am against body shaming. Some people are naturally bigger, some people are naturally smaller. I laugh on social media when guys try to say someone like Ashely Graham isn't attractive—Guys who wouldn't have a shot. Beauty does come in many shapes and sizes. HOWEVER, there is a limit. Making people like the 1000 Lbs sisters famous is wrong. We as a society need to acknowledge beauty is in the eye of the beholder; however, being unhealthy isn't something to be celebrated.
We as a society need to take better care of ourselves, but there is a lot more to health than that. We have to look at healthcare in general.
Public Healthcare in Alberta and supposedly all of Canada is hurting. This is not a new thing. Over 20 years ago, I did have a time when I had terrible anxiety, and I was in an ER here in Edmonton. The anxiety was undiagnosed at this point, and I had chest pains, so I was attached to a monitor. I waited and waited for someone to unhook me so I could pee. This never happened, so I unhooked myself and went. The monitor alarmed, and no one came when I was gone. I had a friend in the room who told me this. So it wasn't like someone came, realized why the alarm was going off, and left; no one came. A few years later, we were in the ER over something very traumatic, not life threatening but scary. We were given a bed late at night and sat for hours. Then, early in the morning, a nurse returned and asked who we were and why we were there. This is an ER, and they forgot us? Healthcare being broken isn't new like the news and politicians will tell you. It has been hurting for a long time. I have dealt with a LOT of doctors over the past year. Some in ER, some in clinics, and I can safely say there is a vast spread. I am unsure how they are even doctors; some are amazing. So, I voiced a complaint to AHS. Prime example, sent away from the ER with a long list of what the issue could be, from basically nothing to cancer. Told to book with a specialist. IN WHAT WORLD IS THAT ACCEPTABLE? To tell someone it maybe cancer, you better see someone else and find out. The specialists are only 8 - 14 months away. I get having to wait; I mean, the wait is too long, but to let someone go and say it could be something so serious is unacceptable. Talk to AHS about it, and the response is to talk to your MLA. Holy fuck, that is a beaurocrat that needs to be fired. I get it, complain to an MLA about how shitty the system is, that makes sense. However to not address a concern and just say see a politician, that's not healthcare. That is someone with an agenda, pushing to make more issues rather than deal with the current ones. My MLA isn't going to give a person a look over and tell them if they are healthy or not. My MLA cannot force a doctor to do anything; things need to be fixed at a ground level, but they would instead push it off. It is unacceptable.
In Canada, we have universal healthcare, which is excellent. Everyone gets treated! Some people think that means our system is great, but its not. For those who don't have universal healthcare, this doesn't mean we get in and get looked after ASAP. No people are waiting months or years right now just for tests. That isn't good healthcare, even if it is free. That's why I am okay with private healthcare being allowed as well, with stringent conditions. Still, before we get to that, I want to talk about ERs and ambulances.
If an ambulance brings you to an ER, the EMTs are required to stay with you, you don't get released to the general waiting room. There may be a good reason for this, but I have yet to hear it. I have heard people complaining about waiting for an ambulance, though. So, while someone is waiting, EMTs may just be sitting because they can't leave until the patient they brought in is "admitted" or whatever the proper word is for being taken from the waiting room to the back. All I know is I would be furious if I lost someone because an ambulance didn't make it on time while EMTs were sitting waiting to get going again. On top of that how does triage work? Worst cases are dealt with first, and I understand that. However, why is there not a "fast track"? A person comes in with a deep cut that requires stitches or glue they use now. Why is that person not taken back, dealt with in 10 minutes, and sent away? Why do they need to wait 4 hours? You leave these people in the waiting rooms, which seem overcrowded. That's what gets people on social media complaining about overcrowded, slow ERs, so why not fast-track some?
Private healthcare is a huge issue. I am curious if I could afford it, but I would still approve it. If you relieve some of the stress on the current healthcare system, how is that a bad thing? If you even move 1/3 of the people out of the current health system, how much time will that free up? My wait to see a doctor just went down a third, and I am okay with that. I do get the fear, though, we will have two health systems, and the public one will fall to shit. So prevent that! It is pretty straightforward.
1) Every doctor is public. You want to have a private practice; sure, however, you will perform a set amount of hours in the local ER, OR you will do a specific % pro bono work. This work is monitored, and if it does not stack up to your private job, you lose your license.
2) Every private practice is monitored and maintained better than public services. The cost of doing business is high and keeps our healthcare top-notch. We are not having people just set up shitty chop shops. Yes, I said I didn't want two-tier healthcare, and I don't, but if we set up private ones, they better be in top shape.
3) Pricing is standardized; no one gets to overcharge or literally undercut people. Sure, let a small range exist, BUT nothing too crazy.
I assume people in the medical industry would have better ideas for these are just a few ideas.
Mental health is the other side of the coin. It is a much more complex side to deal with; it isn't something you can see like a broken bone. It is much harder to diagnose. Does that child have mental health issues, or is it just a brat? Before diving into it, I will talk about my experiences.
In the early 2000s, not much was going as I wanted. I had a job going nowhere, debt was piling up, and I quit school twice when I started having chest pains. I called a friend the first time, and they came and sat with me most of the night. The next time I went to the hospital. They ran all their tests and came back with the fact I was having panic attacks and anxiety. They gave me some pills and sent me home. I never tried them; I flushed them and said I didn't need help. I did start drinking more, I did ignore my problems, and surprisingly, they did stop. I'm not sure that was a healthy way to deal with them. I also got a new friend group that cared about me, and I talked to people about things. I'm not saying the people I was hanging around were not "friends," but I never opened up to them. I didn't have talks expressing how I felt or what was on my mind. I was playing the role of a fun, party guy. So, what helped the panic attacks?
I won't ever fully know; once in a while, I still get one or two. Over the last few years, I also talked to a counselor various times. Just talking, being nonjudgmental, and talking safely seems to help. I fully believe every person should have access to that. If people were given a safe, healthy outlet, we would see way fewer addiction problems and fewer problems with domestic violence and crime, and we would have a better world. I have also had a few people close to me who have had mental health issues. It has made me very aware that as far as we have come as a society, we are still failing in this area.
The first thing is actual mental health issues. It is so hard to know who actually has an issue and who is just seeking attention. Some people struggle every day of their lives, and some are just acting out. How do we define them? On top of that, what if we are wrong? What if we don't take someone's suicide talk seriously, and then they end up dead? This is a huge problem right there. As good people, we should take them all seriously, but then we will strain our time and resources. I have no answer for this, and it is a stumbling block because we need some way to separate them, but I am not sure we will ever be 100% able to. That is part of the reason we should have fully trained counselors for everyone. I don't think it takes them long to see through people. If we can have court shrinks say no, this person is okay and acting, why would they not see through these acts??
Second, who gets help, and what service? As part of public healthcare, I have already stated that people should have access to someone to talk to. There are public programs, but they typically have limited sessions and are only open during business hours. Am I fixed in five one-hour sessions? A person might spend three sessions just unpacking how they feel. If a person needs to talk, they should be able to do that for as long as it takes. Most people will start to feel better and will likely go less. People could do that if it was publicly funded, but it isn't. So we end up with people running out of sessions if they can't pay for them. Most people can't. With sessions running a couple hundred an hour, most people might be able to do a few and save up for a couple more, but only the wealthy can afford to do it on an ongoing basis. The other part is time. Most are only opening during business hours, so most people can't go. Or if they can, they are losing out on the money they need to pay for another session. The cost and hours of councilors are taxing on anyone who isn't wealthy, which needs to be corrected. If we have public healthcare, mental health counselors should also be available to us. Cost free and during hours the average person can attend.
Also, there is a time and place for pills. A person can be so overwhelmed or worked up that only a chemical can bring them down. A person may have a chemical imbalance in the brain that only chemicals can balance. In those cases, I support pills. Overall, though, I don't think we should rely on pills. To me, they are a helpful tool, but not the all end of mental health care. Like many things in this world, I believe they are a bandaid on a bullet hole. Instead of dealing with the root cause, they mask it. Mental health has come a long way. People can learn and practice different therapies, activities, and so on. That should be first, retraining the brain and then using pills as another tool in the belt. Please don't take this as I don't support the use of pills. I do. There is undoubtedly a time and a place for them, but they are not the be-all and end-all. I say this as someone who has taken one or two when needed. I think they can be used during therapy, but the goal is to get people past them. I don't think that should be the go-to initially, which some doctors are trying.
I have to comment on the Covid vaccine at this point. Some of the issues it brought about. I believe people should get vaccines and get their children vaccinated. Look sadly at Ezekiel Stephan. I got the Covid shots simply to travel though. I will never think something cooked up in a few months is a great idea. I respect a person's right NOT to get vaccinated. I disagree with it, but I appreciate it. Covid was a prime example of health care being weaponized and dividing our world. Before Covid, did you honestly know or care about the status of people inoculations? The news forced fear into people daily, with hospitalization numbers and deaths. According to the government of Canada, we had 55,275 deaths because of Covid. In 4,805,570 cases or roughly 1.15% (Any death is sad, it is someone's loved one. I am not saying it isn't tragic; I am looking at the numbers), The news never said less than 2% mortality or 98% recovery. NO, it was hospitalizations # exploding, cases exploding! The media exploited AN illness. If it bleeds, it leads indeed was the motto. Recently, our Premier was asked if she would be getting another booster (Which honestly is a dumb question; it is a personal matter), and people were angry she said make your own choice. We are a free nation; you are adults who can make decisions. Was wrong to say? Mostly, I think people were upset with how poorly Covid was handled. Vaccine passports were crazy. Never in my lifetime have I seen people discriminated against like that. Even if you had your shot, that didn't mean you might not have it. Unless you did a test before you entered a place there was no way to know and a passport didn't stop someone from carrying it. Masking in restaurants until you sit down? People do know air moves right; sitting did not prevent the spread. I will stop on Covid now. However, it is an excellent example of how severely media and politics mix into healthcare.
This one was a harder entry to do. I don't have the healthcare experience that someone who works in it does. Because of life, I have seen how it works and fails better than many people. People in the field could comment on anything I have written. One more time, I have tons of respect for most people in the area, and thank you for keeping us alive and healthy. As a society, we need to be healthier and look after ourselves better, which starts at home. The government should try to help this by encouraging it and putting out sin taxes as well. Overall, the system is struggling and could use an overhaul. It isn't the front-line worker's fault and shouldn't have become a political issue. Let's toy with VERY WELL regulated private healthcare. I say this as someone who may not afford it but knows it benefits everyone. Also, mental health needs a long, hard look to have actual well-rounded healthcare. First, it needs to be taken seriously, and second, it needs to be available to everyone. Actually, some people need different help, but any outlet is good for people. Healthcare is the second most important thing to a strong society. First, we need the right systems in place, and second we need the people taken care of. Many of my coming blogs will refer to health care as a cornerstone of society.
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