Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 1:01am
Mental health in America: Cause for concern and action
Column: PERFECTBALANCELIFE
Stop. Take a moment and pause to consider this reality: America has too many people being treated for a variety of mental health disorders. This past weekend I read in my local paper that New York State currently has 360,000 people being treated for mental health disorders, and of this number some 120,000 are children. I am shocked at these statistics. Just how accurate these numbers are I know is open to debate. I am also aware of the politically charged atmosphere surrounding the subject of mental health and treatment in the United States. Still, I am really upset when I think about how many people — in just one state alone — are not able to live their lives in peace and contentment. What can we do to help reduce these numbers, if anything?
Let's start with children. Every child needs to know that he or she was created as a unique, divine and eternal being. The best place to obtain a good understanding about these things is within the domain of authentic religious traditions. When children can see that their lives do not end when the physical body returns to the ground, they are much less prone to consider suicide. As children come to appreciate the fact that out of 6.5 billion human beings on the earth, no other person is exactly like they are, they can develop a healthy view of their personal identity. If all children come to view their existence as a result of universal creative energies flowing through them, they can more readily capture a glimpse of their divinity. Every child deserves to hear about his or her very special role and place in this world. Reinforcing this message for our children can potentially aid them in making good decisions and right choices.
What can we do with the world of adults? It is not always the case that "older equals wiser." I often tell my own children that the adult world exhibits a lot of very bad and unhealthy behavior. If we carefully look at the amount of unwise and corrupt behavior being demonstrated by adults, it is truly appalling, isn't it? If being called an adult is analogous with obtaining a four-year college degree, we can surmise that many so-called adults are actually still in elementary or middle school. Many individuals of adult age have not been adequately equipped with a philosophy of life to effectively deal with the challenges that life poses. Instead of living life to the fullest each and every moment, many adults seem to spend a lot time preparing for death. This is a serious problem and can lead to all kinds of maladies.
As adults get older, they worry more and more about their own mortality. Concerned that no one will take care of them when they can no longer work, many people exhaust themselves to earn enough money in order to be self-sufficient in old age, fearing abandonment by relatives and society-at-large. Seeing life as a chore, many adults frantically try to accumulate enough money for retirement in order to enjoy some supposed happiness at an unknown future date. This behavior does not reflect a life being lived to the fullest, does it? I don't think so. Instead, this approach to life seems to smack of self-protection and inevitability. Carrying out such a lifestyle for decades certainly can take its toll on both body and mind.
Adults want to believe they are responsible people and make the right choices when it really counts. However, it is clear that unless we carefully examine our motives and life purpose, we run the risk of not growing into healthy mental maturity. Spiritual traditions throughout the ages have admonished people to take heed of what Socrates alludes to in his axiom: "The unexamined life is not worth living." I believe that much of the mental unrest being experienced by people in America is attributable to a lack of focus on what really matters most. Confused or unsure about life's meaning and purpose, many children grow up and enter adulthood severely lacking in moral authority and ethical behavior. Current statistics seem to indicate that our mental health facilities have all too many of such individuals residing in them.
Allowing our children to grow up without a deep sense of their inherent spirituality is a grave mistake. Children need to learn and experience from a very young age their interconnectedness with other human beings and nature. Going through this process allows the child to develop all his or her natural gifts and latent talents. Family life is key in this regard.
It is my conviction that more careful thought to the selection of a one's marriage partner is a crucial component to reducing the amount of mental unrest and instability being experienced in children and adults alike. Properly balanced marriage partners are a huge consideration when thinking about the next generation of children to be raised in America. I encourage you to prepare very carefully for the selection of your marriage partner. If already married, I strongly recommend that you consider rooting your marriage within the context of an authentic religious tradition. There is no greater call to action than this! If you are currently raising children, I wish for you the wisdom and strength to embrace your children with unconditional love. By doing so, you are making a great contribution to the stability and nurturing of American hearts and minds.
Jack LaValley is a practitioner of the martial arts, physical cultivation exercises, and sitting meditation. Although currently working in the hospitality industry, he spends much of his free time helping and working together with those who are pursuing the spiritual path. Jack and his wife, Wha-ja Oh-LaValley, a native of South Korea, reside in Westchester County, New York, and are the proud parents of three beautiful children. Jack is completing his book manuscript, "A Perfectly Balanced Life: Living Each Day with Wisdom and Strength," and expects publication to be in October 2008. You can reach Jack at: perfectbalance1@optimum.net © Copyright 2008 by Jack LaValley.
Let's start with children. Every child needs to know that he or she was created as a unique, divine and eternal being. The best place to obtain a good understanding about these things is within the domain of authentic religious traditions. When children can see that their lives do not end when the physical body returns to the ground, they are much less prone to consider suicide. As children come to appreciate the fact that out of 6.5 billion human beings on the earth, no other person is exactly like they are, they can develop a healthy view of their personal identity. If all children come to view their existence as a result of universal creative energies flowing through them, they can more readily capture a glimpse of their divinity. Every child deserves to hear about his or her very special role and place in this world. Reinforcing this message for our children can potentially aid them in making good decisions and right choices.
What can we do with the world of adults? It is not always the case that "older equals wiser." I often tell my own children that the adult world exhibits a lot of very bad and unhealthy behavior. If we carefully look at the amount of unwise and corrupt behavior being demonstrated by adults, it is truly appalling, isn't it? If being called an adult is analogous with obtaining a four-year college degree, we can surmise that many so-called adults are actually still in elementary or middle school. Many individuals of adult age have not been adequately equipped with a philosophy of life to effectively deal with the challenges that life poses. Instead of living life to the fullest each and every moment, many adults seem to spend a lot time preparing for death. This is a serious problem and can lead to all kinds of maladies.
As adults get older, they worry more and more about their own mortality. Concerned that no one will take care of them when they can no longer work, many people exhaust themselves to earn enough money in order to be self-sufficient in old age, fearing abandonment by relatives and society-at-large. Seeing life as a chore, many adults frantically try to accumulate enough money for retirement in order to enjoy some supposed happiness at an unknown future date. This behavior does not reflect a life being lived to the fullest, does it? I don't think so. Instead, this approach to life seems to smack of self-protection and inevitability. Carrying out such a lifestyle for decades certainly can take its toll on both body and mind.
Adults want to believe they are responsible people and make the right choices when it really counts. However, it is clear that unless we carefully examine our motives and life purpose, we run the risk of not growing into healthy mental maturity. Spiritual traditions throughout the ages have admonished people to take heed of what Socrates alludes to in his axiom: "The unexamined life is not worth living." I believe that much of the mental unrest being experienced by people in America is attributable to a lack of focus on what really matters most. Confused or unsure about life's meaning and purpose, many children grow up and enter adulthood severely lacking in moral authority and ethical behavior. Current statistics seem to indicate that our mental health facilities have all too many of such individuals residing in them.
Allowing our children to grow up without a deep sense of their inherent spirituality is a grave mistake. Children need to learn and experience from a very young age their interconnectedness with other human beings and nature. Going through this process allows the child to develop all his or her natural gifts and latent talents. Family life is key in this regard.
It is my conviction that more careful thought to the selection of a one's marriage partner is a crucial component to reducing the amount of mental unrest and instability being experienced in children and adults alike. Properly balanced marriage partners are a huge consideration when thinking about the next generation of children to be raised in America. I encourage you to prepare very carefully for the selection of your marriage partner. If already married, I strongly recommend that you consider rooting your marriage within the context of an authentic religious tradition. There is no greater call to action than this! If you are currently raising children, I wish for you the wisdom and strength to embrace your children with unconditional love. By doing so, you are making a great contribution to the stability and nurturing of American hearts and minds.
Jack LaValley is a practitioner of the martial arts, physical cultivation exercises, and sitting meditation. Although currently working in the hospitality industry, he spends much of his free time helping and working together with those who are pursuing the spiritual path. Jack and his wife, Wha-ja Oh-LaValley, a native of South Korea, reside in Westchester County, New York, and are the proud parents of three beautiful children. Jack is completing his book manuscript, "A Perfectly Balanced Life: Living Each Day with Wisdom and Strength," and expects publication to be in October 2008. You can reach Jack at: perfectbalance1@optimum.net © Copyright 2008 by Jack LaValley.