Looking over the list of stressors we were given I feel relatively blessed in that I have not been affected by any to a large extent. It is difficult however to express how others cope with stressors so I endeared to choose one I experienced briefly.

                The stressor I choose was Isolation. The isolation I experiences was social as opposed to physical. My father was in the Air Force during my early childhood years. We relocated frequently, every one to two years. The first couple of moves were fine, I was young and fairly adaptable. As I grew older it became more challenging. I have found that children in families who move frequently either become very outgoing or very shy. I became the latter. Upon each move I would be saddened to leave friends. We didn’t have Facebook then to stay in touch and letters would taper off. Just when I felt that I belonged and had a good social network we would relocate. Invariably I would stick out like a sore thumb. Everything was different fashion, slang, hobbies and it was hard to adapt. It would take me weeks, sometime months to feel secure enough to make a new friend, even if they were friendly. There were often instances when they were very unfriendly.

                I coped with this social isolation by drawing into my immediate family. I would endeavor to keep my younger brother busy which would help me fell less lonely. I would write letters in itty bitty pieced of pare. No bigger than a nickel and leave them for him to find in a special spot. These letters were ‘written’ by a local squirrel who wanted to be pen pal. I named the squirrel Miggly. My brother would dictate to me letters in reply and they would correspond back and forth. Perhaps I began this because I felt he might be lonely to. This correspondence continued for several years. He would worry when we moved and I would invent a squirrel cousin who Miggly would introduce my brother to and who would carry on the letters. 

     I was and still am an avid reader. I also coped with isolation by reading which kept me occupied so I didn’t feel I had to be social. Eventually I would make friends and I would be fine until the next relocation. During my adolescence we remained in one area and I overcame my shyness. I will still get a little nervous in new social situations but only if I feel the people are standoffish.

                One area in which we resided that I feel an affinity for is Miggly’s ‘birthplace’ Australia. Many areas, including the area in which we lived are rural and remote. The nearest city of any substantial size was 300 miles away. There was our town of around 1000 people, small sheep stations and vast land. In many areas young children face a physical isolation. While they may have a social group, physical isolation can cut them off from necessary service. Recently there is more ability to access the internet which offers a way to reach out for necessary services. One example is: http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/assistance-for-isolated-children

This website offers assistance to children in rural areas.   This site allows families to apply for financial assistance to help fed their children, arrange necessary services for children with disability who cannot find a school which meets it’s   needs and access to health care services. The site also allows for schooling and workforce opportunities for Australia’s indigenous people who are the countries largest poverty group.

     For this week's blog assignment I have chosen the topic of mental health for mother's, father's and families in general. This topic is meaningful to me because we have obviously failed at this in our country. When you look at the epidemic of mass shootings, suicides, homicide due to postpartum and even the issues of emotional regulation and aggressive behavior in children, everything can be traced back to a need for mental health care. Our society fails, most insurance don't cover much in the way of mental health if any. doctors turn to prescribing drugs, some of which  can make suicidal and homicidal thoughts worse. Even basic family or individual counseling may be put on the back burner by those who seek it due to cost.
     I decided to research how mental health care was handled in Europe, an area where many countries provide universal health care to see how it differs form the U.S. In Europe, this is area where they struggle as well. Facts stated that 9 of the 10 European countries in the World Health Organization are on the list of highest suicide rates worldwide. WHO,Europe has chosen to take steps towards better practice in mental health treatment. WHO states that many large mental institutions In Europe fail and that patients are often subject to abuse. There is also stigma attached to those who are referred and treated for mental illness. General practitioners therefore tend to refer only the most severe cases and lack training on mental health. WHO is suggesting that basic mental health care move away from specialists and be carried out by General Practitioners who will be better trained and equipped to handle this role.

A few benefits:

• People can access mental health services closer to their homes. This keeps families together, maintaining their daily activities, and prevents the indirect costs of seeking specialist care in distant locations.
• Mental health care delivered in primary care minimizes stigma and discrimination, and removes the risk of human rights violations that occur in psychiatric hospitals.
• Integrating mental health services into primary care generates good health outcomes at reasonable cost. General primary care systems must be strengthened, however, before this integration can be expected to flourish. (WHO,2013)

I do not have the answers to our mental health care crisis. I only know that something needs to change and those who need help should have easy access to it. I do agree that the better we can do for our young children now, the less we will have to do in the future.As educators we must be aware of warning signs and advocate for our youngest students. Through early intervention, we can work to prevent future tragedies.

When I gave birth to my daughter it was in a hospital in Colorado Springs. Although I had regular prenatal visits, I was not given too much information or really spoken to about my birthing options. I was younger, 24 and didn't really think too much about that at the time. I was not offered any type of birth preparation class. I never learned about breathing techniques, how my partner could support me during the process etc. When the time came I was not offered and epidural but I was ok with that as I did not want one anyway. No needles in the spine please!I never found out the sex of my child, although the technology was there. I wanted to be surprised. I was able to birth in the room I was staying in. Upon arrival I was asked if it was ok to have the student nurses observed. I agreed. It was a little strange because that meant there were 8 women observing! I really did not know what to do so I just followed the instructions of the Dr. I know I was given Demoral and that is about it. The comical part is that one of the nurses who was a cute blond was helping and I remember being upset that she was so cute and I was a mess. Labor was 13 hours but not nearly as painful as I expected it to be. The nurses did appreciate the experience as it was the first birth they had been through.My daughter was born healthy and wonderful.