Comments on: A mental health break http://blog.longnow.org/2009/09/26/a-mental-health-break/ The Official Weblog of The Long Now Foundation and Friends Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:43:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Alain http://blog.longnow.org/2009/09/26/a-mental-health-break/comment-page-1/#comment-18699 Alain Wed, 07 Apr 2010 02:47:52 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/?p=829#comment-18699 There already is an answer to mental health! Unfortunately the world seems to be blind to it... Choice Theory There already is an answer to mental health!
Unfortunately the world seems to be blind to it…
Choice Theory

]]> By: Alexander Fürstenberg http://blog.longnow.org/2009/09/26/a-mental-health-break/comment-page-1/#comment-18561 Alexander Fürstenberg Thu, 01 Apr 2010 09:33:24 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/?p=829#comment-18561 The currently held positions in mental health reminds me of the old nature vs. nurture debate, accurately split between the rightwing and the leftist subcultures. In mental illness, both is true, social and biological causes. Concentrating on one is motivated by political forces on each side and should be abandoned for a integrated perspective. The currently held positions in mental health reminds me of the old nature vs. nurture debate, accurately split between the rightwing and the leftist subcultures. In mental illness, both is true, social and biological causes. Concentrating on one is motivated by political forces on each side and should be abandoned for a integrated perspective.

]]> By: Mujtahidul Haque http://blog.longnow.org/2009/09/26/a-mental-health-break/comment-page-1/#comment-18551 Mujtahidul Haque Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:08:54 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/?p=829#comment-18551 Social networking will change this. As people become more and more connected, they will feel less and less like they're alone in the world. The fact is, people isolate themselves too much right now by living in suburbs and getting used to rather boring lifestyles. We're raised to believe it's a problem that kids are spending so much time on the computer social networking and playing MMORPG's, but in reality, they're keeping themselves sane and busy. Most important of all, they have friends all over the world, so they'll never be alone. Social networking will change this. As people become more and more connected, they will feel less and less like they’re alone in the world. The fact is, people isolate themselves too much right now by living in suburbs and getting used to rather boring lifestyles. We’re raised to believe it’s a problem that kids are spending so much time on the computer social networking and playing MMORPG’s, but in reality, they’re keeping themselves sane and busy. Most important of all, they have friends all over the world, so they’ll never be alone.

]]> By: David http://blog.longnow.org/2009/09/26/a-mental-health-break/comment-page-1/#comment-8738 David Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:36:00 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/?p=829#comment-8738 Thanks for this! I think this is very appropriate Long News. In particular, I like the reference to groups and how that impacts our health. It seems that we are at the very beginning of learning how social structures impact our mental well being. Isn't that something that we've always known, though? That it's a good thing to be supported by loving friends and family. That healthy communities produce healthy people. Thanks for this! I think this is very appropriate Long News. In particular, I like the reference to groups and how that impacts our health. It seems that we are at the very beginning of learning how social structures impact our mental well being. Isn’t that something that we’ve always known, though? That it’s a good thing to be supported by loving friends and family. That healthy communities produce healthy people.

]]> By: bryan campen http://blog.longnow.org/2009/09/26/a-mental-health-break/comment-page-1/#comment-8091 bryan campen Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:52:40 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/?p=829#comment-8091 Great suggestion, and right as we move to the beginning of Mental Illness Awareness Week Oct 4-10 in the US. Adding to Roy's thesis that we are indeed in the Stone Age on this, it's worth pointing out that the presence of a number of meaningful, real world relationships dramatically increases one's overall lifespan, I think up to around thirty years total is the estimate I heard. Wish I had the link. Another really interesting piece of somewhat-related news that came about this week is the death of Italian "cave dweller" and sociologist Maurizio Montalbini, who spent 235 days in the Appenine "Grotta Freda" (Cold Cave) from 2006-2007. The Times piece [below] says the sociologist, who previously worked with drug addicts, "spent months dwelling in caves to study how the mind and body cope with complete isolation." I wonder if such an experiment will have any impact on our understanding of mental health overall. He died this week at 56. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/09/20/world/AP-EU-Italy-Obit-Montalbini.html Great suggestion, and right as we move to the beginning of Mental Illness Awareness Week Oct 4-10 in the US.

Adding to Roy’s thesis that we are indeed in the Stone Age on this, it’s worth pointing out that the presence of a number of meaningful, real world relationships dramatically increases one’s overall lifespan, I think up to around thirty years total is the estimate I heard. Wish I had the link.

Another really interesting piece of somewhat-related news that came about this week is the death of Italian “cave dweller” and sociologist Maurizio Montalbini, who spent 235 days in the Appenine “Grotta Freda” (Cold Cave) from 2006-2007. The Times piece [below] says the sociologist, who previously worked with drug addicts, “spent months dwelling in caves to study how the mind and body cope with complete isolation.” I wonder if such an experiment will have any impact on our understanding of mental health overall.

He died this week at 56.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/09/20/world/AP-EU-Italy-Obit-Montalbini.html

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