A Crisis vs An Opportunity
Silver Tsunami or Silver Lining
Mental Health Trends of Seniors By Dr. Trudy Hu 1/5/2022
Link: Mental Health Risks of Seniors https://insights.cermacademy.com/364-mental-health-risks-of-senior-dr-trudy-hu/
Statistics
Based on the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated population of the U.S. was approximately 331.4 million in 2021. More than three-quarters (77.9%) or about 258.3 million were adult populations. Baby boomer generation, those born between 1946 and 1964, was about 54.1 million in 2019. They are reaching the age range between 57 to 75 in 2021 in a fast speed. It is one of the major driving force of the growth in the adult population. They soon represented 21% of the adult population, more than one in every four adult Americans.
Traits of Seniors
Comparing with the senior populations in 1960s-1980s, some positive and challenging traits of the seniors in 2020s are listed below.
Positive Traits of Seniors
Higher Education
About 30 percent of the seniors had completed a bachelor’s degree or more. It was only 5 percent in 1965.
Longer Life Expectancy
The average life expectancy for male is 76.1 years and 81.1 years for female. There is a 5-year gender gap. It was 68 years in 1950 and there was a 7-year gender gap.
Better Finance
About 9 percent of the seniors fell under the poverty level. It was 30 percent in 1970.
Challenging Traits of Seniors
Higher Obesity Rates
About 41 percent of the seniors were obese in 2015. Obesity is a risk factor for many chronic conditions.
Higher Divorce Rates
About 14 percent of the female in 2018. It was 3 percent in 1980.
About 11 percent of the male in 2018. It was 4 percent in 1980.
Living Alone and Lack of Social/Community Support
About 26 percent of the female (1 in 4 women) ages 65 to 74 lived alone in 2018.
About 39 percent of the female (2 in 5 women) ages 75 to 84 lived alone in 2018.
About 55 percent of the female (1 in 2 women) ages 85 and older lived alone in 2018.
Culturally Diverse Subgroups and Economic Disparities
About 17 percent of Latinos lived in poverty in 2017.
About 19 percent of African Americans lived in poverty in 2017.
About 7 percent of non-Hispanic whites lived in poverty in 2017.
Pictures of Aging and Senior Care
The pictures of aging tend to associate with walker, wheel chair, listless elders in nursing home facilities surrounded by medical staff of various specialties. It conjures up lonely, depressing, negative, and powerless emotions. The topic of aging elicits unspoken fear and anticipated anxiety within seniors and their loved ones.
The following are the most common mental health issues among seniors; they are, isolation, affective and anxiety disorders, dementia, and psychosis.
Geographic distance with family members, suburban housing designs, living alone, emphasis in privacy and independence and financial factors tend to facilitate isolation.
Certain medicines or medicine interactions play a role of depression symptoms in senior populations.
Physical conditions like hypertension, diabetes, dementia, chronic pain, stroke, and cancer are common physical concerns and these diagnoses increase the risk of depression.
Aging is an important part of a series of life stages, just like childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, and mid-life. However, aging seems to be simplified into a financial formula in choosing a nursing facility with one bed, three meals, medicine management based on a physical-health-centered medical model. The fast growth of baby boomer population will fuel an enormous boom and they probably will revolutionize the current aging care industry. A booming industry attracts innovated thinking and designs, investors, creates job opportunities, and profitability. Baby boomer generation shall pioneer a vibrant lifestyle and innovate a positive and exciting way of aging care for themselves.
Vigor and Vitality
Growing aging population has become the global phenomenon. A journalist of National Geographic magazine, Dan Buettner, reported that people in the Greek island, Ikaria, seem to have remarkably long life-spans. They have found the secret of fountain of youth and longevity. On average, they live about 8 to 10 years longer than Americans. They are 2.5 times as likely to survive to 90 years and longer. Amazingly, Ikaria residents are less likely to develop Alzheimer's, depression, dementia that are very common among American counterparts.
Longevity of Ikaria people result from their natural and social environment, which evolves into an astonishing lifestyles that beguile the whole world, especially those highly industrialized countries. Below is the list of contributing factors of their longevity and high quality of life.
Physical Health Contributing Factors
Walking to work, shop and visit friends is a crucial way of daily life.
Life-long Work: As owners of vineyards, olive farms, vegetable farms, their work, finance, diet are inseparable.
Mediterranean Diet: Olive oil, goat's milk, tomatoes, wild greens, wine, herbal tea and Greek coffee are main staples of their food consumption.
Ikaria residents consumed about six times as many beans a day as Americans.
Low Cardiovascular Diseases: High plant-based protein consumption and low meat consumption.
Low Stress Daily Work-and-Life Schedules: Ikaria residents do not wear watches. Nap-taking is important.
Minimal Use of Medicine: Healthy diet and lifestyle keep medicines away.
Mental Health Contributing Factors
Active Way of Life, Stay Busy and Involved: A sense of purpose. No isolation.
Caring Community as a Big Family: Strong social ties, social connections and networks, frequent interpersonal interactions such as small nudges and festivities involving whole communities.
Life-Long Work, Life-Long Learning, Life-Long Social Engagement: Mentally active and less cognitive declination among seniors.
Positive Outlook in Aging and End of Life: When Ikaria residents were asked “are you afraid of death?” Their response was “we would not die.” Aging and death do not play a dominating role in their daily living because they were busy experiencing and enjoying living. Their daily living integrates breathing, walking, eating, working, drinking, partying, laughing, socializing every minute so that they do not need clocks to compartmentalize or segregate work, personal life, exercising, socialization, family life, and more components into fragments.
Developmental Stages of Human Life Span
A well-known psychologist in the 1950s, Erik Erikson (1902-1994), defined human life span into the below eight developmental stages. Each developmental stage is triggered by a crisis which signals the start of a psychological search. The journey of the search may lead to a successful outcome of crisis resolution or a negative outcome of failed search. The last developmental stage begins at approximately age 65 and ends at death.
Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust.
Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt.
Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt.
Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority.
Stage 5: Identity vs. Confusion.
Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation.
Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation.
Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair.
Integrity vs. Despair
Based on the above statistics, the senior populations from the Baby boomer generation tend to have the following characteristics.
High education
High intelligence
High income
High ratio of living alone or independent living
Longer Life Span
It is reasonable to assume and to predict that the senior populations may have higher expectation in quality of life which involves integration of daily diet, nutrition, exercise, physical health, activities, mental health, etc. The first 25-30 years of their life span was to lay a foundation in growth and development as a youth.
The second 25-30 years of their life span was to lay a foundation in intimacy and career as an adult.
The third 25-30 years of their life span shall be the most fruitful prime time to capitalize their life experience, career and financial wisdom, and cognitive brilliance as a mature adult.
In order to thrive in career development during the 2nd prime 25-30 years, the work-related training of the adulthood emphasizes specific career specializations in any industry to enhance efficiency and productivity.
On the other hand, with limited daily time and resources after work, the stress of forming interpersonal intimacy and having a family requires time management and delegation to other specialized professionals.
The applied life skills that any individual acquired in the 2nd prime 25-30 years may not work well in the 3rd prime 25-30 years. As long as the senior individuals maintain their health, mobility and cognition well, they can plan and navigate their next 25-30 years into happiness and successful fulfillment. They need to switch from wearing a company/organization specialist’s hat to a hat of being their Self-Care CEO and start learning a wide range of basic diverse applied life skills. The following list is just to name a few.
Self-Care 101
Common Diseases of Seniors 101
Nutrition 101
Physical Activity 101
Mental Health 101
Wealth Management 101
Investment 101
Social Skill 101
Simple Cooking 101
Career Development for Seniors 101
Talent Development 101
Having Fun 101
Conclusion
Fast growing senior populations can be considered as an alarming data to forecast the enormous burden of aging care facilities, Social Security, and Medicare expenditures, as some people described it as “Silver Tsunami” with an undertone of despair and frightening calamity.
Or the seniors can plan ahead, capitalize their strength, adopt diverse roles, and start living a new integrated life for themselves after the “retirement” or severance from the corporate world.
In the crossroads of the last life stage, it is up to the individual to walk on the Path to Despair passively or pro-actively create the Path to Integrity and Fulfillment for additional 25-30 years.
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銀色海嘯 或 烏雲邊的銀線曙光
胡慧菁博士 2022年1月17日
統計數據
根據 2020 年美國人口普查局的數據，2021 年美國人口估計約為 3.314 億。超過四分之三 (77.9%) 或約 2.583 億是成年人口。美國的戰後嬰兒潮這一世代的人，即出生於 1946 年至 1964 年之間的人，在 2019 年約為 5,410 萬。2021 年, 他們達到 57 至 75 歲的年齡範圍。
戰後嬰兒潮世代是美國成年人口增長快速的最主要原因之一。他們現在已佔了成年人口的 21%，很快就會超過四分之一的成年人口。
與 1960-1980 年代的老年人口相比，2020 年代老年人的一些積極和具有挑戰性的特徵如下所列。
2022年的老年人口的優點特徵如下
1. 教育水平高
大約 30% 的老年人完成了大學學士學位或更高學位。 1965年只有5%。
2. 平均壽命延長
男性的平均預期壽命為 76.1 歲，女性為 81.1 歲。有5年的性別差距。 1950年平均預期壽命是68歲，有7年的性別差距。
3. 優渥的財務和金融
只有大約 9% 的老年人處於貧困線以下。 相較之下，1970 年是 30%的老年人處於貧困線以下。
2022年的老年人口的負面特徵如下
1. 肥胖率高
與2015 年相比，肥胖率較高 約有 41% 的老年人有體重過重的現象。肥胖是許多慢性病的危險因素。
2. 離婚率高
與2018年相比，女性的離婚率有 14% 。1980 年為 3%。 2018 年男性的離婚率約有 11%。1980 年為 4%。
3. 獨居和缺乏社會/社區支持
2018 年的數據，大約 26% 的女性（四分之一的女性）年齡在 65 至 74 歲之間是獨居。隨著年齡增長，獨居的比例是增加的更多。
在 75 至 84 歲的女性中，約有 39%（五分之二的女性）獨居。
大約 55% 的 85 歲及以上的女性（每 2 名女性中有 1 人）獨居。
4. 多元文化族群中有極大的經濟差異
與2017年相比，約有 17% 的拉丁裔美國人生活在貧困之中。
大約 19% 的非裔美國人生活在貧困之中。
只有約有 7% 的非拉丁裔白人生活在貧困之中。
美國人口高齡化和老年護理的印像
只要提起高齡年長者和年長者生活護理的問題，多半都和衰老的情景連結在一起，如拐杖、輪椅、養老院設施中無精打采的孤零零的老人等等景像聯想在一起，周圍環繞的是各種專業的醫務人員。
這些都讓人聯想到孤獨、沮喪、消極和無能為力的負面又無可奈何無助的情緒。衰老的話題在老年人和他們的親人中都有著無言的恐懼和預期的焦慮。
美國老年人中最常見的心理健康問題是:
孤立、情緒憂鬱症、沮喪、焦慮症、癡呆和精神病
在美國老年人與家庭中年成員有很大的地理距離、郊區住房設計重視安靜和空間距離，對隱私和獨立性的重視以及經濟因素往往會偏向獨居的住家環境。孤單、孤立、寂寞的情緒也比較容易產生。
某些藥物或藥物相互影響產生的副作用在老年人群中容易引發憂鬱症狀的作用。 高血壓、糖尿病、癡呆、慢性疼痛、中風和癌症等身體狀況是常見的身體問題，這些診斷、藥物治療會增加患憂鬱症的風險。
衰老是人生發展系列中的一個重要階段，如同童年、青春期、青年期和中年人生成長階段一樣。然而，西方的年長者和療養院是建立在以生理和身體醫療為中心的模式下，選擇一張床、提供三餐、藥物管理的養老院和生活方式，似乎將年長者的人生規劃簡化成一個三等（等吃、等睡、等死）生活和財務分配的簡單冷漠的公式。
隨著戰後嬰兒潮世代人口的快速增長預測將會推動巨大的老年人生階段發展、反思、創新、繁榮等的變化，他們可能會徹底改變當前的老年護理行業。
任何一個蓬勃發展的新興行業都具有下面的特色，始於不斷的創新思維和設計、投資者對前瞻發展的眼光和信心、創造青壯年世代就業機會和盈利能力。
戰後嬰兒潮這一代的人將會開創充滿活力的生活方式，並為自己創新一種積極而令人興奮的養老方式。
對比: 活力充沛希臘百歲人瑞 與 其生活活潑、生動、有趣化
人口老齡化加劇已成為全球普遍的現象。 《國家地理》雜誌的記者丹•布特納（Dan Buettner）報導說，希臘有一個小島，叫做伊卡利亞島（Ikaria), 在那島上的人們似乎找到了長生不老的秘訣，超過100歲的人瑞很多。平均而言，他們的壽命比美國人長 8 到 10 年。他們存活到 90 年或更長的壽命可能性是美國老年人的2.5 倍。
最令人驚訝的是，伊卡利亞的年長居民中，幾乎找不到患有老年癡呆症、阿茨海默氏症 (Alzheimer)、憂鬱症和癡呆症的人。和美國的年長者所患有上述疾病的人數是天壤之別。
伊卡利亞人的長壽源於他們所處的自然環境和社會環境，他們發展出的生活方式，令世人驚嘆迷惑，尤其是高度工業化的國家，如美國、歐洲國家。
以下是影響他們長壽和高品質生活的因素。
身體健康的影響因素
1. 步行: 日常生活是步行上班、購物和拜訪朋友。步行是重要的基本生活方式和交通工具。
2. 終身工作為樂：作為葡萄園、橄欖農場、蔬菜農場的主人和工作者，他們的工作、財務、飲食都是密不可分。
3. 地中海飲食：橄欖油、山羊奶酪、西紅柿、野菜、葡萄酒、高山茶和希臘咖啡是他們的主要食物。 伊卡利亞居民每天消耗的豆類是美國人的六倍。
4. 低心血管疾病：高植物性蛋白質消耗量高和動物性肉類蛋白質消耗量低。
5. 低壓力生活方式和沒有「時間就是金錢」的觀念：伊卡利亞居民不戴手錶，不看時鐘。午睡很重要。
6. 藥物使用量和依賴性極小：健康的飲食和生活方式使他們遠離了藥物。
心理健康的影響因素
1. 積極的生活與工作的態度，保持忙碌和參與：有目標感。沒有隔離孤立感。
2. 充滿關愛的社區成為一個大家庭：強大的社交和社會聯繫支持和網絡、頻繁的人際互動，例如推動整個社區的節慶和慶祝活動。
3. 終生工作、終生學習、終生社會參與：老年人的心理狀態保持活躍和知能減退的現象極少。
4. 面對老年和生命終結的積極前景：當伊卡利亞居民被問到“你害怕死亡嗎？”他們的回答是“我們不會死”。
衰老和死亡在他們的日常生活中並不占有主導地位，因為他們天天忙於體驗和享受生活。他們的日常生活每分鐘都將呼吸、步行、飲食、工作、飲酒、聚會、大笑、社交融為一體，因此他們不需要像美國人一樣，每分每秒用時鐘和手錶來劃分他們的工作、個人生活、運動、社交、娛樂、家庭生活等等，成為一個個支離破碎的小小片段。
人生發展階段
1950年代著名的心理學家愛瑞克•愛瑞克森（Erik Erikson，1902-1994）將人生發展階段 劃分為以下八個人生發展階段。每個發展階段都會有危機，危機一觸發即象徵著心理探索的開始。探索的過程可能導致危機成功解決和成長或探索失敗的負面結果。其中，最後一個人生發展階段開始於大約 65 歲，並以死亡為結束。
• 第一階段：信任或是不信任。
• 第 二 階段：自主或是羞愧、自我懷疑。
• 第 三 階段：主動或是內疚。
• 第 四 階段：積極進取或是自卑退縮。
• 第 五 階段：認同或是困惑。
• 第 六 階段：親密或是孤立。
• 第七 階段：給予付出或是停滯。
• 第 八 階段：融合、調整、整合或是絕望。
融合、調整、整合或是絕望
基於以上統計，戰後嬰兒潮一代的高齡人群往往具有以下特點。
• 教育程度高
• 高智商
• 高收入
• 獨居或獨立生活的比例高
• 更長的壽命
由上述特質中，可以合理地假設和預測戰後嬰兒潮老年世代對生活質量的期望可能會更高更好，這也涉及到日常飲食、營養、運動、身體健康、活動、心理健康等方面的認知成長和整合。
一. 生命最初的25-30 年是為幼年和青年的成長和發展奠定基礎。
二. 生命中的第二個 25-30 年是為成年後的親密關係和事業打下基礎。
三. 生命中的第三個 25-30 年應該是開花結果、最富有的黃金時期，可以充分利用他們成熟又豐富的生活經驗、職場生涯歷練、和財務專業方面的才華、能力和智慧。
為了在 25-30 歲的第二個黃金時期在職業發展中茁壯成長，青壯年時期的工作培訓多強調專業化，以提高效率和生產力。 另一方面，由於工作之餘的時間和資源有限，為維護人際關係和平衡家庭生活的壓力，有效率的時間管理和雇請其他專業人士分工代勞是有其必要性。但是在第二個 25-30 歲所學習到的專業化（也就是窄化）的生活應用技能在第三個 25-30 歲可能無法充分發揮功效。只要老年人保有良好的行動能力和認知能力，他們就可以規劃和駕馭未來 25-30 年，走向幸福和成功。
他們需要從一個公司/組織的某種專業上的專才專家，轉變成一個自我保健的主管/負責人 （CEO)，並開始學習各種多樣化基本的生活應用技能。以下僅列出幾個例子。
• 自我保健簡介
• 老年人常見疾病簡介
• 營養簡介
• 體力活動簡介
• 心理健康簡介
• 財富管理簡介
• 投資理財簡介
• 社交技能簡介
• 簡單烹飪簡介
• 老年人職業發展簡介
• 興趣和才華發展簡介
• 開心快樂簡介
結論
快速增長的老年人口有人將其描述為“銀色海嘯”，可以視為令人震驚又害怕的數據；也可以預測老齡化護理設施、社會福利支出和醫療保險支出的巨大社會財務負擔，“銀色海嘯”一詞帶有絕望和即將來臨的可怕災難。
或者，老年人可以提前計劃，發揮自己的優勢，修改並調整與之前的老年世代前輩所呈現的老年人生階段全然不同的表現。
在“退休”或從企業界離職後，開始為自己調整與整合新的完整又幸福的生活。 在人生的最後一個25-30年的人生階段十字路口，自己可以決定是否要被動地走上絕望的道路，或是主動地創造另一個25-30 年快樂和自我實現的人生旅途。
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银色海啸 或 乌云背后的银色希望光圈
胡慧菁博士 2022年1月17日
统计数据
根据 2020 年美国人口普查局的数据，2021 年美国人口估计约为 3.314 亿。超过四分之三 (77.9%) 或约 2.583 亿是成年人口。美国的战后婴儿潮这一世代的人，即出生于 1946 年至 1964 年之间的人，在 2019 年约为 5,410 万。 2021 年, 他们达到 57 至 75 岁的年龄范围。
战后婴儿潮世代是美国成年人口增长快速的最主要原因之一。他们现在已占了成年人口的 21%，很快就会超过四分之一的成年人口。
与 1960-1980 年代的老年人口相比，2020 年代老年人的一些积极和具有挑战性的特征如下所列。
2022年的老年人口的优点特征如下
1. 教育水平高
大约 30% 的老年人完成了大学学士学位或更高学位。 1965年只有5%。
2. 平均寿命延长
男性的平均预期寿命为 76.1 岁，女性为 81.1 岁。有5年的性别差距。 1950年平均预期寿命是68岁，有7年的性别差距。
3. 优渥的财务和金融
只有大约 9% 的老年人处于贫困线以下。相较之下，1970 年是 30%的老年人处于贫困线以下。
2022年的老年人口的负面特征如下
1. 肥胖率高
与2015 年相比，肥胖率较高 约有 41% 的老年人有体重过重的现象。肥胖是许多慢性病的危险因素。
2. 离婚率高
与2018年相比，女性的离婚率有 14% 。 1980 年为 3%。 2018 年男性的离婚率约有 11%。 1980 年为 4%。
3. 独居和缺乏社会/社区支持
2018 年的数据，大约 26% 的女性（四分之一的女性）年龄在 65 至 74 岁之间是独居。随着年龄增长，独居的比例是增加的更多。
在 75 至 84 岁的女性中，约有 39%（五分之二的女性）独居。
大约 55% 的 85 岁及以上的女性（每 2 名女性中有 1 人）独居。
4. 多元文化族群中有极大的经济差异
与2017年相比，约有 17% 的拉丁裔美国人生活在贫困之中。
大约 19% 的非裔美国人生活在贫困之中。
只有约有 7% 的非拉丁裔白人生活在贫困之中。
美国人口高龄化和老年护理的印像
只要提起高龄年长者和年长者生活护理的问题，多半都和衰老的情景连结在一起，如拐杖、轮椅、养老院设施中无精打采的孤零零的老人等等景像联想在一起，周围环绕的是各种专业的医务人员。
这些都让人联想到孤独、沮丧、消极和无能为力的负面又无可奈何无助的情绪。衰老的话题在老年人和他们的亲人中都有着无言的恐惧和预期的焦虑。
美国老年人中最常见的心理健康问题是:
孤立、情绪忧郁症、沮丧、焦虑症、痴呆和精神病
在美国老年人与家庭中年成员有很大的地理距离、郊区住房设计重视安静和空间距离，对隐私和独立性的重视以及经济因素往往会偏向独居的住家环境。孤单、孤立、寂寞的情绪也比较容易产生。
某些药物或药物相互影响产生的副作用在老年人群中容易引发忧郁症状的作用。高血压、糖尿病、痴呆、慢性疼痛、中风和癌症等身体状况是常见的身体问题，这些诊断、药物治疗会增加患忧郁症的风险。
衰老是人生发展系列中的一个重要阶段，如同童年、青春期、青年期和中年人生成长阶段一样。然而，西方的年长者和疗养院是建立在以生理和身体医疗为中心的模式下，选择一张床、提供三餐、药物管理的养老院和生活方式，似乎将年长者的人生规划简化成一个三等（等吃、等睡、等死）生活和财务分配的简单冷漠的公式。
随着战后婴儿潮世代人口的快速增长预测将会推动巨大的老年人生阶段发展、反思、创新、繁荣等的变化，他们可能会彻底改变当前的老年护理行业。
任何一个蓬勃发展的新兴行业都具有下面的特色，始于不断的创新思维和设计、投资者对前瞻发展的眼光和信心、创造青壮年世代就业机会和盈利能力。
战后婴儿潮这一代的人将会开创充满活力的生活方式，并为自己创新一种积极而令人兴奋的养老方式。
对比: 活力充沛希腊百岁人瑞 与 其生活活泼、生动、有趣化
人口老龄化加剧已成为全球普遍的现象。 《国家地理》杂志的记者丹•布特纳（Dan Buettner）报导说，希腊有一个小岛，叫做伊卡利亚岛（Ikaria), 在那岛上的人们似乎找到了长生不老的秘诀，超过100岁的人瑞很多。平均而言，他们的寿命比美国人长 8 到 10 年。他们存活到 90 年或更长的寿命可能性是美国老年人的2.5 倍。
最令人惊讶的是，伊卡利亚的年长居民中，几乎找不到患有老年痴呆症、阿茨海默氏症 (Alzheimer)、忧郁症和痴呆症的人。和美国的年长者所患有上述疾病的人数是天壤之别。
伊卡利亚人的长寿源于他们所处的自然环境和社会环境，他们发展出的生活方式，令世人惊叹迷惑，尤其是高度工业化的国家，如美国、欧洲国家。
以下是影响他们长寿和高品质生活的因素。
身体健康的影响因素
1. 步行: 日常生活是步行上班、购物和拜访朋友。步行是重要的基本生活方式和交通工具。
2. 终身工作为乐：作为葡萄园、橄榄农场、蔬菜农场的主人和工作者，他们的工作、财务、饮食都是密不可分。
3. 地中海饮食：橄榄油、山羊奶酪、西红柿、野菜、葡萄酒、高山茶和希腊咖啡是他们的主要食物。伊卡利亚居民每天消耗的豆类是美国人的六倍。
4. 低心血管疾病：高植物性蛋白质消耗量高和动物性肉类蛋白质消耗量低。
5. 低压力生活方式和没有「时间就是金钱」的观念：伊卡利亚居民不戴手表，不看时钟。午睡很重要。
6. 药物使用量和依赖性极小：健康的饮食和生活方式使他们远离了药物。
心理健康的影响因素
1. 积极的生活与工作的态度，保持忙碌和参与：有目标感。没有隔离孤立感。
2. 充满关爱的社区成为一个大家庭：强大的社交和社会联系支持和网络、频繁的人际互动，例如推动整个社区的节庆和庆祝活动。
3. 终生工作、终生学习、终生社会参与：老年人的心理状态保持活跃和知能减退的现象极少。
4. 面对老年和生命终结的积极前景：当伊卡利亚居民被问到“你害怕死亡吗？”他们的回答是“我们不会死”。
衰老和死亡在他们的日常生活中并不占有主导地位，因为他们天天忙于体验和享受生活。他们的日常生活每分钟都将呼吸、步行、饮食、工作、饮酒、聚会、大笑、社交融为一体，因此他们不需要用时钟和手表来划分他们的工作、个人生活、运动、社交、娱乐、家庭生活等等，成为一个个支离破碎的部分。
人生发展阶段
1950年代著名的心理学家埃里克•埃里克森（Erik Erikson，1902-1994）将人生发展阶段 划分为以下八个人生发展阶段。每个发展阶段都有危机来触发，这象征着心理探索的开始。探索的过程可能导致危机成功解决和成长或探索失败的负面结果。其中，最后一个人生发展阶段开始于大约 65 岁，并以死亡为结束。
• 第一阶段：信任或是不信任。
• 第 二 阶段：自主或是羞愧、自我怀疑。
• 第 三 阶段：主动或是内疚。
• 第 四 阶段：积极进取或是自卑退缩。
• 第 五 阶段：认同或是困惑。
• 第 六 阶段：亲密或是孤立。
• 第七 阶段：给予付出或是停滞。
• 第 八 阶段：融合、调整、整合或是绝望。
融合、调整、整合或是绝望
基于以上统计，战后婴儿潮一代的高龄人群往往具有以下特点。
• 教育程度高
• 高智商
• 高收入
• 独居或独立生活的比例高
• 更长的寿命
由上述特质中，可以合理地假设和预测战后婴儿潮老年世代对生活质量的期望可能会更高更好，这也涉及到日常饮食、营养、运动、身体健康、活动、心理健康等方面的认知成长和整合。
一. 生命最初的25-30 年是为幼年和青年的成长和发展奠定基础。
二. 生命中的第二个 25-30 年是为成年后的亲密关系和事业打下基础。
三. 生命中的第三个 25-30 年应该是开花结果、最富有的黄金时期，可以充分利用他们成熟又丰富的生活经验、职场生涯历练、和财务专业方面的才华、能力和智慧。
为了在 25-30 岁的第二个黄金时期在职业发展中茁壮成长，青壮年时期的工作培训多强调专业化，以提高效率和生产力。另一方面，由于工作之余的时间和资源有限，为维护人际关系和平衡家庭生活的压力，有效率的时间管理和雇请其他专业人士分工代劳是有其必要性。
在第二个 25-30 岁所学习到的专业化（也就是窄化）的生活应用技能在第三个 25-30 岁可能无法充分发挥功效。只要老年人保有良好的行动能力和认知能力，他们就可以规划和驾驭未来 25-30 年，走向幸福和成功。
他们需要从一个公司/组织的某种专业上的专才专家，转变成一个自我保健的首席执行官（CEO)，并开始学习各种多样化基本的生活应用技能。以下仅列出几个例子。
• 自我保健简介
• 老年人常见疾病简介
• 营养简介
• 体力活动简介
• 心理健康简介
• 财富管理简介
• 投资理财简介
• 社交技能简介
• 简单烹饪简介
• 老年人职业发展简介
• 兴趣和才华发展简介
• 开心快乐简介
结论
快速增长的老年人口有人将其描述为“银色海啸”，可以视为令人震惊又害怕的数据；也可以预测老龄化护理设施、社会福利支出和医疗保险支出的巨大社会的负担，“银色海啸”一词带有绝望和即将来临的可怕灾难。
或者，老年人可以提前计划，发挥自己的优势，修改并调整与之前的老年世代前辈所呈现的老年人生阶段全然不同的表现。 在“退休”或从企业界离职后，开始为自己调整与整合新的完整又幸福的生活。在人生的最后一个25-30年的人生阶段十字路口，自己可以决定是否要被动地走在绝望的道路上，或是主动地创造另一个25-30 年快乐和自我实现之人生旅途。
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Crisis Psychology and Intervention
by Dr. Trudy Hu 3-23-2020
Link: http://insights.cermacademy.com/270-covid-19-crisis-psychology-and-intervention-dr-trudy/
Perimeter of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Crisis
An invisible Novel Coronavirus pandemic outbreak declares a silent war with mankind and triggers multiple crises in an unprecedented scale, such as health, economy, work, family, education, entertainment and daily survival, like a mega tsunami waves sweeping global shores.
Career or work plays a crucial part of a modern man or woman’s life and identity. Workplace and workday routine provide employees with stability, security, structure, and a sense of control, direction, and empowerment. Social Distance, Shelter-In-Place Order impact companies and employees immediately, change employees’ workday routines, workday social interaction, create career and economical uncertainty, daily reality suddenly changes to virtual reality.
Common Reactions
Shock, disbelief, fear, anger, anxiety, isolation are common emotions and reactions. It may be manifested through minor frustrating or irritating feelings initially but it can become snowballing into intense fight-or-flight stress reflex inducing explosive temper, panic attacks, impulsive and destructive actions. There are three powerful primitive survival driving forces which are also popular marketing tactics; they are sex, fear and hate. During COVID-19 crisis, fear and hate can be easily inflamed and capitalized. Fear and hate are highly contagious, too.
Vicious Cycle
Loss and hidden grief begins the circuit of uncertainty due to millions of workers’ sudden loss of workplace facility, amenity, social support, team work, familiar routines and comfort. Uncertainty paves the way to anxiety, fear, loss of incomes, and financial insecurity. In order to suppress those turbulent worries from escalating into a catastrophe, internal worrisome energy tends to find dysfunctional and excessive impulsivity as a default outlet and develop a vicious cycle without self-awareness.
When the regular routine is disrupted and a sudden void (loss of control) is created, obsessive eating, drinking, shopping, watching TV, internet surfing, and addictive habits become a new normal routine and the excessive repetitive practice provides familiarity and comfort so that irrational thoughts, dysfunctional emotions and behaviors are reinforced to formulate a vicious cycle.
Excessive Behavioral Pattern as a Cover-up of Insecurity and Anxiety
a. Tune in 24-hr. news channels or socialize through social media and electronic devices
b. Frenetic Shopping. Online ordering. Hoarding.
c. Binge eating. Snack eating.
d. Drinking alcohol, smoking, or using addictive substances
e. Stock trading, online gambling
f. Gaming
g. Pornography
h. Any behavior that fills the void, boredom, and the need of "in control"
Anxiety and fear weaken physical health immune system and biological defense mechanism. Feeling of anxiety, isolation, fear and overwhelm tend to strip an individual’s rational cognition, self-discipline or self-control.
Negative emotions create downward spiral, rigid perspectives, and eventually bleak tunnel vision and dooming self-fulfilling prophesy.
Positive Coping Strategies:
The following coping strategies are a few simple and practical suggestions to stop and reverse the vicious cycle.
· Effective Time Management Skills
· Stress Management Skills
· Limit time in watching anxiety-provoking news broadcasting channels
· Set reasonable small and achievable goals every day
a. A daily to-do-project list
b. A daily to-do-chore list
c. A 10-mintue-exercise list
d. A favorite movie-to-watch list
e. A favorite book-to-read list
f. A favorite entertainment activity-to-do list
g. A daily/weekly-menu-planning list
h. A daily dosage of health-related knowledge
i. A daily dosage of positive thought
j. A daily dosage of achievement confirmation
· Applied Life Skill Learning
a. Social Skill Development
b. Empathy
c. Awareness of Interpersonal Dynamics
d. Simple Nutritious Cooking. Immune System Boosting. Healing Food.
e. Self-improvement. Self-awareness.
f. Parenting Skills. Positive Behavioral Modeling.
g. Anger Management
h. Mindfulness. Meditation. Spiritual Centeredness.
i. De-clutter. Organization of Personal Space.
j. Simplify. Simplicity
k. Slow down the nerve-racking pace. Stop restless rat race.
l. Tolerance. Acceptance. Resilience.
m. Gratitude. Appreciation.
n. Change External Locus of Control to Internal Locus of Control
o. Calmness. Contentment. Happiness.
Conclusion: Silver Lining of the Novel Dark Cloud
Novel Coronavirus not only brings life-threatening crisis but also a loud and tough wake-up call for mankind to reflect and reset many too-busy-to-solve too-big-to-fail dysfunctional, pathological issues, lifestyles, and perspectives.
Hopefully, the war with the invisible micro-biological creature can bring the following side effects through the challenging combating process.
--Divert the Energy of Fear into Innovative Creativity
--Divert the Energy of Hate and Scapegoating into Humility
--Divert the Energy of Human Control into Respect of Celestial Wisdom
--Spread Sublime Understanding, Kindness and Beauty like Nondiscriminatory
Contagious Virus for the Sake of Humanity
Note 1: Spanish Flu in 1918 caused more than 500 million to 1 billion death worldwide. It was originated in USA military personnel, a cook, and then the USA troops were sent to Spain so the virus started from USA, Spain and spread to the rest of the world.
Note 2: The Prayer written by Carole Bayer Sager, David W. Foster
I pray you'll be our eyes; And watch us where we go; And help us to be wise; In times when we don't know; Let this be our prayer; When we lose our way; Lead us to a place; Guide us with your grace; To a place where we'll be safe; I pray we'll find your light.
And hold it in our hearts; When stars go out each night; Let this be our prayer; When shadows fill our day; Lead us to a place; Guide us with your grace; Give us faith so we'll be safe.
We ask that life be kind; And watch us from above; We hope each soul will find; Another soul to love; Let this be our prayer; Just like every child; Need to find a place; Guide us with your grace; Give us faith so we'll be safe.
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Mega Trends Shaped Hong Kong Crisis: Political- Cultural-Economical Framework of the Last Two Centuries By Dr. Trudy Hu, 10/5/2019
http://insights.cermacademy.com/252-hong-kong-mega-trends-and-risks-dr-trudy/
Prelude:
Anchored in the center of the global stage, the million-protestor whirlwind in Hong Kong has caught the attention of the whole world and became a hot topic and news for heated discussion and debates since the Spring of 2019. Meanwhile two superpower nations, two rivaling economical giants in democratic and communistic camps, United States (USA) and People’s Republic China (PRC) have been simultaneously engaging a fierce trade wars for months since 2018.
Where is Hong Kong?
Hong Kong is a small island located south of Guangdong Province in mainland China surrounded by South China Sea.
What Mega Trends Shaped the Modern Hong Kong?
Hong Kong people are ethnically and culturally Chinese descendants and the dialect is Cantonese. Hong Kong was ruled by Qing Dynasty, and ancient Imperial China, for thousands of years before 1842. During the declining final stage of Qing Dynasty from 1840s to 1911, about 50 years, Britain occupied and ruled Hong Kong from 1841 to 1941 and 1945 to 1997, about 150 years. For more than 150 years, English has been its official language. Japan occupied Hong Kong from 1941 to 1945 during WWII. Under British reign, Hong Kong was governed under the Western democratic, legal and capitalistic system while China from mid-19th Century to end of 20th Century was undertaking a mega paradigm shift and chaotic era in political, social, cultural, military, and economical transformation. In order to understand the complexity of Hong Kong and the complicated shaping forces from the past to the present, the historical time line plays a crucial role in comprehending the political, cultural and economical framework of Hong Kong issues.
Historical Time Line:
1839--First Opium War (Britain-China War): September 4, 1839 – August 29, 1842
1841--British Occupation: On 25 January 1841: Britain occupied Hong Kong and used it as British military staging point.
1842--British Colony: China (Qing Dynasty) was defeated by the British Empire in 1842 and Hong Kong was ceded in the Treaty of Nanking on August 29, 1842. After Second Opium War (October 8, 1856 – October 24, 1860), Hong Kong was on a leasing for 99 years from 1898.
1911--Republic of China: Republic of China (R.O.C.) was established on Oct. 10, 1911 founded by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. Qing Dynasty became the final chapter of nearly 5000-year Chinese imperial political system.
1941--World War II: The Japanese Empire occupied Hong Kong from 1941 to 1945.
1945--Victory of ROC Military Forces in WWII, Surrender of Japan: Hong Kong was liberated by ROC and British military joint forces. In 1945, Hong Kong was returned back to the rule of British Empire according to the 99-year lease in 1898.
1945--United Nations: United Nations was created and Republic of China won the WWII in Asia Theater and became a chapter member of 5 permanent members of Security Council on Oct. 24, 1945. All Japanese occupied islands, such as Taiwan and Pon-Hu, were returned back to ROC. Since Hong Kong was under the lease to Britain, it was returned back to Britain in 1945.
1949--People’s Republic of China: People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.) was not established until Oct. 1, 1949 by Chinese Communism Party chaired by Mao Zedong.
1950--Korean War: Communism N. Korea invaded S. Korea June 25 1950-July 27 1953
1955--Vietnam War: Nov 1, 1955 to Apr 30, 1975. Vietnam was ruled by Communism Regime on April 30, 1975. Vietnamese refugees, boat people, were drifted on seas.
1971--ROC Withdrawn from United Nations: Henry Kissinger under Nixon’s administration arranged a secret trip in early 1971 with Zhou Enlai to fight Soviet. Nixon announced on July 15, 1971 that he would visit PRC from Feb. 21 to 28, in 1972. In Oct. 1971, President Chiang Kai-Shek withdrew from United Nations to safeguard the people of ROC and the integrity and identity of ROC democratic political system, even under the non-stop 21-year military bombardment of PRC from 1958 to 1979.
1971--PRC Replaced ROC in United Nations: On Oct. 25, 1971, United Nations under Nixon’s and Kissinger’s influences replaced ROC as a chapter member for 26 years with PRC.
1972--Nixon Visited PRC: Nixon visited the mainland China under the Communistic rule of PRC in 1972. Nixon resigned in 1974. USA and PRC established relation in 1979.
1979--Diplomatic Relations between USA and PRC: United States and the PRC announced on December 15, 1978, that the two governments would establish diplomatic relations on January 1, 1979.
1997--Hong Kong Returned back to PRC: The 99-year lease signed by Qing Dynasty in 1898 came to an end and Hong Kong returned back to PRC in 1997.
2019--Hong Kong Protest Under Communistic PRC Reign: The outbreak of Hong Kong Protest from March 31, 2019. It became more violent and caught the global attention since June 2019 until the present.
Transitional Stages:
Above Historical Time Line, also a Political-Cultural-Economical Framework, can be divided into the following stages for clear conceptualization of the current Hong Kong issues.
Stage I:
Initial External Traumatic Shock Wave (1830s to 1890s)--The Eastern Imperial Empire (Qing Dynasty) Cracking Down by the Western Imperial Empire (British Empire) for Opium Trade.
Stage II:
Internal Awakening Traumatic Shock Wave (1890s to 1911)--The Corrupted Imperial China (Qing Dynasty) Ended with Decade-Long Revolution and a Democratic China (Republic of China) Based on Dr. Sun’s Three People Principles was born in 1911. Hong Kong was under the 99-year lease to Britain while a democratic China was established.
Stage III:
External Traumatic Imperial War Shock Wave (1911-1945)-- Western Empires (Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, USA) started imperil competition wars and occupied China’s Coastal Provinces and island territories for commercial, and trade purposes. Soviet Communistic Empire occupied Mongolia and Northern China Provinces for future advancement. Japanese Empire occupied three richest Northeastern Provinces in mainland China, Taiwan Island, and Pon-Hu Island, etc. The motivation of Japanese Empire and Soviet Union was to take advantage of the vulnerable democratic China during the emerging and fledgling beginning stage, inflicted more war trauma unto the struggling people/land, and further expanded military power and territory expansion. Hong Kong was British colony during this period except1941 to 1945 which was occupied by Japan.
Stage IV:
Domestic Traumatic Shock Wave among War Lords (1911-1928)—Constant regional and provincial wars among Chinese war lords. Hong Kong was British colony during this period.
Stage V:
Traumatic Civil War and PRC-ROC Split Shock Wave (1945-1949)-- Republic of China won the victory of WWII and Sino-Japan War in 1945, while Chinese Communism Party was facilitated by Soviet Union (a communistic empire) from 1930s to 1945, while ROC was pre-occupied by the Sino-Japan War and WWII. Civil War broke from 1945 to 1949 between ROC and Chinese Communism Party led by Mao Zedong. On Oct. 1, 1949, People’s Republic of China was established while the government of Republic of China moved to Taiwan Province in 1949 and continued to execute democratic Three People Principles established by Dr. Sun Yat-sen in 1911. Hong Kong was British colony after ROC won the victory in 1945 and during the 4-year Chinese Civil War period.
Stage VI:
Traumatic Communism Tidal Wave in Asia (1949-1975)-- Soviet Union used communistic PRC to trigger more wars in Korea (1950), Vietnam (1955), Cambodia, Lao, Southeast Asia, as well as the stronghold of the democratic China (ROC, Taiwan Province) for Communism military control in Asia. USA Introduced People’s Republic China (PRC) into United Nations in 1971. USA Recognized PRC as an Official Government of China in 1972.
Stage VII:
Political Reunion between Hong Kong and PRC (1997)—Hong Kong’s 99-year lease to Britain by Qing Dynasty from 1898 ended in 1997. United Nations and USA has beckoned communistic PRC as the legitimate government of China since 1972 so Hong Kong was returned back to PRC as communistic China’s territory in 1997.
Conclusion:
Trauma can be defined as an intense stressful event which changes an individual’s internal equilibrium, threatens a person’s survival, and arouses a sense of crisis, such as violence, robbery, sudden near-death accident, loss of a loved one, laid-off, divorce, financial bankruptcy, etc. Traumatic experience sends shock waves to an individual’s brain and activates fight-or-flight cognitive, emotional and behavioral reactions. So-called normal rational cognitive process and executive planning are interrupted and bypassed, replaced by a hyper vigilant mental state in preparation of fight or run for life.
If Hong Kong can be compared as a young child, this child has witnessed and suffered from 200-year endless traumas from intrusive wars, drug trade, bombing, killing, destruction, loss of home, loss of parents, abandonment, British foster parenting, adjusting to foster parents’ language and ideology, domestic violence, divorce, famine, refugees, immanent death threat, death tolls, etc.
Hong Kong is a resilient and living historical encyclopedia/mixture of imperial China, British Empire, democratic China (ROC), or communistic China (PRC).
Intellectual scholars and elite leaders should provide a political-cultural-economic framework and principles for Hong Kong citizens to recognize its unique history, issues, and develop a win-win roadmap for integration, mutual adjustment, or new international diplomatic alternatives. Hong Kong citizens need to discuss and face the political reality and start a healing and constructive negotiation process because violence is like a child throwing short-term temper tantrum without long-term legitimate resolution.
While scientists can send rockets into aerospace and explore Mars and unknown territories, how come human could not resolve political conflicts on a small island on earth? Global experts or United Nations leaders should have extended humanistic helping hands and creating innovative diplomatic solutions regarding Hong Kong dilemma, or the historical tidal shock waves might impact the whole world.
History repeats itself.
The wheel of fortune or misfortune would keep on turning by future irresistible tidal waves.
"Only those who can see the invisible can do the impossible."
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High Profile Suicide--High Achiever Psychology: Parts Unknown by Dr. Trudy, 6/8/2018
Link: http://insights.cermacademy.com/2018/06/207-risks-high-achievement-dr-trudy/
“Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one’s own death.[6] Risk factors include mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, and substance abuse” according to Wikipedia.
Traditionally, suicide is associated with misery, pain and suffering mostly resulting from financial troubles, traumatic loss and poverty. Logically, ending one's life puts an end on the sources of suffering and brings relief.
However, we now see a new risk factor: high achiever risk. We see this in high school students pursuing achievement and high profile, successful celebrities. I call this new risk factor: “High Achiever Psychology: Parts Unknown.”
Let’s look at these:
Kate Spade, 55-year-old well-known New York fashion designer, committed suicide on 6/4/2018.
Anthony Bourdain, 61-year-old world-renowned chef, writer, and CNN "Parts Unknown" TV show host, took his life on 6/8/2018.
Robin Williams, 63-year-old Oscar-winning movie star and best-known Hollywood comedian, hanged himself on 8/11/2014.
Ernest Hemingway, 62-year-old Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning American writer, shot himself in the head on 7/2/1961.
Anthony Bourdain, Kate Spade and Robin Williams were icons and epiphany of talent, success, fame, wealth, and the best elements of so-called good life. They demonstrated all the quality and characteristics that people want to emulate to reach the stardom. These high-profile suicides not only shock the celebrity circles but also shake the whole media empires. Everyone is perplexed by the unanswered mystery, "Money, fame, stardom, awards are glamorous but still not enough to motivate these highly successful people to keep on breathing. Would the celebrity success model lead more driven people to stardom and then perish in a similar fashion? Then what should people believe, pursue, and follow?"
From my 27-year professional clinical experiences, the following are some observations:
I. Age Perspective: Age 55-65 used to be considered as old adult life stage but it should be redefined as Mature Adulthood Mid-Life Stage. In traditional Human Development Theories, mid-life crisis used to happen during the age of 35-45 and the crisis manifestation includes boredom in stability; i.e., existing marital/family/career/lifestyle and a burning desire to break free from the routine, comfort, or confinement.
These high-profile suicides shed light unto the Mature Adulthood Mid-Life Unknown Psyche; that is, existential crisis and mortality. What is the next goal after the stardom, climax of career success? What is the meaning of all the glories? What is the meaning of life? Where is life leading to after the physical health declines?
II. Career Perspective: After decades of upward career trajectory, how to prepare to face the parallel bleak downward slope, such as pre-retirement, retirement, forced retirement, the loss of stage, the fear of loss?
III. Stardom Perspective: How to continue stardom and prevent it from diminishing? How to make the transient star quality and great life style into celestial immortality?
IV. Perfect Life Perspective: Celebrity life is portrayed by the lens of camera. Images can be modified and edited to perfection or completely eliminated. In reality, they are not a perfect superman or superwoman. Ironically, in the real life, rejection, setback, and heartbreak are crucial ingredients for human development and can not be modified or eliminated as easy as images or covered up with fashionable clothing and accessories.
V. Market Driven Perspective: Celebrities are considered as pioneers in trend-setting and also symbolize the selling power for visible and invisible ideas or products that people consciously and unconsciously desire to have and to follow. They can become marketing tools and victims in the pursuit of the stardom at the expense of a normal well-rounded life.
VI. Substance Use Perspective: High profile celebrities live a high-demand, high-stress life which take a big toll on their physical and mental health. In order to enhance their energy and performance, substance use, abuse, and addiction is a common but hidden denominator. Substance use includes alcohol, prescription medicines, illegal drugs, etc., which increase impulsivity, cloud judgment and brain dysfunction which can push any individual over the edge.
VII. Holistic Life Perspective: Above six perspectives emphasize on talent discovery, grooming, career adventure to reach the peak. The time and resource are mainly devoted and prepared for an individual's ascending climb to the top but no emphasis on intangible coping skills in dealing with treacherous descending fall, such as unconditional love, resilience in abrupt interruption, internal happiness, and life wisdom.
Leo Tolstoy, 82-year-old Russian literature giant (9/9/1828-11/20/1910), died naturally but he was wracked with despair and contemplated suicide. His book forbidden by Soviet Communism, A Calendar of Wisdom, was published in 1912, can be a wise antidote for modern high achievers in dealing with Mature Adult Mid-Life Crisis and a tranquil trail head into a transition into the mysterious parts unknown of real life journey.
Tolstoy wrote, "We are here for a short time. Knowledge is limitless. Therefore, the most critical knowledge is not a particular skill or discipline but rather wisdom about 'how to live."
"Strive for goodness without any expectations for rapid or noticeable success. For the further you progress, the higher your ideal of perfection will rise. Yet it is the process itself, this striving, that justifies our lives."
Tolstoy's belief in a higher ideal cured his existential despair and imbued his life with meaning.
He also wrote, "Nobody knows where the human race is going. The highest wisdom, then, is to know where you are going."
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Thoughts on Living a Happy and Fulfilled Life By Dr. Trudy, 6/23/2018
http://insights.cermacademy.com/2018/06/208-thoughts-living-happier-life-dr-trudy/
“Someone’s trash is another’s treasure.” Happiness and fulfillment mean different things to different people at different life stages. Knowing what you want and what your goal is the first step to living a happy, fulfilled life.
How do you start? For example, try to shift a personal perspective to an alternative angle. See something important to you a little differently. Your definition of success and treasure in young adult life stage may become failure and trash in mature adult life stage or vice versa. In the highly specialized modern world that we are living in today, some tasks have become paramount as to stop individuals from living a happy fulfilled life, such as bridging social disconnection, isolation, and vulnerability.
THE SUCCESS SYNDROME
After writing Risks of High Achievement, I wondered about the Success Syndrome in Silicon Valley where I have my consulting practice.
After years of achieving success, many individuals have developed a certain way of life; that is, rigid and narrow upward tunnel. There is no tolerance for alternative perspectives in “failure”, “frustration”, or even “annoying inconvenience.”
People sometimes use mental illness to describe people who committed suicide but truthfully, it may not be mental illnesses that drive successful people to an early death.
The causes of suicide may sometimes be a lack of basic rational thoughts, reasonable self-expectation, or personal permission to shift rigid perspectives, such as consulting a professional, talking about it or writing it down on a piece of paper.
MY STORY
When I was in graduate school working on my advance degree, I had no time for anything except studying piles and piles of books and writing endless research papers day and night. I always considered cooking and daily chores as annoying obstacles on my path to achieve my doctoral degree. Until one day, I opened the kitchen cabinet and observed my roommate’s dish arrangement. I was shocked to realize that pots/pans/dishes can be arranged in a spacious way instead of just piling them up like books and papers, which was how I always did.
After I finished my doctoral degree, I found the bathroom dirty and would like to clean it but I did not know how. I picked up the phone and called my friend who is the wife of a professor and she was laughing loudly on the phone and said to me that “I cannot believe that you can get a doctoral degree but you did not even know what tool to use to clean a toilet.” I also called another friend one day and asked her how to use a vacuum cleaner. The list goes on and on.
Some simple things for others may not be so simple for another. When successful people devote all their attention and resources unto a specific goals, they may become idiots in other simple tasks.
Sometimes, you just have to stop focusing and working so hard on your “failure” and observe or adopt a childlike playful mindset to experience simple joys, such as enjoying a scoop of ice cream.
SO, A FEW THOUGHTS
It is just that simple.
Is it worth committing suicide for failing in cleaning a toilet?
Is it worth committing suicide for a dusty award or someone’s nasty criticism?
Dr. Trudy welcomes any question and comment regarding your perspective in living a happy life.
Bio:
Dr. Trudy Hu is a psychiatric expert and a clinical psychologist who specializes in brain functions, bio-psycho-social organic and humorous approaches in treatment and psychiatric medication consultation and coordination for 30 years.
Website: DrTrudy.com (or https://sites.google.com/site/drtrudyconsulting)
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Tiger Mom's Cry--Silicon Valley Suicide Crises and Mystery 2/25/2016
Silicon Valley Psychiatric Consulting Services
When the suicides happened in the most elite high school, Henry M. Gunn High School, an affluent community, also in the heart of Silicon Valley, the home of the most brilliant and successful inventors, invention and companies, it raises a red flag and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is conducting an investigation and trying to find out the root cause of the invisible, mysterious and contagious disease, suicide cluster.
I was informed more than 10 years ago in Oregon that parents in Palo Alto have organized patrol teams around the Caltrain tracks but obviously the suicide symptom is not alleviated after a decade later.
Any news related to death is always shocking and grief stricken. Homicide is the violent action of an individual to take someone else’s life. Victims and victims’ loved ones may vent their shock and anger toward criminals, suspects or someone else. Suicide is the violent action of an individual who chooses death as an exit, an outlet or a statement.
It is always an unsolved mystery that plagued family members and loved ones about the sources of anger and pain which motivates the individual to end his/her own life. Parents who lost their child through suicide have the most difficult time in recovery. By witnessing a precious infant that parents gave birth, nurtured, protected and educated without reservation chose to stop all the hopes and dreams pre-maturely is simply heart-broken.
Basic Statistics about Gunn High School
Demographics: Asian 43.8%, White 38.7%, Hispanic 8.8%, Bi-Racial 6.2%, Others < 2.5%.
54% of students scored a grade of 5.
The top 2 universities Gunn High School students go to: Stanford University,
University of California, Berkeley.
Most of the deceased students were Asian American male during 2014-2015.
Most of the deceased students were Caucasian male and female during 2009-2010.
Puzzling Questions
When does the teens’ youthful life turn into such unbearable misery?
Why do the teens with such rich learning environment see no future?
How come there is no light/no solution at the dark tunnel in such an illuminating
Silicon Valley full of inventors and inventions to solve other people’s problems?
In the “diverse” and “open” American society, why do all the best high school students, especially students with Asian heritage and Caucasian students, are put through such a gruesome competitive and inhumane way in college admission process with quota system to limit their opportunity, especially in Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley?
How could academic stress push a young teen to the path of suicide?
Universities pay big money to recruit football players and coaches. Why can’t universities or high schools resolve the suicide crises of their best brains and future inventors since a decade ago?
Many parents are asking, “Will suicide clusters just limited in Gunn High School in Palo Alto or it has happened in other elite high schools and colleges without much public awareness (Note 1)?”
Most of the parents could not understand the stress level that their teens and young adults were undertaken. Let me explain it to you the sources and developing process of the internal academic pressure bomb.
Political, Social and Economical Backdrop
As a clinical psychologist with 30-year clinical experience, I would like to shed some light upon the academically brilliant teen suicide epidemic issue. As the reports indicated that the academic stress has become insane and unbearable in Gunn High School, Palo Alto, CA. Some complained about the effect of Tiger Mom parenting style and some blamed the influence of Chinese and Korean type of academic stress.
Take my high school experience as an example. I grew up in Taiwan which is a
small island located in southeast of China. My father was a navy officer withdrew from China to Taiwan with President Chiang Kai-Shek military after 1949.
With limited finance and resource, most of the people migrated from China to
Taiwan lost their homeland, their family in China, and everything (Note 2).
My father’s generation should be defined correctly as “defeated homeless
refugees” in today’s political term after the wars with Japan and Chinese
Communist Party.
The only way to become successful in a small island without any resource or
connection is through education. President Chiang Kai-Shek did a great job
in setting up almost free education from kindergarten to high school for every
child (Baby Boomer Generation) in Taiwan. Since most of the students with
similar background want to be successful in basic education and later on college
education, the best and fairest way for everyone to get into college is through
College Entrance Examination. The pressure of College Entrance Examination
has escalated year by year and become insane and unbearable.
Every student was ranked by test score and all colleges were ranked, too (Note 3).
A student’s score and his/her college ranking become his/her identity, pride and
value. Similar academic stress has pushed many Japanese teens and Korean teens to suicide in Japan and Korea, too. There was no Tiger Mom or demanding parents at that time due to widespread economical hardship (poverty) that my parents’ generation had to endure. The academic stress mainly arose internally from high aspiration for achievement, high self-expectation and extremely competitive academic environment among a large group of high-achieving students whose survival and success rely on their own academic excellence. Once a student was admitted by top universities and the top departments, it symbolized one’s caliber of intelligence, elite status, and academic brand through numerous past harsh tests. Students and parents assume that they would be awarded with promising career future. They also believe that they would harvest the abundant fruits of their long hard labor.
The Myth of Asian American Students’ Academic Success
Normal daily academic workload can grow into heavy workload and later on disabling burden which can cause physical diseases, depression, and occupational depression (Note 4) like most of middle-aged professionals in highly competitive high-tech work environment. Asian immigrant parents work at high-stress Silicon Valley without much resource or connection in a new society, like their defeated homeless refugee parents, and uphold the same belief system and academic dreams unto their off-springs unconsciously.
Once the chronic academic stress persists and goes beyond the limit of tolerance threshold, an individual will suffer sleep disorder, sleep deprivation, declined immune system, frequent bacteria and virus attacks, physical and mental fatigue, declined cognitive capacity in attention span, comprehending, reasoning, memory retention, analysis, problem-solving, judgment, and more. The academic stress from high school continues in high-achieving college students, too. The individual walks around campus or workplace like a zombie. The worst symptom is the loss of pleasure and positive sensory reactions.
It is hard for an adult or a teen to understand or accept the sudden “failure” or “decline” even with consistent excellence in the past. It might be considered as shameful degradation and devastating defeat in the competitive academic games. Any setback, such as a falling grade, a rejection, any disqualification can be interpreted as a failure, or a beginning of an end to the final glory. It triggers a sense of worthlessness and hopelessness. A vulnerable teen with growing sexual hormones but has limited time for social interactions and relaxation tends to escape the stressful reality through internet gaming and social media. Unfortunately, it only facilitates a narrower tunnel vision with no outlet or solution (Note 5). Negative downward spiral thought process leads to disillusion, despair, and endless misery. Ending one's life seems to be a comforting
and suggestive option to stop the misery from going on.
Silent Tiger Mom's Cry
Are there other approaches in addition to Caltrain track patrol to protect the brilliant youth from harming themselves? (Note 6)
Is it time for Tiger Moms to break silence, roar, and break the Model Minority stereotype?
Is it time for Tiger Moms and Tiger Dads in Palo Alto to get together to fight for their young teens’ survival and their own silent suffering and sacrifice in the high stress Silicon Valley instead of pressuring themselves and their young teens to internalize the silent discrimination through fierce competition which inflamed by discriminatory quota policies to limit the opportunity for academically outstanding Asian and Caucasian students from receiving high-quality college education that parents’ taxes pay for?
Universities pro-actively reach out to excellent athletes. Athletes are awarded with various athletic scholarships in top universities without quota limitation or affirmative action to restrict athletes' admission. Athletes are applauded by thousands and millions of viewers. Sports injury and sports psychology have been under the spot light to advocate the care for athletes. Academically outstanding students should be considered as academic athletes, too.
If Julie Moss, a winning athlete in Ironman competition, experienced the sudden collapse of her legs and crawled to the finishing line in 1982 to inspire the whole world (Note 6).
Julie Moss demonstrated her winning courage and winning will power as well as the limits of our physical body. What happen to Julie Moss' legs can happen to Asian American and Caucasian American youth's brain in the same way and maybe worse!
When the command center in our body (brain) shuts down, it is impossible for the brain to send out emergency alarm or command to other parts of the body, like the voice inside Julie Moss' brain to urge her to get up after her legs collapsed.
African American adults and youth protested in many cities, including Berkeley and shouting “Black Lives Matter.” The destruction of the cities were tolerated and accepted by the media which have many African American anchors and reporters as advocates, too.
Asian American young lives should matter, too, shouldn’t they? Asian engineers’ family life should matter, too, shouldn’t it? Silicon Valley high-tech workhorses’ brain health should matter, too, shouldn’t it? How come there is no protest on campus, on streets, or even on popular social media but silent death walk into the train tracks and silent crying and burning inside the elite MIT dorm room? Where are the advocates of diversity for excellence?
Where is the leadership for affirmative action for outstanding young Asian Americans and White Americans, especially boys?
Should Tiger Moms turn their silent cry and guilt into a loud roar?
What a lonely, isolated, hopeless, helpless and heart-broken way to end a brilliant young life without any support or voice from the most wealthy society/state in the world except the regular train horn beckoning nearby!
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience,
but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Martin Luther King, Jr.
Notes:
Note 1: The rate of student suicide at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) continues to be notably higher than the national average (3/17/2015). Asian American student suicide rate at MIT is quadruple in National Average (3/20/2015). A female MIT student, Elizabeth Shins, committed suicide in her dorm room through burning in April, 2000. A Boston Globe study of college
suicides, 1990-2001 indicated that among 12 schools that made data available, including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, University of Michigan, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, etc.,
MIT had the highest suicide rate. 74% of MIT students surveyed by the 2001 MIT task force said that they had an emotional problem that interfered with their daily lives.
Note 2: Majority of military service members before 1949 in China came from wealthy families and businesses, land owners whose youth chose to defend their land, families, assets, and business during the 8-year-long war against Japanese invasion and then followed by a civil war with Chinese Communism Party.
Note 3: Top ranked colleges in Taiwan were/are public-funded colleges with affordable tuition:
US$300 per student per year.
Note 4: Occupational Depression, High Stress Symptoms among High-Tech Employees
https://sites.google.com/site/drtrudyconsulting/success/rekindleyourvocationalromancebydrtrudy
Note 5: Young and Vulnerable Teens’ Brain Development
https://sites.google.com/site/drtrudyconsulting/happiness/young-brain-and-addictions
Note 6: Julie Moss' Inspirational Experience
http://www.ironman.com/triathlon-news/articles/2003/06/julie-moss-%E2%80%93-back-to-kona-to-celebrate-her-defining-moment.aspx#axzz41PLm3Qx8
References:
Silicon Valley Suicide: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/12/the-silicon-valley-suicides/413140/
Disturbing Suicide Cluster: https://gma.yahoo.com/disturbing-suicide-cluster-prompts-cdc-start-investigation-palo-004558635--abc-news-wellness.html?soc_src=mail&soc_trk=ma
MIT Suicide Rate Higher Than National Average: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/03/16/suicide-rate-mit-higher-than-national-average/1aGWr7lRjiEyhoD1WIT78I/story.html
Asian American Student Suicide Rate: http://reappropriate.co/2015/05/asian-american-student-suicide-rate-at-mit-is-quadruple-the-national-average/
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Inspiration from "Book Thief" 05/13/2014
My daughter picked a movie, "Book Thief", for the Mother's Day celebration for me on 5/11/14.
The movie features a little girl who could not read but had a strong desire to learn.
She had the courage to take a book from the burned book pile during the political gathering that every adult and child had to show their obedience and loyalty toward Hitler by throwing books into the fire. It was illegal to keep books or anyone could lose his/her life by violating the "laws". It was legal to prosecute and kill a Jew or anyone could lose his/her life by violating the "laws". In order to survive, people had to subject himself/herself under the laws of hurting people, burning books, and even demonstrating "emotionally abusive interactions" between mother and daughter, husband and wife, friends at school in order to conceal the genuine love and happiness toward a human being, a book, or simply life itself.
People did that as a general practice in order to follow the laws of the ruler or they lose their status, business and life eventually. Conscience or genuineness can not be shown (it can only be a secret).
In certain ethnic minority communities, alcohol drinking, child abuse and sexual abuse are all very common. Many young girls were sexually molested or abused by their fathers, step-fathers, mothers' boyfriends, uncles, cousins, older siblings, etc. Most girls grew up and revealed their trauma/anger toward their mothers because their mothers knew about the abuses but they did not say anything due to the fear of losing their own survival. In those clinical cases, those mothers did that as a general practice in order to follow the laws of the house rulers (bread winners) or they lose their food, shelter and legal status eventually.
Conscience or genuineness can not be displayed (it can only be a secret). There are still many parallel processes going on in many organizations nowadays. People continue to follow the general practice without checking into the individually different situation so that the conscience and genuineness can not be shown in the fear of losing their status, job, or survival.
Laws are subject to the rulers and leaders. There is no ultimate righteous laws in a defective human world (or political systems, countries, institutions, etc.) with human greed for power and control.
Sometimes, only through innocent children's eyes we can have a glimpse of the genuine bravery, compassion, conscience and humanity without the contamination of hypocrisy and corruption in adults' world.
This movie is very insightful and thought provoking.
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Sexual Assault, Sexual Abuse and Suicides On College Campus
Similar hypocritical and cover-up parallel process is still happening in many institutions, also inside elite educational institutions, such as University of California, Berkeley.
Caution to Parents and Perspective Students: Before you sent in your application fee and tuition to your dream colleges, you need to be aware of major concerns and predators, such as the following issues within University of California at Berkeley and UC System.
The following interpretations of codes/regulations are loosely used as general practice for years by Center for Student Conduct and Dean of Students within University of California, Berkeley, and UC System.
When you are sent to a hospital and have a "hospital transportation record", the Center for Student Conduct at University of California, Berkeley, can and will cite you having performed "physical abuse" to yourself. (Jan. 2014)
Even though a student is alcohol naive (never used alcohol or unfamiliar with alcohol use) and is invited or lured to drink alcohol in a fraternity party that serves alcohol to any attendees without checking ID, that student can and will be cited by the Center of Student Conduct at UC,Berkeley, for "Alcohol Use". (Jan. 2014)
If a student feels dizzy and sleepy after physical purging unfamiliar substance in his/her dorm and then sleeps in his/her own bed, the Center of Student Conduct can and will cite that student for "Alcohol Abuse in the Dorm." (Jan. 2014)
Director of Center for Student Conduct (Hallie Lewis Hunt) had the authority to retroactively change their inconsistent but permissive statements and actions toward fraternity houses (Greek Organizations which actually possess, distribute, use alcohol, drug female students, sexual assault) to protect fraternity organizations and their own mishandling without any consequence.
Since the authorities (Becca Lopez, Hallie Lewis Hunt) in the University of California, Berkeley emphasized that it is very common to cite above-mentioned violations (based on the above-mentioned English definitions) to students as general practice, many students or families who were mislabeled and mis-charged impossible monetary penalties do not have the time, resources, language proficiency, cultural understanding, substance training or legal knowledge to find out more inconsistency and wrongful citations within Student Conduct Center within University of California, Berkeley for years. Please consult a professor in English department, any counselor or simply a dictionary (a book).
What a sharp contrast and another similar parallel process:
Sexual predators do not face any consequences but sexual assault victims had to bear the trauma for life or committing suicide due to stigma and shame. If a sexual assault victim or an alcohol naive student seeks medical help or reports to the Police, the Center for Student Conduct will charge victims with multiple misconduct citations and penalty first.
This practice has been confirmed by the authorities in University of California, Berkeley consider as "common general practice" in University of California, Berkeley.
Reference:
1. Disturbing Sexual Abuse in University of California, Berkeley: http://nypost.com/2016/02/26/berkeley-police-seek-drugging-victims-of-fraternity-parties/
Mishandling Sexual Abuse Victims from University of California, Berkeley: http://www.buzzfeed.com/maryanngeorgantopoulos/berkeley-wants-sex-assault-lawsuit-dismissed-because-victims#.tc61Ner9K
Stigma of Sexual Assault and Mishandling of Center for Student Conduct in University of California, Berkeley, Prevent Victims From Coming Forward and Seeking Help: http://www.bamn.com/social-justice/keep-rapist-omar-pedroza-off-uc-berkeley-campus (Oct., 2014)
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/02/25/four-female-uc-berkeley-students-possibly-drugged-at-two-fraternities/ (Feb., 2016)
http://sfist.com/2016/02/26/uc_berkeley_frat_denies_campus_cop_1.php
http://www.dailycal.org/2015/06/29/sexual-assault-survivors-file-lawsuit-uc-regents-uc-berkeley/
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-berkeley-sexual-assault-20150629-story.html
2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/21/uc-berkeley-investigation-sexual-assault_n_5185990.html
3. http://articles.latimes.com/2014/apr/19/local/la-me-berkeley-assault-20140420
4. http://articles.latimes.com/2014/feb/26/local/la-me-berkeley-assaults-20140227
5. Alcohol naive is a medical term which indicates the individual is not exposed to alcohol drink, not familiar with alcohol types, alcohol contents, various alcohol drinks, alcohol drinking behaviors or all the behavioral disorder and possible abusive behaviors or consequences (i.e., ACOA: adult children of alcoholics) elicited from alcohol drinking.
6. Professional Substance Use/Abuse/Dependency/Addiction Assessment Tool for Adolescence and Young Adults: CARFFT
C--The teenager or young adult has ridden in a CAR with a driver who is high (drunk, under the influence of substance)
A--The teenager or young adult tends to use the substance ALONE.
R--The teenager or young adult uses the alcohol or substance for RELAXATION.
F--The teenager or young adult has used the alcohol or substance regularly and he/she tends to FORGET (memory loss, cognitive dysfunction).
F--The teenager's or young adult's FRIENDS and FAMILY have commented on his/her alcohol or substance use/abuse/dependency/addiction and advised him/her to cut down, stop and to seek help.
T--The teenager or young adult has gotten into TROUBLE while he/she was using alcohol or substance.
Anyone who has 2 out of 6 criteria will be qualified for alcohol use/abuse/dependency/addiction.
The parents of teens or young adults who have alcohol and substance use/abuse/dependency/addiction issues experienced the free experiments of drugs and substance in 1960s-1970s and sexual revolution which was the most prevalent popular culture in society as college campuses.
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