Guns and health.

[OldWiseGuy]

Gun violence, whether crime or suicide, is a national problem engendering more calls for gun control. Included are calls for mental health screening, as so many involved have histories of some sort of aberrant behavior. The implication of physical or mental illness in suicide is well known. What is little appreciated is the role that physical health plays in the mental health of most individuals. From personal experience I can attest that one influences the other greatly. There are mountains of medical evidence to support this as well, in fact improving the physical health of a patient is often the first step in improving their mental health.

With this in mind it seems to me that the way to begin to address gun violence, as well as many other problems that we face, is to improve the physical health of the nation, with an eye to thus improving the mental health as well. Thoughts?

 

[ss51]

Our scripture is clear that ALL illness is an attack of the enemy, thus Jesus was able to "heal them all" as is written.
We have missed this mark for a couple thousand years.
Violence as well is not of God, but from the adversary.

 

[Greengardener]

You've brought up a good point, Wise Guy. We'd all be better off if we realized what all we CAN do to improve our physical health and if each of us actually started doing better. I'm game to encourage people when I can. In reality I can't do a lot to make YOU (or anyone else) more healthy and neither could legislators to be honest. Laws could possibly restrict your access to drugs, alcohol, tobacco and sugary foods and drinks, but that's not much in the big picture in America. There is a strong association from what I see in physical health and mental health, which is very logical: if the body isn't getting what it needs to work right, it doesn't always work right. We have all sorts of evidence for that, like people getting confused with exposures to fumes, low blood sugar, or weird potassium levels in their blood or people getting scurvy from a lack of vitamin C or rickets from a lack of vitamin D. I've seen some data from low income health insurance managed care organizations (those companies managing Medicaid) and although there is a lot of money being funneled into healthcare, they too are stymied to get good results because it really comes down to the individual, even if the rest of us are paying for the care. I wish with that much money we really COULD make a difference. For the handful of folks that have actually taken steps to be healthier, I can't say I've met one with any regrets short of not starting earlier on the journey. I can only imagine that anything that improves body health makes for the potential for improved mental health which reduces the incidence of crazy stuff happening. I'm also for interactive parenting, mentoring, caring, socializing and encouraging.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

You've brought up a good point, Wise Guy. We'd all be better off if we realized what all we CAN do to improve our physical health and if each of us actually started doing better. I'm game to encourage people when I can. In reality I can't do a lot to make YOU (or anyone else) more healthy and neither could legislators to be honest. Laws could possibly restrict your access to drugs, alcohol, tobacco and sugary foods and drinks, but that's not much in the big picture in America. There is a strong association from what I see in physical health and mental health, which is very logical: if the body isn't getting what it needs to work right, it doesn't always work right. We have all sorts of evidence for that, like people getting confused with exposures to fumes, low blood sugar, or weird potassium levels in their blood or people getting scurvy from a lack of vitamin C or rickets from a lack of vitamin D. I've seen some data from low income health insurance managed care organizations (those companies managing Medicaid) and although there is a lot of money being funneled into healthcare, they too are stymied to get good results because it really comes down to the individual, even if the rest of us are paying for the care. I wish with that much money we really COULD make a difference. For the handful of folks that have actually taken steps to be healthier, I can't say I've met one with any regrets short of not starting earlier on the journey. I can only imagine that anything that improves body health makes for the potential for improved mental health which reduces the incidence of crazy stuff happening. I'm also for interactive parenting, mentoring, caring, socializing and encouraging.

It's actually a national security issue.

The Vast Majority Of Americans In Their 20s Are Unfit For Military Service - Task & Purpose (taskandpurpose.com)

I joined the Army when I was 22, and was barely fit physically or mentally for service. Guys that joined right out of high school were in pretty good shape however.

 

[East of Eden]

Unjustified violence is wrong, the tool employed is just a detail.

 

[Greengardener]

Some further thoughts on this, Wise.

Also implicated in this issue (physical health suggested as a starting point to remedy gun violence and our young men being unfit for military service too) is the lack of love and attention in families. Children nurtured in those early years, especially if also fed human milk straight from their moms, have the best chance for a good start. Gut development and setting up a healthy micro biome, best facilitated by Mom's milk, sets up the brain for the best learning and the body for the best physical health for the rest of that person's life. That close nurturing (it's hard to breastfeed long-distance or while the baby is in the crib in the other room) sets up that small human for the joy of the caring connections that make life good for all of us. Attention and caring discipline (in the sense of guidance- "discipling") in the formative years also teaches self control and appropriate boundaries. Looking around in America, we're falling short on a lot of the above. Single mom households now are the majority according to the stats I heard (and feel free to fact check) and although that only represents unmarried moms, it may reflect those with an absence or non-committed male role model. And then we could discuss how our society seems to have systematically eroded the training of our young men. Kids whose days are filled with media instead of caring, invested human training don't get that solid foundation even if the media is non-violent and educational. Those of us who had at least more of a solid foundation are mostly retired and aging. It might be a good idea to consider investing in the upcoming generations so they don't go down the tube all the more quickly - that is, if they'll put down their screens long enough to hold eye contact or chat.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Some further thoughts on this, Wise.

Also implicated in this issue (physical health suggested as a starting point to remedy gun violence and our young men being unfit for military service too) is the lack of love and attention in families. Children nurtured in those early years, especially if also fed human milk straight from their moms, have the best chance for a good start. Gut development and setting up a healthy micro biome, best facilitated by Mom's milk, sets up the brain for the best learning and the body for the best physical health for the rest of that person's life. That close nurturing (it's hard to breastfeed long-distance or while the baby is in the crib in the other room) sets up that small human for the joy of the caring connections that make life good for all of us. Attention and caring discipline (in the sense of guidance- "discipling") in the formative years also teaches self control and appropriate boundaries. Looking around in America, we're falling short on a lot of the above. Single mom households now are the majority according to the stats I heard (and feel free to fact check) and although that only represents unmarried moms, it may reflect those with an absence or non-committed male role model. And then we could discuss how our society seems to have systematically eroded the training of our young men. Kids whose days are filled with media instead of caring, invested human training don't get that solid foundation even if the media is non-violent and educational. Those of us who had at least more of a solid foundation are mostly retired and aging. It might be a good idea to consider investing in the upcoming generations so they don't go down the tube all the more quickly - that is, if they'll put down their screens long enough to hold eye contact or chat.

It's actually worse than that. Children are acting so 'proudly' against all authority, including parents, that many are opting out of parenting altogether, even when married. Many countries are not reproducing enough youngsters to replace their aging workforce. Many have had such a stressful, even traumatic, upbringing that they want nothing to do with family and children. China has just adopted a "three child" policy to try and bolster their declining population, but many there also don't want the 'inconvenience' of raising children.

 

[ss51]

He told us all this in His word about these last of the last days.

 

[LockeeDeck]

Gun violence, whether crime or suicide, is a national problem engendering more calls for gun control. Included are calls for mental health screening, as so many involved have histories of some sort of aberrant behavior. The implication of physical or mental illness in suicide is well known. What is little appreciated is the role that physical health plays in the mental health of most individuals. From personal experience I can attest that one influences the other greatly. There are mountains of medical evidence to support this as well, in fact improving the physical health of a patient is often the first step in improving their mental health.

With this in mind it seems to me that the way to begin to address gun violence, as well as many other problems that we face, is to improve the physical health of the nation, with an eye to thus improving the mental health as well. Thoughts?

Getting people to do things for their own good is an uphill battle. People must value mental and physical health for them to take actions to improve them and many just want to live in the moment. In some ways this would make taking guns away an easier solution but not necessarily a better one.

 

[ss51]

don't want one? Don't buy one.