Us Unhinged

How did the events from 2018 to 2020 affect the average American? What are the issues at the forefront of society? We must be concerned about finding solutions to the problems associated with this period in the United States. The frequent occurrences of citizen uprisings from the pre and post pandemic of 2020 should be a wake-up call. If we do not examine and change our way of thinking, we will not move forward successfully. We must understand these sociological events, process the information, share conversations, acknowledge right from wrong and make rational decisions. We must examine our inner selves and set priorities for personal improvement. After all this chaos, it is time to focus on self-improvement and self-responsibility.

The following tumultuous events and movements continue to plague our country, the United States, and its citizens: the #MeToo Movement, school and other mass shootings, corporate greed, civil unrest from the Black Lives Matter Movement, destruction of cities, the defunding of police departments, problems with student discipline, both in schools and colleges, and lastly, the wildfires, hurricanes and flooding due to climate change, causing massive death and destruction. If these problems were not enough, we had to endure the Covid-19 pandemic that shut down the country and caused major disruption in our way of life. Sadly, the citizens had to choose between what the medical professionals were saying, and they had no selfish interest in providing information as it became available, versus the politicians who pandered to their party affiliates, spreading disinformation. The television stations and social media were only interested in maintaining their market share of the population by spreading rumors, untruths, or whatever they could say to keep their audience addicted to listening to what they believed to be the truth.

All this turbulence has created havoc with the American way of life and unhinged the US. It is understandable why the emotional toll is so high at this juncture. Over the next few years, we will continue to grapple with the sadness of this current reality. We need to get back to basics, find peace and foster responsibility within ourselves and others. Before we can pave a path towards inner peace, we must first understand why this force of negative emotions and events has erupted. While determining the causes, we can find solutions to create change and foster a peaceful society.

Anyone who cares about America will realize how detrimental and corrosive these social mores are. The events that have unfolded in our country need to change. During the pandemic, there was a surge of mental health issues. People were feeling more depressed, anxious, isolated, and overwhelmed. Many individuals experienced hardships that may have affected their perceived individual security. There was a surge in suicide rate and increased deaths from overdoses. I have tried to explain why we feel the emotions we do, when experiencing heartbreak, loneliness, and other positive and negative feelings.

As a psychiatrist, I can provide some insight, and offer direction for successful and positive relationships. Topics discussed in the book include child development, parenting, and raising confident children without a gender bias. Having trained as a Child, Adolescent and Adult psychiatrist, I hope to plant seeds of change that require examining the issues from a different perspective, as citizens of the US, as a family unit, and as part of the global society. Today people are looking for guidance to find a path forward in life. People read for entertainment or to get an education. They may begin to look at events from a different perspective. Knowledge will redefine their way of thinking and bring peace to their emotional turmoil.