HOMELESSNESS: IN AMERICA and in IOWA – March 14, 2021
by William Shackelford

Why the Big Lie Matters

by Joel Barrat
Posted 6/12/2021

The United States is not a pure democracy. It is a representative democracy. That’s a good thing. Why? Because majorities don’t always get it right. This is why it is important to elect candidates with good discernment and principles who can navigate through complicated scenarios.

It’s apparent we, the people, haven’t always done a good job of electing those with good character. The fundamental reason voting is so important is that it empowers the people. It provides an opportunity to vote out and vote in new people with the hope of replacing the not so good with better.

Which brings us to the current state of the GOP. The current majority of Republicans and their leadership has officially gone off the rails.

They have adopted and are perpetuating the lies of the former president. Most of them know it’s a lie and still they feel compelled to stay in the rank and file lest they face the wrath of party leadership and their de facto leader, one Donald J. Trump.

Their dubious excuse for indulging the Big Lie? “We’re just representing our constituents.”

Total BS.

For a representative democracy to be effective it’s important for our leaders to stand up for the truth, at least as they understand it to be. And that means informing their constituents when they’re wrong as they are in this case. Failure in this responsibility is failing our constitutionally founded form of government.

It should go without saying. Not only is it requisite, it is a necessity for representative democracy to function properly. Adopting lies is poisonous and leeches into all other areas.

We are heading into very uncertain times. Without a doubt the most unsettling and uncertain of my 57 years. Please stay vigilant. Please vote. Stay active and informed. If you can find one person who is complacent do what you can to help them understand what is at stake.

2022 looks to be a watershed election and control of Congress. Should it fall sway to the lies and distortions being fueled by the GOP? Not only will the truth lose the majority, we may lose our representative democracy to autocrats and would be tyrants as well.

Will we rise to the challenge of climate change?

by Ashley Tolen
Posted 4/20/2021

Our lack of urgency towards global warming creates environmental threats for our future. Planet Earth is calling on us to rise to the occasion, open our eyes and make a change before there is no longer a future to be concerned with. Our forests are ablaze. The homes belonging to wildlife are being destroyed right before their very eyes yet some people still dare to question the validity of this threat. Global warming is a direct threat to our very existence. If we do not begin to take this issue seriously there will be a price to pay. It may even cost your life.

I hope it comes as no surprise that global warming will have a direct impact on the way we carry out our lives as humans. Global warming has been scientifically proven to cause ozone depletion, extreme weather, the spread of infectious diseases, and changes to food and water supplies as crops become scarce. Skepticism towards global warming or climate change needs to be thrown out the window and replaced with what is going on. If more people had belief from the beginning, I’d like to think that the circumstances may be different than the ones we face now. Lesson learned for the future. If we don’t begin to make changes now we will continue to slowly suffer adverse health effects from global warming and climate change such as lung disease from air pollution. As humans, our mental health as a collective will drop drastically as we struggle to face the newly found adversities that stem from our foolishness.

The wildfire season in California last year was record-setting in terms of intensity, length, and amount of fires. Lives of innocent animals who did absolutely nothing to deserve this have been injured and killed. We owe these flames to climate change which has also had its clan of nonbelievers. Global warming refers to the increase in planet Earth’s temperature while climate change includes the effects global warming has on our planet. Scientists have long predicted the increase of Earth’s temperature and there is not much we can do to prevent it however there are precautions and proactive steps we can take to extend the life of our planet for future generations. Our wildlife does not deserve this. We do not deserve this.

In 2015, 197 countries signed what is known as The Paris Agreement Act. The Paris Agreement Act is a contract full of commitments made by all included countries to put an end to climate change or at the least, slow the curve. The Paris Agreement Act includes a promise made by all 197 countries to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. According to NationalGeographic, major countries are already in jeopardy for not following through. Christina Nunez, author of “Global Warming Solutions, Explained.” explains how our efforts may just barely make a dent in the problem we face. “Previous research suggests that even if countries do meet their pledges to reduce emissions, those commitments won’t be enough to
stave off severe warming.” The next question we face is, what can we do? Leaders may tell citizens to recycle, reduce their carbon footprint, etc. but as long as our emission levels increase these efforts mean little to nothing. We now know the solution is bigger than us and we need our people in power to get on board before it is simply too late.

It all starts with a good example and I do not believe our previous president can be categorized as so. When climate change and global warming are becoming increasingly serious the last thing we need is the leader of our country calling our most feared threat a “hoax”. On top of denying the problem as a whole, former U.S President Donald Trump also made an effort to erase or cut more than 100 rules regarding air pollution. Our current president Joe Biden plans to try and clean Trump’s disaster up however the damage may be irreversible. Director of The Sabin Center For Climate Change, Michael Gerrard explains “ Donald Trump has been to climate change as General Sherman was to Atlanta.” in an article titled “What Will Donald Trump’s Most Profound Legacy Be? Possibly Climate Damage.” written by Coral Davenport, an author for TheNewYorkTimes. General Sherman and his troops captured Atlanta during the American Civil War so I will let you compare that analogy for yourself. I hope our current president will work to focus on the issues that truly matter.

As global warming continues to worsen, new threats arise. This particular threat went unnoticed for too long simply because its effects cannot be seen with the naked eye but that does not mean there is any lessened danger. High amounts of methane are leaking from gas and oil tanks and in turn further polluting our air quality. Jonah Kessel, author of “ “It’s A Vast, Invisible Climate Menace. We Made It Visible.” didn’t know the seriousness of the threat until he snapped some photos using special technology meant for tracing leaks on camera. The evidence is all there as long as you’re willing to look for yourself and come up with viable solutions. Due to the inability to detect methane on time, the consequences are quickly catching up to us and the planet continues to warm. There must be more thought put into our environment before coming in and destroying it with everything we touch. In my personal opinion, I believe it would be helpful to install these cameras at all gas and oil sites to monitor pollution output. Doing so would be costly but fortunately, what we lose in money we can make up for with human and planet health.

On top of the long list of factors contributing to global warming and climate change, there is now an even more seemingly innocent cause. Scientists have proven that even our cell phones, laptops, cameras, and tablets are also contributing to speed up global warming. You would never imagine such a small piece of technology to come with such detrimental side effects but unfortunately, there isn’t much advocacy for the environment going into the production of these gadgets. Andrew Krosofsky explains how cell phones are killing the planet in his GreenMatters article “Do Cell Phones Contribute To Global Warming?” “Cobalt and lithium are both necessary for creating the powerful lithium-ion batteries that run our fantastic little smartphones. It will come as no surprise that the mining of both of these materials is terrible for the environment. According to ScienceDirect cobalt mining uses incredible amounts of
electricity and contributes to global CO2 and nitrogen emissions. Lithium mining doesn’t have such greenhouse gas emissions, though it does use incredible amounts of water.” With that being said, if we know the emissions of these harmful gases are contributing to global warming we must act quickly to slow them. Perhaps there is a more environmentally friendly way to build cell phones. Our next technological advance should be one made in favor of the planet instead of as an attack. Proper production management and supervision from environmental advocates could help decrease the carelessness for Earth when it comes to technology.

The problem of global warming and climate change also brings issues of ethics, society, and equality. Another problem that is unique to climate change is the tension it brings between generations. Take Greta Thunberg for example. Greta Thunberg is a powerful young woman who has a voice stronger than most at the age of 18. Recently Thunberg has shed light on the older population and how they have had more contribution to global warming than the younger generations have even had time for. Thunberg’s courage has brought some much-needed attention to the inequality among generations when it comes to climate change. Many young people feel cheated as if they were handed down a defective planet from their younger cousin who did not know how to take care of it. In some ways, this is true. However, this generation recognizes that there is a problem and no matter how angry they are it will get solved.

Human life, wildlife, and future generations to come are all facing the same global threat known as global warming. Ridding this threat means we must understand such a complex problem and that we must understand it correctly. However, as humans with different goals, values, and levels of understanding we seem to be struggling to get on the same page quickly enough to come up with a plan to save our planet. Before doing that we must clarify that every person understands the validity and seriousness of the threats global warming and climate change bring to human life directly. Open your eyes and open your minds otherwise the rest will all go down as history.

Here is a short list of general facts about Hemp

Posted 4/12/2021

Hemp is thought to be the first domestically-cultivated plant, with evidence of hemp fabric dating to 8,000 years ago found in Turkey (former-day Mesopotamia). Other evidence suggests cultivation further back by two or more thousands of years.

The word hemp has been used in the past to Europe to describe other fiber plants, including sisal and jute.
Beer hops (Humulus genus) are a close cousin of genus Cannabis, both of which fall under the family Cannabaceae.

Hemp was not always treated as the same as marijuana by the U.S. government.

The word “marihuana” (now marijuana) was coined in the 1890s, but not used until the 1930s by the U.S. Bureau of Narcotics (replaced by the DEA) to refer to all forms of cannabis.

According to the documentary “The Union: The Business Behind Getting High” (available at YouTube), the first marijuana law in the United States was enacted in 1619, in Jamestown Colony, Virginia, and actually required farmers to grow hemp. Benjamin Franklin used hemp in his paper mill – one of the country’s first – and the first two copies of the Declaration of Independence were supposedly written on hemp paper.

In parts of the Americas, hemp was legal tender and could be used to pay taxes.

Hemp paper is stronger than wood-based paper, and can withstand more folding. In general, hemp has the strongest natural fiber of any source.

Hemp paper hundreds of years old (found in museums) has not yellowed, and is thus a high quality paper of archival quality.

Hemp can grow nearly anywhere in the world, in many types of soil — even in short growing seasons or in dry regions — and helps purify soil as well as kills some types of weeds.

Hemp can grow without pesticides. The crop also kills some weeds, purifies soil, and is suitable for rotation use, due not only to its short harvest cycle (120 days).

Hemp is a high-yield crop. One acre of hemp produces twice as much oil as one acre of peanuts, and nearly four times as much fiber pulp (for paper) as an acre of trees.

Hemp paper is naturally acid-free and does not yellow as quickly as tree pulp-based paper.

Hemp has the strongest (and longest) plant fiber in the world, resistant to rot and abrasion, and was in long use before DuPont patented nylon in 1937. It was used for ship rigging, military uniforms, parachute webbing, baggage and more.

Because of its strength, hemp fiber can be used for composite materials that could be used to make anything from skateboard decks to car and stealth fighter bodies.

A hemp composite material (with limestone and water) forms a type of concrete (hempcrete) that can be used for home building, at 1/9th the weight. It also acts as insulation and repels some vermin.

Levi jeans were originally made from hemp sailcloth (and rivets), for gold miners in California, who would fill their pockets with gold.

By the 1800s, the state of Kentucky produced about half of the industrial hemp in the U.S. The first hemp crop there was planted in Boyle County in 1775.

Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, created a plastic car in 1941 which ran on hemp and other plant-based fuels, and whose fenders were made of hemp and other materials. Ford had a plan to “grow automobiles from the soil.” (Note: a company in France is experimenting with a similar vehicle in the current day.)

Despite the active Marijuana Tax Act and the official federal government stance on hemp and marijuana, the U.S. Army and the Dept of Agriculture jointly produced a 1942 film, “Hemp for Victory,” encouraging farmers to grow hemp for the country’s effort in World War II — particularly for textiles and rope, imports of which had been cut off by war. Over 100,000 acres of hemp was growing in the U.S., but all related permits were canceled when WWII ended.

National Hemp Association: nationalhempassociation.org
Source: Online Masters In Public Health

‘Anti-vaccination is anti-Science and anti-Common Sense’

by Joel Barrat
Posted 4/5/2021

Evidence of small pox infections show up in Egyptian mummies so we know it’s been around at least 3,000 years. It killed nearly 3 out of 10 people who became afflicted. The 7 who survive are often left with horrific scarring.

As better immunology was developed, this naturally occurring, deadly and disfiguring disease was nearly eradicated worldwide by 1980. Why? Because In 1796 Edward Jenner recognized immunity in those who had been exposed to cowpox which led to the development of a vaccine.

There was a time when being afflicted with rabies was a death sentence. Prior to death there was cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, confusion and agitation. As it progresses, the patient experiences delirium and other abnormal behaviors. Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal. To date less than 20 cases of human survival from clinical rabies have been documented. So why don’t people die from rabies very often? Because in 1885 Louis Pasteur developed a rabies vaccine.

The 20th century introduced the dawn of bacteriology and many developments rapidly followed. Antitoxins and vaccines gave us the ability to slow or prevent a number of maladies including diphtheria, tetanus, cholera, plague and typhoid. Even more were developed through the 1930s.

By the 1950s vaccine research and development had proliferated. Methods for growing viruses in the laboratory were developed which led to faster identification and innovations in treatments. Other common childhood diseases such as measles, mumps, and rubella have been all but eradicated in this country because of vaccines which greatly reduce the disease burden.

So here we are in 2021 and people I know are refusing to get vaccinated for Covid-19 because they don’t trust it. Despite expansive evidence which has shown 3 and possibly 4 vaccines available at present are both safe and effective.

As of this week the official number of people who have died of Covid-19 is closing in on 3 million. My research suggests we’ve already crossed that threshold with the number of unreported and under reported globally likely adding as much as 20% to the overall totals.

The number of people who have died from getting the vaccine to date?

As of late February, “The CDC and FDA received 1,170 reports of fatalities among individuals in the U.S. who received a Covid vaccine — 0.003% of vaccinated people — between Dec. 14, and Feb. 7. During this time, over 41 million doses of Pfizer or Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccines were administered across the country, according to the CDC.” Source CNBC

In nearly every instance there appears to have been pre existing conditions or the cause of death was anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction which can be triggered by many things, bee stings, peanuts etc. It’s why we are required to sit for at least 15 minutes after immunization. If you have a history of acute allergic reactions or an existing medical condition which may not be conducive please consult your doctor before getting vaccinated

Don’t want to get vaccinated for a deadly virus? That’s your business. Feel free to stay the hell away from me or at least let me know, so I can stay away from you. Oh yeah, and if you happen to get bit by a rabid animal? Feel free to get your affairs in order … pronto.

Racism, bias, and discrimination resources

Posted 3/30/2021

What is racism?
Individual racism is a personal belief in the superiority of one’s race over another. It is linked to racial prejudice and discriminatory behaviors, which can be an expression of implicit and explicit bias.

Institutionalized racism is a system of assigning value and allocating opportunity based on skin color. It unfairly privileges some individuals and groups over others and influences social institutions in our legal, educational, and governmental systems. It is reflected in disparities in, but not limited to, wealth, income, justice, employment, housing, medicine, education, and voting. It can be expressed implicitly or explicitly and occurs when a certain group is targeted and discriminated against based on race.

Read this powerful article from the American Psychological Foundation

Critical thinking is…critical

Posted 3/23/2021

Thinking about thinking helps kids learn. Here is a great read from the Conversation on how we can teach critical thinking.

Few people doubt the value of developing students’ thinking skills. A 2013 survey in the United States found 93% of employers believe a candidate’s demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important [the emphasis is in the original] than [their] undergraduate major.

A focus on critical thinking is also common in education. In the Australian Curriculum, critical and creative thinking are known as “general capabilities”; the US has a similar focus through their “common core”.

Read the rest of the article at this link.

HOMELESSNESS: IN AMERICA and in IOWA:

by William Shackelford 
Posted 3/14/2021

HOMELESSNESS: first emerged as a public issue in the 1870’s. Today, a century and a half later, homelessness is a serious and florid problem throughout much of the world, including the U.S. and Iowa. This paper is designed to provide the student with a broad, but highly condensed understanding of the issues surrounding this societal crisis.

DEFINING and CLASSIFYING the Men, Women and Children Who are HOMELESS: Because a person can be homeless one day and not the next, homelessness may be the quintessential moving target. Among countless attempts to define homelessness, “Living in a place not intended for human habitation” is a popular version. Another is “lack of a fixed, regular, adequate nighttime residence.” Venturing beyond the generic, the UK homelessness charity Crisis describes “a home is not just a physical place: it also provides roots, identity, security, a sense of belonging, and a place of emotional well being.” In the UK, homelessness is also described as “those who are roofless.”

Among the classifications of homelessness, Chronic Homelessness represents an evolving and continuing problem for society. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines chronic homelessness as “Having a disability and having been homeless for the past year” or, “Having a disability and having experienced at least 4 episodes of homelessness in the past 3 years,
totaling at least 12 months.”

DATA SOURCES: Worldwide efforts to collect reasonably accurate data on homelessness are rife with vicissitudes. For our purposes, 2007 was the first year HUD began collecting data. In the US, HUD’s “Point-In-Time-Count” is the only “official” survey of homelessness. A Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is an annual HUD effort, conducted in January, to estimate the number of Americans, including veterans, the chronically homeless, and children and youth, without safe, stable housing. PIT counts help to establish the dimensions of the problem and help policy makers track progress toward the goal of ending homelessness. State specific surveys include an inventory of available homeless services, shelters and housing.

Click to read the complete post

Common sense, is it really all that common?

by Joel Barratt
Posted 3/1/2021

More specifically, do I possess it? Or, more often, copy what I hear and see from others? Is it innate or are we simply repeating patterns which yield comforting results?

Is it possible we are hard-wired to be cooperative and prefer deriving comfort from our own ignorance (or others we trust) as opposed to taking leaps of faith in the unknown? Let’s be honest, “boat rockers” often become pariahs at the outset and their vision all too often embraced posthumously.

History also suggests we are willing to throw common sense out the window when it conflicts with our preconceived ideas. The brain identifies and repeats pattern (no matter how detrimental or beneficial) more efficiently than it breaks free from convention.

When I was asked to contribute an essay to this forum, it struck me I should first explore the meaning of its name, “Common Sense Power” and speculate on the hoped for result for anyone who may indulge the contents.

For me it means a desire to come away feeling smarter and more informed.

Common sense, as defined by Merriam-Webster: “Noun. Sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.”

Prudent. Now there’s a good word. But haven’t some of the best ideas come from imprudent actions? Throwing caution to the wind and embarking to places of imagination has yielded many of our greatest technological advances. Without those individuals we’d likely still be living in caves, although some days that doesn’t seem such a bad idea either. Everything exacts a toll, even progress.

Common. A nice cooperative word, often used to describe a recurring “something” which a majority have a shared belief in. Fact is, we may collectively ascribe to a belief which is devoid of any “sense” at all and, in some instances, to our own detriment.

For centuries, common sense held the earth was flat. Similarly, much of “faith” was rooted in superstition and unsubstantiated myth. To challenge those commonly accepted “truths” often resulted in condemnation — even torture and death. To me that doesn’t make any sense at all, common or uncommon.

What if Newton hadn’t been curious enough to understand the physics involved and never set about the task of helping us understand gravity? What if instead, he believed the apple, which bonked him on the head, hadn’t fallen, but had been thrown by an invisible monkey? My guess is lots of folks would have avoided standing under trees lest they too became a target and some, undoubtedly, would go to great lengths to capture the invisible monkey.

What if the European explorers had never set sail? Instead, had stayed put out of fear of sea monsters or certain doom from sailing over the edge? How many more centuries would have the “common sense” people delayed their spirit of adventure? Certainly the indigenous people of the Americas would have preferred being spared the devastation of violence and diseases from which they had no immunity and wish “common sense” had prevailed.

These and other examples beg even bigger questions. How do we foster an environment of discovery and nurture a willingness to challenge ourselves and others to take risks? To better discern good information from dis- and misinformation? To abandon bias in exchange for broader enlightenment? How do we advance as a species by becoming willing to strip away our mostly closely held beliefs when new information comes along which is contradictory?

The simple answer is by helping people develop the tools to overcome their sense of vulnerability which often stems from exposure to new ideas and ways of thinking. People rarely do anything if they don’t feel it’s a benefit to them in some way. Especially difficult when the promised benefit(s) challenge them to confront their fear. Fear from things viewed as different or too complex to understand are common and the root cause of most ignorance.

Overcoming fear involves trust and trust seems to be in rather short supply these days. Perhaps if each of us do one thing today, and the days ahead, we can try to gain another’s trust, nurture it with honesty and transparency with the hope it becomes transferable and grows exponentially.

I don’t like to think about the consequences if we continue on our current trajectory of distrust and unbridled self righteousness.

It is also my belief we can enhance our individualism by embracing interconnectedness, a sense of shared humanity and a broader understanding of community. On the surface this may seem paradoxical, becoming homogenous to become unique, but when we strip away our vulnerability we become more free to embrace our unique purpose. The more free we become the less inhibited we are and more inclined to take risks which will take us to new places.

Fostering greater trust in one another seems our best way forward. Makes sense to me. How about you?

Upstream

by Ann Flood, LMHC in Mental Health and a guest contributor to Common Sense Power
Posted 2/25/2021

Second of a two part series

Spiritual Health
There is no one agreed upon definition of spirituality, but most people can identify with a spiritual aspect of self. The religious landscape of churches, synagogues, and mosques will need to be replaced with some other other form of community. Without religion — traditionally a source of community, purpose, and moral teaching — how are unaffiliated Americans filling this void? Vivek Murthy, M.D., 42, who served as the 19th surgeon general of the United States during the Obama administration named loneliness as his #1 health concern. He writes about our profound need for social connection in his new book, Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. According to the American Psychological Association, more than 42 million Americans identify as being lonely. The most recent U.S. Census Bureau data indicate that number will only increase: More than a quarter of the population lives alone and nearly half of the population is unmarried. Given this outlook, some health care professionals see not only an incipient public health hazard, but an epidemic.

The overarching approach for my practice incorporates three basic theories.
1. Experiential Theory with an emphasis on subjective experience and feelings.
2. Cognitive Behavioral Theory with an emphasis on the role of thinking and doing leading to less “stuckness” and a more chosen valued path.
3. Postmodern approach examining the client’s subjective world and then tapping into their existing resources for change within the individual.

There are six key concepts of existential therapy.
1. We have the capacity for self awareness.
2. Because we are basically free beings, we must accept the responsibility that accompanies our freedom.
3. We have a concern to preserve our uniqueness and identity; we come to know ourselves in relation to knowing and interacting with others.
4. The significance of our existence and the meaning of our life are never fixed once and for all; instead, we recreate ourselves through our projects.
5. Anxiety is part of the human condition.
6. Death is also a human condition and death awareness can give significance to living. The reality of death can lead to increased awareness that we do not have forever to actualize our being.

Therapeutic goals of existential therapy are to assist the participants in recognizing and accepting the freedom they have to become the authors of their own lives.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be quite diverse but all the approaches share six attributes.
1. A collaborative relationship between the group members and the therapist.
2. There is a premise that psychological distress is largely a function of disturbances in the cognitive processes.
3. A focus on changing cognitions to produce desired changes in affect and behavior.
4. A present-focused model.
5. A generally time-limited model and educational treatment focusing on specific and structured target problems.
6. A model that relies on empirical validation of its concepts and techniques.

Postmodern approaches (solution focused brief therapy, narrative therapy, and feminist therapy) challenge many of the assumptions of traditional therapies. The basic premise is that people are resourceful, competent, healthy, resilient, and have the capacity to discover solutions that can change the direction of their lives. Participants are the experts in their own lives and generate stories to make sense of ourselves and the world. Solution focused therapy moves from problem talk to solution talk and keeps it simple.

In narrative therapy the discussion centers on how a problem has been disrupting, dominating, or discouraging the person. Participants will hopefully learn that they are not the problem, the problem is the problem. They learn to reauthor their stories.

Feminist theory encompasses a broader perspective than do most theories and members of the group examine how they may been marginalized and lost their power. Members can expect more than simple problem solving strategies and need to be prepared for major shifts in their way of viewing the world around them, changes in the way they perceive themselves, and transformed interpersonal relationships.

Upstream

by Ann Flood, LMHC in Mental Health and a guest contributor to Common Sense Power
Posted 2/22/2021

First of a two part series

As a licensed mental health therapist, I work with clients using a body, mind, and spirit approach. Every client is expected to try to live more mindfully and hopefully begin a meditation practice to help them wake up to the life they are currently living and if they choose, pivot in a more valued direction. I try to be as transparent as possible when practicing counseling and share my theoretical orientation and after completing ten sessions, I offer my narrative and ask for correction if the client does not agree with the narrative. The client is the expert in their life. It is important to me that the client knows what is happening in therapy and the explanation of my approach is essential. My transparency stems from my own experience in therapy after my divorce three years ago. After about ten emotion filled sessions, I asked my therapist to explain her process and what we were doing in each session. I explained that it was painful and I need to know the path out of my pain. She could not share her plan and I am uncertain if she even had one. Emotional processing is good in therapy, but don’t ever get stuck there. I took this experience with me to graduate school with the intention of being a straightforward and transparent counselor. I developed a theoretical orientation that is an integrated approach and is explained at the end of this blog.

Upstream
Upstream approach to body, mind, and spiritual concerns is my theme for this blog on Common Sense. It means that we already know the answer to many of our problems, but are failing to act now.

Physical Health
The U.S. healthcare spending is projected to rise 1/5th of the economy by 2025. If we treated the most expensive and preventable diseases upstream (now),people would be healthier, richer, and happier. Heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity are the most preventable chronic diseases and can be reduced with behavioral changes. Heart disease is associated with depression. Obesity is associated with depression and anxiety, poor esteem. Like most mind-body interactions, obesity can lead to ill health, which is linked to depression and anxiety. Upstream action for physical well being includes exercise and dietary changes.

Exercise
• People who exercise regularly have fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety than those who don’t.
• Moderate intensity exercise can be an effective treatment on its own for mild-to-moderate depression.
• 16 weeks of regular exercise is just as effective as anti depressant medication in treating older people who were not exercising previously.
• Exercise can help treat people with depression who have partially responded to anti-depressants; that is, it can help them get even better
• Both aerobic exercise (such as walking, cycling or running) and strength training (such as weight lifting) can help treat depression.

Diet and mood
A 2014 study in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity that used data from the Nurses’ Health study did find an association between depression and a diet rich in sugar-sweetened soft drinks, refined grains, and red meat. There is consistent evidence for a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern and lower risk of depression. A Mediterranean diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, olive oil, whole grains, and lean protein such as chicken and fish, and low in red meat and unhealthy fats.

Mental Health
Did you know that negative experiences in childhood and the teenage years may put children at risk for chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance use in adulthood? These negative experiences are known as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs are potentially traumatic experiences, such as neglect, experiencing or witnessing violence, and having a family member attempt or die by suicide, that occur in childhood (birth to 17) that can affect children for years and impact their life opportunities. Fortunately, we can prevent ACEs and we can educate parents, communities, and policymakers about how to help children grow up in a safe and stable environment.

ACEs are incredibly common — two-thirds of study participants had experienced at least one ACE category and one in eight individuals had experienced four or more ACEs. The higher your ACE score, the higher the likelihood of developing long-term health problems like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes.

Upstream (now) programs to prevent adverse childhood events will reduce later mental health problems in adulthood. Research shows that the adversity we experience as a child can affect how our stress response functions, leading to long-term changes in our brains and bodies and leading to health problems as an adult. Experiencing 4 or more ACEs is associated with significantly increased risk for 7 out of 10 leading adult causes of death, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, COPD, diabetes, Alzheimers and suicide.

How to Prevent ACE
1. Strengthen Economic Supports for Families.
2. Promote Social Norms that Protect Against Violence and Adversity
3. Ensure a Strong Start for Children, Teach Skills
4. Connect Youth to Caring Adults and Activities
5. Intervene to Lessen Immediate and Long-term Harms.

It’s All About Quality Social Change

by Roger Petersen
Posted 1/31/2021

The purpose for this blog is to offer people an opportunity to place focus on subjects and topics of great importance and consequence to all of us. Attracting authors who care about our world and our being.

I would like contributing authors to share their message in a philosophical, informative, and educational manner.

Philosophical… Have meaning and passion
Informative… Make us aware
Educational… Teach us with your knowledge and insight

It could be a one-time statement or an on-going theme.

The mission of ‘The Power of Common Sense’ is to continue improving and expanding this website, Facebook page, and always exploring other media sources, taking methodical steps that make sense.

My intention is to invite individuals and organizations that advocate for social change. To collaborate, formulating strategic promotional plans that recognize their purpose and mission. Utilizing the TPCS format to organize a group effort and enlighten the public.

My goal is to coordinate an in-person educational forum later this year when appropriate and safe. While the public is looking forward to some normalcy, TPCS will be acknowledging our partners and spreading their message and good will.

After enjoying our blog page, please browse this site and Facebook page, along with subject related Facebook groups. Also, check out a new proposed program, the ‘Common Sense Factor’ which is on the ‘Knowledge is Power’ page.

Feel free to contact me through this site or my personal email: petersenrog@gmail.com.

Join us

by Roger Petersen
Posted 5/9/2019

As Earth residents, human attitude and behaviors must change. For change to occur people need to be MORE AWARE and EDUCATED.

Globally, major changes are taking place in the atmosphere and climate, there is no letup in the accumulating evidence of climate change. The most profound change that must happen and soon, is the transition to a sustainable civilization – one in which a stable human population recognizes the finite limits of the Earth’s systems to produce resources and absorb wastes, and act accordingly. This is hard to picture at present, but it is the only future that makes sense. If we fail to achieve it by deliberate actions, the natural world will impose it on us in highly undesirable ways.

The Green Story is still being written. There is a history, a present, and yes a future. We are all participants in this story. Like many stories there are heroes and villains. The future will expose who were the heroes and who were the villains. We will all know eventually. Tomorrow’s children will know the truth.