What is our purpose? Why are so many chronically ill?

I enjoyed your post CuriousKitty, and there are a several things I
might suggest as the reasons why society is functioning as it is in this country:

We are living in an age of rapidly expanding medical technology, and much more is known now than in the 1800s about illnesses and ways to treat them.  In fact, technology is growing so rapidly that society is having a difficult time trying to control its consequences:i.e, cloning of humans, for example.

Secondly, we have a growing population in this country and the need to see that people are cared for well if we are to maintain our strength as a nation.  The oversight that our national agencies have power to exert probably creates a hectic situation for those men and women  trying to determine what is best to permit the society to have for its benefit. 

Consequently, newly developed drugs may often be released without long-term adequate testing for their adverse effects as well as their beneficial effects, all in an effort to get them on the market for people desperate for relief from pain and sickness.  And that's just one area of strong growth in technology.  Consider communication, transportation, energy, sea research, etc., etc.

Thirdly, we live in a capitalistic society which places the value of money on a high plateau and that causes a struggle for many of our people here in the United States and in other capitalistic countries.  There is much truth in the concept that "money is the root of all evil".

The drive for money is the drive for power. It is true that the drive for power leads to corruption, and absolute power leads to absolute corruption.

Fourth, we need to stamp out the burgeoning use of narcotic drugs in this nation as best we can.  It is my understanding that drug officials say it will come back no matter how much effort and money are expended to stop it.  Our people need to gain education regarding the uses of these brain killers.

I think those things are part of it.  We may, in fact, be very fortunate that this nation does as well as it does considering the greed worldwide.  The unfailing spirit of people is a large part of what

keeps things stable here in the United States, and the nobility of lives who have served their nation militarily, socially, and spiritually.

It's Genetic

Post Edited (It's Genetic) : 5/18/2012 1:06:17 PM (GMT-6)

thanks for your reply Its Genetic. :) I very much agree with your 3rd point. The struggle to have the most has led us down a very dangerous path. When you start to play with nature for the purposes of making more money something always goes wrong. I think a lot of illness these days goes back to our bodies being inundated with too much stuff, ie) pesticides, genetically modified foods, pollution, etc all results of a greedy world and as a result peoples systems are getting increasingly sick. Instead of working on prevention, we are working on fixing after the damage is done with medications and I worry about this. Technology that continues to encourage consumption, ruins peoples health. The question becomes when are we gonna get together and push back and not allow one more body to get chronically ill. We are past the point of strong nations I think. Every country on the map is failing because we are all based on greedy principals (and the ones that havent yet will be ) and until its you that becomes sick, life goes on business as usual.

I see so much illnesses discussed here and I just wonder if many of them have the same root causes. And if we demanded business be conducted in kinder ways, if we would start to see illnesses remedy themselves. I think we would.

For example, food production these days have less nutrition than years back. Why? also why is there a need for vitamin supplementation when you eat healthy food? the answer is our food isnt health any more. And guess what happens when foods arent healthy, the people that eat it get sick.

Our bodies were designed to combat illness. What has happened that it can do it anymore? Something has gone very wrong and people dont quite understand and then are left scurrying for solutions. I just wonder if there is something that can be done by a group that have issues that i suspect, many have similar root causes. thank for your thoughts.. good food for thought to help with my vitamin supplementation :)

I keep reading all the posts and think I want to grab each of you on my back and help you keep walking forward. You guys are so inspirational. There is a way to fix all of this and this suffering will pass. Glad there is a place like this for people to congregate and discuss.

huntWcrohns you said you worked on farms? i take it that experience opened your eyes to some stuff. I can only imagine. I have done some reading of my own and even seeing documentaries that talk about food production is astounding. If people only knew what they were eating, but plp are too busy just trying to survive in this strange world that no one knows, until they get sick. And once people get sick they dont have the energy to fight as they once did. Things must change, and that has to come from the masses. No one deserves to be chronically ill, and we are the answer, because we know.

CuriousKitty,

First of all, I wanted to say I don't see HuntWcrohn's posts. Did he delete them?

There is one point that I would like to make, though it isn't always easy for everybody. But you wondered what a person can do about this. I guess the food that we eat strikes me as most important at this moment. There was a time when I was younger, I hunted, fished and raised a garden. I made my own bread and did a lot of cooking and canning. There were times when the only thing that was store bought on the table was the milk and butter. I felt very healthy at this time. Was not on any antidepressants. But I sure did work hard. I think people have made this a thing of the past.

Another reason for depression is that it is heriditary. My mother and father were both depressed. I think all the kids were. I really believe that it can run in the family. But where did it start in the first place I guess is the question.

Though I think the conversation here is interesting, I just want to say to try not to get too overwhelmed with it. Moderation in all things. Because no matter how we got this way, we are here now and have to deal with it the best way that we know how. I just dont' want you to obsess about it. Though I am glad that you posted, as it seems to be an interesting topic for the forum. I kind of agree with everybody. Drug companies want us sick so we use the medications and they make a lot of money. That is corpoprate greed. And we as people suffer. It is sad, but it is true. Plus things happen such as pesticides accidently get put into feed. I have a friend, that drank contaminated milk and to this day she cannot walk. She is in a wheel chair. And unlike being paralized, she has pain, and a lot of it. She never was able to sue anybody and get a little help with medical bills or even something to help her along. And it was statewide I believe. I remember it on the news. We started drinking dry milk. But things just aren't fair sometimes.

Substances such as alcohol make many people depressed, but were they depressed and that caused them to drink?

I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Hugs, Karen

A quick reply to the narcotics thing, CuriousKitty: people don't set out to become narcotic addicts, but when they expose themselves to a culture that encourages indulgence, they may become addicted.

It's greed, again, for money that keeps sellers of narcotics in search of new, unknowing and perhaps weak people to submit to the use of them.

If everyone knew that narcotics kill brain cells, are addictive, and dangerous in other ways, maybe they'd think twice about using them.

I know very little about them myself because I've never indulged, but was taught the dangers even before marijuana became a topic of discussion in the United States regarding its possibly being made legal.

I know nothing about the flow of money both in distributing drugs or the effort to arrest and stop the sale and use  of them, but I'm willing to guess that it's one of the larger expenses that the U.S. government has on its agenda.  It is a growing issue in this and other countries.

I understand that it's more difficult to stop smoking than it is to stop a narcotic. Stopping smoking cigarettes was difficult enough; I don't want anything else in my life that can cause withdrawal cravings.  My guess is that many parents and loved ones hold similar views.

It's Genetic

Post Edited (It's Genetic) : 5/19/2012 8:20:15 AM (GMT-6)

Hi Karen - thanks for the interesting post. I think that is so awesome you hunted and fished and raised a garden too. I love fishing although i dont live near a body of water, and gardening is a great way to learn the work that goes into producing healthy food. It also gets people moving which is important. In many professions these days plp just sit at a computer and dont move and i think these types of activities would be healthy if one is able to participate. Interesting also that your health seemed more attached to it then. So interesting; I find the past fascinating and I wished it was more included in the present for more people.

as for the hereditary aspects of illness, those certainly could be supported if we lived cleaner, greener less polluted lives because I think we all have dispositions to certain illnesses, be it, depression, or cancer or heart issues and when we become overburdened by our environments, they show up. Hence i think its that much more important that we take from the past the good things and move with it in our present. I know my parents generation were all farmers when they came to this country, then they went to factories and that skill was lost on the children, being me. But i think its vital and part of what we were meant to do to remain healthy, not pass that world onto large corporations that do whatever they want behind closed doors and we are left none the wiser and with illness down the road. The perspective of my parents generation was get educated so you dont get stuck with labour jobs but i think they are healthy and wish more people saw the value in labour.

as for encouraging moderation I agree; i think first and foremost we have to take care of our health, but maybe some have a greater role to push issues that are seriously affecting many. I just wonder why some should be left with chronic illness? no one understands it best then one who goes through it and therefore they might be the best advocates for certain issues. I wonder if we have a greater purpose but again all in moderation :) you make a very important point.

As for your friend, i shake my head, unreal what people will do in the name of money. Can I ask what state that was?

One day we will all figure out man or woman, israeli or jew, black or white we are all just people, and that as much as we want for ourselves we should want the same for others. And so before asking whether something is good for me, we should also be asking if that same something is good for everyone and if its not, we need not to undertake such endeavors or at least change them when we realize they are wrong.

and yes i thought i saw a post from huntWcrohn's? i think i did.. maybe?

i wish you a wonderful weekend Karen :) thanks for all the wonderful thoughts :)

People do drugs because they feel good. Not many healthy people like pain - and seek to limit it whereever they can. Drugs are effective pain relievers but they then create more pain than what they first solved. They are an illusion and people "invest" a lot of money chasing that illusion and trying to escape the severe downer than comes after drug use.

Depression can be just as genetic as any other disease - and the brain is no less likely to chemical imbalance than any part of the endocrine system. Given the brain is the most complex organ we have, I think there is actually more room for things to go wrong.

I've been a strong social advocate in my time and along with others successfully changed laws that made a huge difference on the lives of others. Nothing can be more rewarding - or exhausting. I'm proud of what I did. However we cannot legislate against all evils - we have to build resilience and endure inevitable pain in life.

I think getting our food and water pure again is an absolute must. I think what is happening atm is almost a Darwinism for pollution. Only those with significant physical constitutions may survive - and us more sensitive souls with our sensitive body systems will be more likely to flounder. How we manage the risks individually will greatly increase our survival.

More than likely humanity will look back at the early 21st century as the glory days where pollution actually wasn't that bad!!! :O

I think there is grassroot action all over the world to get back to basics - if their voices can ever be heard over the lure of big money by big business remains to be seen.

Non-environmental capitalism is not sustainable - nor is it very perceptive of the fact. I think resource lack will increase their efforts in other non-renewable resources until it is all gone and capitalism implodes. Unless renewable resources are built in time.

We've got to be realistic in what we can do in relation to the capitalism "monster". It is a formidable "enemy".

Oh - but I like meds - I'd be dead if I didn't have medication.

Yes it was hard when the woman who raised me (my grandmother) doesn't know who you are. But I still felt the closeness. If you know what I mean. Your post has been getting me thinking about things, who, what, when, where and why... But I try not to dwell or think too much about these things. Because I can only live for today. It is so much easier for me that way. But I do like this thread. And people's minds being stimulated...

I hope that you are having a good weekend.

It is hot here!!!

Hugs, Karen

Hi Karen - thanks for your reply. Indeed I can only imagine how challenging that must have been for the woman that raised you to become ill like that. Heartbreaking i am sure but only because she was that important to you. Bless her.

With regard to the post, we can only do what we can, but I enjoy contemplating purpose in life sometimes because I believe in it and that we all have a role to play. Hope I didnt get you stirring too much but I appreciate your reply. I look forward to a world that takes care of those that need it most and lives responsibility so that others don't have to suffer.

Living for today is important but with that, we can still do a lot. I enjoyed the hearing your thoughts. thank you. hope you are having a wonderful weekend as well. Its perfect here today i think. Hot but not humid. Thank god for such lovely weather. hugs right back :)

There is no one simple answer as to why so many more seem to suffer from chronic illnesses.

I do agree that in some cases it is environmental. Too many chemicals are used in our food supply, and while any one or two of these commonly used chemicals may be safe little thought or research seems to have been done about what the combination of all of them are doing.

In other cases it comes down to more a sociological issue. The world is rapidly changing from hands on, physically demanding labors to more mentally challenging endeavors. We as a people as less physically active and even if we exercise daily or work in a physical job we are living farther from our work than ever before and therefore are spending hours and hours every week simply traveling back and forth to our jobs and completing our other living tasks such as food gathering, paying bills, seeing the doctor, etc.

The third biggest factor is better awareness and/or acceptance. There are many conditions that were rarely screened for, or were poorly understood. Then with issues such as those revolving around mental health these were often kept hidden from public view. No one wanted to talk about "Crazy Aunt Mabel".

The fourth piece of the puzzle that comes into play is ease of dissemination of information or misinformation as the case may be. Before about 1860 news was spread via mail or word or mouth. Then there came the telegraph in the early 1860, then around 1920 radio broadcasting made a real appearance and spread. After that came TV and now we have the internet. Each improvement allowed more information to reach more people faster.

Thanks for letting me know, I will remove it now...

Hugs....