Health Impacts of a Weakened Economy

Times they are a changing. We have a new President Elect who promises to bring change and renewal to our struggling country. Unfortunately, change takes time, and the economy is still in a weak and fragile state. As much as we would like to see things change over night, that is unrealistic. We are still in the grips of one of the greatest financial crises of all time, and pulling this nation out of from under that will take the work of many months, and probably years. You may be cringing as you watch your stocks and bonds plummet, but the repercussions happening across the nation are more than just financial. Health, in so many facets, is taking just as hard a hit as your pocketbook.

Health and Money Go Hand In Hand

The sad reality is, the more money you have at your disposal, the healthier you can afford to be. If you aren’t struggling to make ends meet, you can afford health insurance, special alternative treatments like acupuncture or aromatherapy, and you don’t have to bat an eyelash at shelling out $200 for a prescription that isn’t covered by your insurance. In tough times like these, many Americans are allowing their health to take a backseat. The bills may be piling up, between mortgage payments, car payments, credit card bills, and there are probably many people out there who have had to cancel their health insurance plans. Sure, it’s a risky move, but when it’s there to be more of a safety net than anything else, many might assume they can go without and hope for the best.

On a related note, let’s again revisit prescriptions. Depending on insurance (whether you have it or not, whether your plan covers certain medications or not), the cost of medication can vary from zero to hundreds of dollars. As stated above, there are so many difficult decisions to be faced on a daily basis, and because of other pressing monetary issues, letting go of paying for medications may be one way that Americans are having to cope in these bleak moments. If you are faced with being evicted from your house due to late mortgage payments or paying your outrageously expensive blood pressure medication, you are probably going to opt for keeping your roof over your head.

Health Impacts Outside of Money

When there are things going on in your life that are upsetting, worrisome or just plain scary, it is a normal reaction to feel completely stressed. Feelings of stress can mean that you become antsy, lethargic, angry, depressed, emotional, hungry…the way each person handles stress is completely different, but none of these symptoms are good for your health and well being. Managing stress and upset is definitely do-able, but you need to first realize that you are feeling stressed and take the steps to address it. First and foremost, if you are fortunate enough to have access to a doctor, go and have a chat with them. They can give you tips for managing the stress you’re feeling, as well as just be a sympathetic ear. The following are some additional stress management techniques:

• Take 15 to 20 minutes a day to sit quietly, meditate and picture yourself in your favorite peaceful setting. Maybe that’s a beach in Hawaii or a field full of wildflowers. Let yourself escape a little.
  
• Learn to accept things you can’t change. Things are difficult right now, but you are one person and the economic situation can’t fix itself overnight. Focus on what you can rather than what you can’t do.
• Don’t use smoking, drinking, overeating, drugs or caffeine to cope with stress. These are destructive coping mechanisms and won’t solve a thing.
• Exercise regularly. Do something you enjoy, like walking, tennis, jogging, golfing, walking your dog, yoga or cycling.
• Plan productive solutions to problems. If you are concerned about your financial status, try and take a money management course. If you have friends and family who have knowledge around money, health or whatever is weighing you down, get together with them and brainstorm away.
  
• Learn to say no. Don’t promise too much. Give yourself enough time to get things done.
• Join a support group. You are not alone in feeling impacted by all that is going on. Meetup.com is  a great way to find like minded people, and if you don’t see a group there that suits your fancy, create one!

photo credit: Pat Hawks

This entry was posted on Friday, November 21st, 2008 at 4:05 pm and is filed under Health & Politics, Health Insurance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.