Today’s Problem With Masculinity Isn’t What You Think. “Men are so quick to blame the gods: they saythat we devise their misery. But theythemselves — in their depravity — designgrief greater than the griefs that fate assigns.” ―Homer, The Odyssey I don’t have the group picture from the day my dad visited my fraternity house at Oklahoma State University. It was awkward compared to the “Mom’s Day” photo we would snap a few months later. Not that it’s awkward to take pictures with my dad — we’re all smiles — but the “Dad’s Day” photo, which hung above my fraternity brother’s desk, along with a compilation of date party photos, looked anything but natural.
Each year, the university invites parents to spend a day with their kids. The photos with the moms always turn out great. Dads were different. The group photos always seemed cold. I’ve long wondered why the two photos turned out so opposite. Where’d You Learn to Be a “Man”? The memory of the Dad’s Day picture has been nagging me, so I start questioning other men and my friends. The Warrior Poet.
The rise of women-only coworking spaces. Sign Up for Our free email newsletters For entrepreneurs, a coworking space can be the perfect place for a great idea to take root. Without a designated office to go to every day, freelancers, artists, and independent business owners can rent a desk in these hip spaces, which serve not just as an alternative to the noisy coffee shop, but also as a networking spot, where connections are made and ideas forged. Indeed, coworking has been on the rise for years.
The most infamous coworking company, WeWork, has 120,000 customers in more than 150 offices across the globe, and is worth a stunning $20 billion. As the #MeToo and Time's Up movements shine a light on some of the hazards of working while female, coworking hubs for women and people who identify as non-binary are popping up around the country. At The Coven, a sign at the front entrance reads "Witches don't apologize. " Other female coworking spaces also have a wellness focus. Resurrect services that help UK’s young people | Letters | Society.
Ciaran Thapar (There’s no quick fix for knife crime, but there is a solution, 27 September) is spot on about there being no quick fix for young people’s issues. Youth and community workers work in a preventative way, heading off serious issues including mental distress, racism, relationship abuse and extremism. Our well-funded (now demolished) statutory youth and community service proudly offered an informal, preventative curriculum and provided safe spaces where skilled workers built trusting relationships with children, young people and adults.
Since the demolition, so many well-trained youth workers now labour over funding bids rather than doing this crucial work. We hear some great youth centres have been sold off for £1. . • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com. Loneliness as bad for health as long-term illness, says GPs' chief | Society. Being lonely can be as bad for someone’s health as having a long-term illness such as diabetes or high blood pressure, the leader of Britain’s GPs will warn on Thursday. Patients who visit their family doctor because they are suffering from loneliness and want some human contact are adding to the pressures the NHS is under, Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard will tell the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). But she will also urge GPs to make the time to see such patients, so that they have someone to talk to, despite being overworked because of the growing demands on their schedules.
The estimated 1.1 million Britons to be lonely are 50% more likely to die prematurely than people with a good social network, making loneliness as big a mortality risk as diabetes, the college says. “Social isolation and loneliness are akin to a chronic long-term condition in terms of the impact they have on our patients’ health and wellbeing,” the college’s chair will tell its annual conference.
Tackling the silent epidemic of loneliness | Letters | Society. We welcome the focus given by Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard on the toll that loneliness is placing on our healthcare system (Loneliness as harmful as diabetes, says top GP, 12 October). Every day our staff and volunteers see the devastating impact that social isolation is having on people’s lives, and the additional strain placed on our public services when these impacts are left untreated.
Responding to emergencies is at the heart of what the British Red Cross does and the epidemic of loneliness we are currently experiencing is no different. Our partnership with the Co-op has seen the implementation of new community services that strengthen social connections but our services, and other excellent initiatives being delivered across the country, cannot solve these issues on their own. We are calling for all local health and social decision makers to ensure that services that prevent, reduce and delay loneliness and social isolation are available in their areas. Treating the UK’s loneliness epidemic | Letters | Society. Over a million people in the UK aged over 65 now experience chronic loneliness. This figure will only rise as our population ages. And research shows that severe loneliness affects people across their life course, including children and young people (Hypersocial days are here again!
, 3 October). Chronic loneliness is as bad for our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and as damaging as obesity and physical inactivity. It is linked with depression, dementia and high blood pressure alongside a number of other conditions. Loneliness impacts on our struggling health and social care system, with evidence showing that those living with loneliness are far more likely to visit their local doctor or A&E.
New research shows the health cost alone of loneliness is equivalent to some £12,000 per person over 15 years. National and local policymakers are now waking up. . • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com. Loneliness and isolation: Social relationships are key to good health - Public health matters. The John Lewis Christmas ad has become synonymous with the start of the festive season, along with Black Friday sales and twinkly lights along local high streets. This year the company partnered up with Age UK for its Man on the Moon advert, supporting the charity’s campaign to highlight the one million older people in the UK who will be alone this Christmas.
Age UK reminds us that one million older people in the UK can go for a whole month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member. Here at PHE, we also know that loneliness and social isolation can affect people of all ages, including children, and can have a significant impact on health and wellbeing. The wider effects of social isolationIt’s important to understand the distinction between loneliness and isolation. The document on social isolation, published earlier this year, explains how the quality and quantity of social relationships can affect people’s physical and mental health.
Mental Illness Is On The Rise But Access To Care Keeps Dwindling. Mental Illness Is On The Rise But Access To Care Keeps Dwindling. Why Is Mental Illness On The Rise? - anxietycentre.com. We are often asked, “Since life is so much easier today, why are mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorder and depression, on the rise?” It’s true that our life is much easier today than it was 50 years ago. Yet, mental illness is on the rise, and drastically. A study by researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center, published earlier this year in the journal Psychiatric Services, found more Americans than ever before suffer from serious psychological distress (SPD). [1] The researchers analyzed a federal health information database and concluded that 3.4 percent of the U.S. population (more than 8.3 million) adult Americans suffer from SPD.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which conducts the National Health Interview Survey on which the research is based, SPD combines feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and restlessness that are hazardous enough to impair people's physical well-being. Speaking of suicide, it doesn’t get any better. References: 1. 3. Depression now equal to high blood pressure as a top reason Canadians see physicians. According to Morneau Shepell survey, 63 per cent of physicians report the fastest increase in the number of their recent cases is from depression, anxiety disorders and stress-related issues TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2016 /CNW/ - New research announced today by Morneau Shepell found that depression is now equal to high blood pressure as a top reason Canadians see physicians. Depression was the top-ranked condition by 24 per cent of physician respondents, equal to high blood pressure, which was the top-ranked condition by a different 24 per cent of physician respondents.
The results of the national survey, which polled physicians, employees and employers across Canada, will be presented January 27 at the Company's 5th annual Employers Connect event. Comparatively, musculoskeletal disorders were the top-ranked condition by 11 per cent of physician respondents. Workplace engagement levels are strongly correlated with mental health issues About the Survey SOURCE Morneau Shepell Inc.
Mental health issues growing, affecting more people at work. VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – From feelings of hopelessness to chronic sleep problems and headaches, mental health issues are increasingly affecting how we live and how we work. The number of cases of depression, anxiety and stress-related symptoms is growing fast, with new research suggesting depression is now tied with high blood pressure as one of the top reasons we see a doctor in Canada. “We found 24 per cent of per cent of physicians report that depression is the number one reason they were seeing individuals,” says Rochelle Morandi, a partner in the Vancouver office of Morneau Shepell, the HR firm behind the study.
“That has certainly increased in the last number of years and is now parallel to the 24 per cent who say high blood pressure is the top reason individuals are coming to their office.” Almost two-thirds of doctors reported that depression, anxiety disorders or stress-related issues had the fastest increase in cases they had seen over the last two to three years. The Problem With Political Correctness | HuffPost. Mom was wrong when she taught me, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” Names do hurt — names can shame, ridicule, and humiliate.
Some pertain to race or gender; others refer to weight, facial features, or a particular part of one’s anatomy. Names that refer to social class or what part of the country you’re from can be hurtful, as can names that involve age, religion, or physical ability. Even slang names for certain occupations can be hurtful. Certainly, no one likes to be called a name that is disrespectful, unkind, or downright mean. But there is another category of name-calling that is also hurtful and destructive: names such as “racist,” “sexist,” “homophobe,” “anti-Semite,” “bigot,” and the like.
Let’s consider the definition of racism: “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial difference produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” Lighten up, please. H&M Signs Animal Welfare Pledge With HSI | British Vogue. H&M is collaborating with Humane Society International to promote the ethical treatment of animals across the fashion and beauty industries.
The collaboration aims not only to protect the farm animals from which wool, hair or down is derived, but also to work towards banning cosmetics testing on animals globally. "Animal welfare is important to us at H&M and we want to contribute to improved animal welfare practices in our industry, which is why we are committing ourselves not only to further improve our own requirements, but also to work collaboratively with HSI to elevate standards throughout the industry and globally," explained H&M sustainability business expert Madelene Ericsson in a statement. "HSI is a globally recognised organisation with long experience within this area, so we believe they will be a very good partner in pushing for change and we hope that other companies will be inspired to do likewise.
" H&M Launch Mini Me Childrenswear Collection Balmain For H&M Confirmed. Blurred Lines: Why Gender-Neutral Fashion Is the New Normal. I can finally come out with it, because it's not that big deal of a "reveal" anymore: About half of my older blue jeans (and some of my khakis and cords) are women's brands purchased by either me or my wife over the years. What can I say? They spoke to me more than what was on the men's racks at the time. I wasn't interested in a feminine silhouette, zippered ankles, or a skinny tapered leg that would Russell Brand me out. No jeggings for me. I liked the look of the women's denim that was gaining popularity at the time: flat-hipped, boot-legged, and low-riding. From the Editors of Details And though I've never been busted by my guy posse for wearing women's clothes, I'm no longer self-conscious about taking a few pairs of size 10s to the dressing room.
Maybe that's because it's getting harder to tell the women's department from the men's. Too "effeminate," "androgynous," "flamboyant," or "fey"? The upshot: more choice, and not just for risk-takers on fashion's cutting edge. Genderless fashion: a fad or the future? | Fashion | Drapers. Black Lives Matter protesters admit London City Airport trespass. Image copyright AFP Nine people who stormed the runway at London City Airport as part of a Black Lives Matter protest have admitted aggravated trespass.
Up to 131 flights were grounded when the group chained themselves together at 05:30 BST on 6 September. About 9,000 passengers were affected when the runway was shut until midday. The group of nine all pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates' Court to aggravated trespass by disrupting a person engaged in a lawful activity. They were all given an 18-month conditional discharge except for two defendants, Deborah Francis-Grayson and Alex Etchart, who had previous convictions for similar protests.
Francis-Grayson, 31, was given a three-year conditional discharge while Etchart, 26, received a two-year conditional discharge. All nine defendants were also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £95. Image copyright Black Live Matters Image copyright Reuters The court heard the nine protesters used rafts to cross the surrounding river. Image copyright PA. Tory austerity is officially causing a mental health crisis. It’s official. The Conservative austerity agenda is causing a mental health crisis.
The cuts made to housing benefits have seen more than 26,000 people plunged into depression, according to new research. But the figures may well just be the tip of the iceberg. And with more austerity on the way, and mental health services struggling, the situation is only going to get worse. Relentless cuts In April 2011, the government changed the criteria for private renters receiving local housing allowance (LHA), in an attempt to save £1.6bn. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) estimates that the average loss of income for recipients was £1,220 per year, affecting about 1.35 million individuals and potentially tipping 27,000-54,000 children into severe poverty.
Research from the London School of Economics (LSE), University of Oxford, and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has found a direct link between benefit cuts and mental health. A direct link to depression Get Involved! Andrew Sullivan: My Distraction Sickness — and Yours. Pokémon Go: How the game is helping players tackle anxiety and depression | The Independent. China's new priority: social wellbeing over growth.