Tonight's picture was taken in January of 2009. That afternoon we took Mattie out to dinner at one of his favorite restaurants. Honestly given all that Mattie faced on any given day, it is amazing that he was even able to smile at all. I think it speaks to his strength, love of life, and the powerful connection he shared with me and Peter.
Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins.
- number of people diagnosed with the virus: 25,246,713
- number of people who died from the virus: 420,439
While listening to the radio this morning, I heard about the startling stats regarding teen suicide! But the key here is suicidal thought that has increased because of the lock downs associated with the Pandemic. I have been saying this for months that the long term toll of social isolation will have a devastating impact on our communities. Unfortunately the stories shared by families confirm my fears and their reflections in the Washington Post article below are heartbreaking. It is hard enough to lose a child, but to think that you are responsible, that you believe you could have prevented this, or done more has got to be a horrific feeling that follows you forever.
The article I am referring to is entitled, For months, he helped his son keep suicidal thoughts at bay. Then came the pandemic.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/11/23/covid-pandemic-rise-suicides/
- Federal surveys show that 40 percent of Americans are now grappling with at least one mental health or drug-related problem. But young adults have been hit harder than any other age group, with 75 percent struggling.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently asked young adults if they had thought about killing themselves in the past 30 days, 1 in 4 said they had.
- A federal study in August on the coronavirus’s mental impact found that the youngest people surveyed had the highest rates of increased anxiety, depression, substance use and other mental health problems.
- America’s system for monitoring suicides is so broken and slow that experts won’t know until roughly two years after the pandemic whether suicides have risen nationally. But coroners and medical examiners are already seeing troubling signs.
- Since the crisis began, $175 billion in emergency funding has been allocated to hospitals and other medical facilities, but less than 1 percent of that has gone specifically to mental health and substance abuse services.
- “Why isn’t there a mental health leader on the coronavirus task force?” said Vaile Wright, clinical research director at the American Psychological Association. “Our physical and mental health are completely intertwined, and we need to treat them that way.”
As I was reading this article, and specifically focused on the last two bullet points, all I could think about was childhood cancer! Change the disease and the problem is still the same! Our medical model, our healthcare industry, thinks of illness in ONLY physical terms! Yet whether we are talking about cancer or a pandemic, we MUST think about the psychosocial ramifications. Like I always say with childhood cancer, the same applies to the pandemic.... IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE MEDICINE and THE PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUES DO NOT END WHEN THE TREATMENT (or lockdowns) DOES!
When are we going to learn as a Country? How many children and families have to suffer such devastating psychosocial consequences without resources and supports in place? I am saddened to read about the countless number of families whose children have committed suicide during the pandemic. Which leads me to conclude that distance learning and connecting with friends virtually are NOT the same as in person connections. We may live in the technology age, but at the end of the day we are human, and humans require social experiences, we require outside stimulation, and feeling connected to others and with a purpose. All of which can't possibly be adequately received through a computer.
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