PANDEMICS, Fear, and You!

The Greatest Pandemic of All

A new strain of Swine Flu H1N1, in which thousands may become infected and die is the current world health headline. To put that in perspective 35,000 lives are taken annually in the United States by the common flu. All things being equal, the ending of life is tragic from whatever causes; illness, pandemic or not.

A “Pandemic” may be classed a noun describing an epidemic or widespread outbreak, or as an adjective describing a state of being. While the World Health Organization is definitely monitoring the threat level, now at 5 out of 6, the highest rating given, there is a state of being that causes more death-like symptoms among the living than any other outbreak known to man.It even kills…

HOPELESSNESS… is the surrender to chronic discouragement and depression. When you arrive at a hopeless state you have lost any inkling of healing physically, spiritually, morally, financially, and believe there is nothing left to “live” for.

DISCOURAGEMENT… is the precursor. Discouragement has many causes, and one size does not fit all. Life has dealt some strange and interesting hands to all of us. I’m an expert on discouragement, caused by varied experiences I never could have guessed would be mine to deal with; reversals in health, finances and economics, career, unexpected and sudden losses of family and friends, and other discouragements offered in a life-customized sort of way.

Some get discouraged rather easily in one department of living while another may seem impervious to the same negative details life throws at him or her.

There are issues with real and perceived discouragement triggers including:

Self-Esteem – Looks, Figure, Personal Talents

Wealth – Not Enough, Never Enough, None at All

Education – Affording, Maintaining, Learning Difficulties

Addictions – Drugs, Alcohol, Porn, Relationship, Lifestyle

DEPRESSION… is a cousin to hopelessness caused not only from some science confirmed in genetic studies but from chronic misdirected thinking, and focus upon negative life events past, present, or those perceived as future.

Mixing obsessive negativity with real biological disorders of mental and emotional kinds becomes a chronic cycle condemning one to see the darkness surrounding the stars at night rather than the majesty of the lights dispelling the darkness.

The antidote? It is said that... HOPE is the ingredient which makes life bearable. Man's hope may be born of great effort, trial, patience or from the luxury of a God-given gift of irrepressible positive energy I so admire in many.

Pliny the Elder said: “Hope is the pillar that holds up the world. Hope is the dream of a waking man.”

Indeed, without hope one risks the loss of health and life. It is the “hopeless” who pull the trigger ending so many lives. Murder-suicides are becoming epidemic; all “hopeless” related. Heart attacks linked to blocked arteries, are often blamed upon diet, but did you know stress and anxiety causes plaque buildup, creates hypertension, (HBP)and causes immune system breakdown? The correlation between stress and anxiety and linkage to other illnesses and pains of a hundred kinds is indisputable. (A topic for another day.)

I feel such empathy for those lost souls, and plead for those others to not give up; those with emotional ability to choose the “light” and goodness, and sounds, and sights of beauty available in a world also suffering its “Pandemics...” DO NOT GIVE UP! Keep seeking the light of hope, the laughter that innocent joys, and good humor, and simple pleasures of life brings.

I hope the reader knows that I am not pointing a finger at the sufferers of depression and hopelessness. I am just pointing out that HOPELESSNESS is a bigger killer than swine flu ever will be. It strikes every second of every hour, and lasts sometimes for years. It increases the chance of the immune system weakening, thereby becoming vulnerable to a myriad of physical ailments that the body could otherwise defend against.

The news of today; unemployment, wars, disasters, and now Swine Flu Pandemic; all real, all frightening, must not be allowed to take anchor in our lives as if we depended on the outcome of news to “fix” the problems. The scythe called “hopelessness” isn’t diminished by waiting for something “good” to happen, for our “lottery ticket” to be pulled a winner. These uncontrollable events cannot “fix” themselves through more reporting.

The answer?

More on HOPE and PANDEMIC cures in my next post.

James www.jmpratt.com