Dr. David N. Gottsegen FILE PHOTO By DR. DAVID GOTTSEGEN I was awakened this morning at 5:30 by thoughts of this administration’s destruction of our health care system, our economy, our democracy, our environment, and our friendships with allies around the world. (Many of those whom I know share these night time/early morning preoccupations.)I listened …
My Turn: Good self-care a strong antidote to forces of injustice – Greenfield Recorder
Dr. David N. Gottsegen FILE PHOTO
By DR. DAVID GOTTSEGEN
I was awakened this morning at 5:30 by thoughts of this administration’s destruction of our health care system, our economy, our democracy, our environment, and our friendships with allies around the world. (Many of those whom I know share these night time/early morning preoccupations.)
I listened to the chatter of robins for a few minutes before doing what I learned many years ago, when stresses in my life led to insomnia. I practiced self-hypnosis which morphed into mindful meditation. For the last 10 years, my favorite style is loving-kindness meditation — taught by the deservedly world-famous teacher, and co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre — Sharon Salzberg.
To say that this has changed my life is not an understatement, because a good night’s sleep is the foundation of a healthy life. Studies show that the sleep deprivation which affects millions of Americans exacerbates obesity, cardiovascular disease, depression, and chronic pain. And though millions of Americans take sleep medicines with side effects like dizziness, headache, drowsiness or even addiction, studies show that none of them increase sleep duration by more than 20 to 30 minutes.
Good sleep hygiene — a dark quiet bedroom, no alcohol, caffeine, or heavy discussions before bed, no screens before sleeping, same bedtime every night — works much better, experts say. And if shut eye is still a problem. cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI), meditation, hypnosis, and prayer are all more effective than drugs. I’ve taught hundreds of kids through the years to imagine their intrusive thoughts were like passing clouds in the sky, horses on a merry go round, or floats in a parade: Just notice them as each one comes by and watch them disappear.
If there is any bright side to this administration’s taking a wrecking ball to our health care system, it is that it forces all of us to us to be more focused on good self-care. This means getting a good night’s sleep, eating healthfully, getting fresh air and exercise, and reaching out to friends, family and community.
In his 2011 book “Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet” Bill McGibbon argued that global warming had progressed to the point that we must get used to more weather disasters, and an unstable climate, and world. Since then, things have gotten worse, and now a climate denier sits in the White House.
The good news is that McGibbon’s recommendations are sounder and more relevant than ever. Don’t buy a lot of plastic junk you don’t need. Buy local. It helps the local economy. And food that does not travel across the world is unaffected by tariffs, is fresher, and lacks the CO2 generating costs associated with food transport. Support your local community. Buy produce in season: We are blessed with the best asparagus in the world, available now at local farmstands and front yards in Hadley!
Eat organic when possible. Studies by the USDA publicized in Consumer Reports revealed that 20% of foods studied had dangerous levels of pesticides — especially, berries, peppers, green beans, potatoes, and kale. Speaking of kale, it really is good for you. It earned a 1200 score from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, based on its composition of nutrients. Second place went to spinach, at 900.
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Good self-care means getting all recommended vaccines, for you and your children. It means taking advantage of all the beautiful forests, lakes, streams, bike paths, and trails in the Pioneer Valley to enjoy fresh air and exercise.
For those millions of us with chronic pain, the answer is often not with traditional care. Acupuncture was approved by the NIH as treatment for chronic back pain. Twenty years ago, I was headed to certain surgery (or an opiate addiction if I had accepted a neurosurgeon’s prescription for OxyContin) for spinal stenosis and slipped discs, but acupuncture saved me. It should be part of routine care for this conditions.
For headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic bellyaches in children, mind body treatments like CBT, meditation and hypnosis have far more evidence to support them than medicines.
Finally, spiritual health, whether through organized religion, meditation, “nature bathing,” yoga, or love of music, art, or friends, is closely related to mental and physical health. This means of course, reaching out to friends, family and community. Practice loving kindness. This builds resilience in us as individuals, and in our neighborhoods, towns and cities.
Like billions of people throughout the world now and in the past, Americans are now getting a taste of what tyranny is like. The evidence shows that practicing good self-care, compassion and loving kindness will help us, our families, and communities survive and even thrive.
By practicing good self-care, it will help us to have the energy, spirit, and strength necessary to fight against the tremendous forces of injustice which seem to be overtaking this country. And the fight will be most successful if we do it with friends, with family and with joy.
Dr. David Gottsegen is a pediatrician who focuses on the interrelationship between mind body and spirit. He lives in Belchertown.
05-13-2025 12:31 PM
05-13-2025 12:31 PM
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05-13-2025 12:31 PM
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