Meanwhile, random stuff snags your attention. It wasn’t the poetry of the subject line, “Wellness Wednesday: Mental Health and Self-Care Week 7" that hooked my interest. Maybe because I had just gotten an MRI on my torn-up left shoulder. A little wellness might hit the spot. And what is “self-care” anyway? It sounds almost raunchy.
I opened the message.
“Self-care is the practice of taking care of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health,” wrote Chicago Public Media human resources manager Stephanie Sferra Bassill. “While many people view self-care as a form of selfish indulgence, prioritizing yourself is an essential component of overall well-being.”
Hmm... I thought... let me get this straight: my employer is urging me to set aside this work nonsense, these bothersome interviews, the endless tappity-tap-tap on a keyboard, and just live a fuller, healthier, happier life?
Well yeah. I can do that.
Where to begin?
For some reason I skipped the first, physical health aspect, and went straight for mental and emotional, dialing the number of a friend I’d been meaning to call. Isolation is a modern plague — we think we’re so connected by social media, when we’re really staring at a screen alone. I got his voicemail. A second friend. Also voicemail. A third. Again voicemail. No wonder we’re all so frazzled. A fourth call. Any guesses? Voicemail.
People really don’t use the telephone anymore.
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Did you injure your shoulder or is it just worn out?
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have high function are you just experiencing pain?.
If you've never had acupuncture I recommend that you give it a try sometimes it works very well half a dozen sessions and you're like wow I wonder what happened to the pain?
If something is frayed or torn or broken it is not going to help you you just got to get it repaired but if it's just that lifelong usage thing acupuncture I'm a big fan
Coping can be helpful as well it's in every professional sports locker room therapy protocol if you've got something against getting stuck with needles
Tom
My mom has had a knee, hip, and shoulder replaced. The shoulder post-op was the easiest recovery for her. The biggest "complication" was her not doing enough PT on her own.
ReplyDeleteSelf-care absolutely all-encompassing as you propose. Especially for us "alta cockers". I too have a left shoulder issue. Imaging revealed rotator cuff arthropathy. Short of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, surgery is not an option. And that ain't happening for this 75 year old. However, I have found physical therapy to be an effective treatment option. 36 visits later, I now do the exercises on my own. Has considerably increased my range of motion and reduced discomfort. Depending on your specific diagnosis, hope you've considered that for yourself. We need you healthy in all ways as our mental health depends on it.
ReplyDeleteVery kind of you Baruch. I certainly am all for physical therapy — I had my spine rebuilt in 2019, remember, and if I didn't do regular stretches I couldn't turn my head. I'm visiting the surgeon to look at those options a week from Monday. Meanwhile I'm going to see if the shoulder will let me chop down a tree today.
DeleteSo Steinbergian of you. Are you sure you're Jewish, George?
Delete"a well-managed vice is part of the complete wellness package".Well said. I enjoy a small cigar on occasion and the contentment I get from that ritual is immeasurable. To those who find fault with this modest luxury I say fooey.
ReplyDeleteAlmost 25 years ago I had my first MRI for a shoulder problem. The machine was one of those loud, nerve wracking, magnet slapping, claustrophobic tubes that some comic-book evil genius invented. Arrrggg!!! My shoulder didn't need surgery. Just some physical therapy to strengthen it. It lasted another ten years before I finally needed surgery, and of course, more physical therapy. Therapy is so important.
ReplyDeleteI hope you were joking about going to that appalling fraud at Lourdes!
ReplyDeleteStill, any visit to France can be therapeutic, at least once the heat wave passes.
Deletei hope he was joking about chopping down a tree today!
DeleteI get checked out twice yearly. My Cleveland Clinic primary care doctor calls them "wellness visits"...not "physicals." But past a certain age...it varies for each person...self-care becomes like keeping a 20-year- old car on the road. One thing after another acts up or goes wrong. And it doesn't stop.
ReplyDeleteCirculation problems begin to increase. Legs and feet swell, especially in the warmer and more humid summertime, and necessitate the wearing of compression socks, which I call "torture socks." Toenails thicken and become extremely difficult to trim...hence the expression "tough toenails."
Bladder issues increase. Accidents happen. Colonoscopies become more important. Choking on food becomes more common, leading to esophagus procedures. Hearing loss happens. Vision problems mean cataract surgery. The number of daily medications skyrockets. Aches and pains and stiff joints become routine. And women have their own issues, including hair loss and mammograms.
No need to go on with this litany of woes. Becoming an "alter kocker" (Yiddish for "old shitter" can be a tough road to travel. Including the "kocker" part. But I won't go there.
It doesn't happen to everybody grizz.
DeleteSome people die young I'll take the tough toenails
Tom
No, it doesn't ALL happen to everybody. But at least one or two of them do.
DeleteBeats the alternative of dropping dead at 54, as my wife's cousin did. We will both be turning 80 next summer.
"Most people my age are dead at the present time, and you can look it up."
--Casey Stengel
Gee, I admire your honesty and vulnerability. And now, as an aging woman, I think I will go stick my head under the covers
DeleteCall 'em like I see 'em. Except for the "kocker" in "alter kocker."
DeleteThere are limits, even for me. Did not want to dump that on everybody.
I greatly enjoy the picture you chose to show with your articles. But I would like you to post some info on where and what they are if not self evident, like todays statue. It looks like it may be from Southeast Asia. It is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteMike M, Elgin, Il
Sorry about that. This is the Buddha Shakyamuni Seated in Meditation, on display at The Art Institute's glorious asian art wing. I chose it because it seemed to speak to the topic of wellness.
DeleteAcupuncture greatly relieved the pain in my left shoulder 20 years ago. I didn't know how had bad my shoulder ached until that treatment.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the injury. I hope it turns out to be something that's (relatively) easily treatable. I suppose we never truly appreciate the miracle of having smooth and painless body mechanics until something goes amiss, and then we marvel at how many tasks (like even getting out of bed!) require the use of that injured body part. Wishing you wellness in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI think you mentioned getting counseling in "Drunkard," but not very much. After that, I long wondered if that remained a part of your "wellness technique," or not, since you didn't refer to it, as far as I could tell.
ReplyDeleteI'm very much a believer that mental health care is health care, and applaud you for choosing to write about it in today's column. If only good counseling were readily available to all, and folks could afford it.
I cannot think of a more theraputic exercise than a weekly chat with a professional therapist. Why this idea is still disdained by society is a mystery to me. When I was a very young divorcee couseling got me back on my mental feet. Your "sobriety" is an inspiration to all and you should be proud of yourself everyday.
ReplyDeleteI stand with Jakash and Brunan on this issue! Mental health treatment should be regarded with the same importance as metabolic or physical injuries/diseases, and should be given the same level of respect and insurance coverage, as well.
Delete