It’s Sunday. Cold and windy with rain showers..early spring. I pick up the newspaper and a chocolate croissant and head home. Morning tea while I watch the daily press conference on TV from the Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton (who incidentally has the best tats. under that conservative public servant suit…How do I know?… Footage of his arm while he was getting the Astra Zeneca Jab…that’s how pathetic life has become- lusting after the Chief Health Officer!!)
At the press conference Victorian Premier, Dan Andrews makes an important announcement. Victorians will be 70% vaccinated by Thursday and although Covid rates are the highest they have been in Victoria, restrictions will ease this week. No more curfew, no movement restrictions. ……..Except Melbournians can’t visit regional Victoria until we reach 80% of Victorians immunised.
It’s not working though. Daylesford is full of tourists and visitors and they are clearly spotted. They’re the ones in expensive Helly Hanson gym gear and noise cancelling headphones..Oh and they’re the ones who never say hallo as they stride around the lake clocking their fit- bits…a dead give-away!
We’re told not to focus on the number of daily cases. We should look at the hospitalisation numbers and deaths. Much better.
We’ve all done it tough these last 2 years. Separated from loved ones, isolated and cold. Cold. It’s been a long, cold winter. Like many people the black dog dropped by and I climbed the rafters with anxiety during these uncertain times. Swilling anti-depressants with a glass of wine (dramatisation..its not quite that bad!) and telehealth counselling can only go so far. Meditation and mindful living, tapping and healing chants are distractions. Online yoga, pilates, afro-dance and Joe Wicks, the body coach distracted me from covid numbers. Its been a long nearly 2 years.
But there’s always a tipping point in making change happen. Inspired by a 70 year old friend who does 20-30 kms on a Saturday ” walk” I started walking again..I,,,,small steps and I can now do 10,000 steps a day… feels good. Spring is in the air and as I walk the countryside there’s a different energy to life. Possibility. Hope.
Qantas has been advertising cheap flights to London. I dared to look a week ago. I dared to dream. But what if I get Covid on a 22 hour flight in a plane stuffed with germy people? Nah… not worth the risk.
But this Sunday morning…..I ate my croissant, listened to the press conference, and then layered up with puffer jacket and boots, I walked my 10,000 steps plus some, through country lanes and past cruisy cows. At home I looked out of my laundry window at the row of sheds and bird cages my neighbour has recently built along our fence line. Think Manus Island detention centre rather than Frank Lloyd Wright! Then I saw my other neighbour now has ducks swimming in his above ground pool..this is after the council asked him to get rid of the goats he kept in his small concrete backyard. Ok there’s serious craziness going on here! I need to get out of this place!
Neighbours! Ducks in the swimming pool and sheds everywhere!
I look at my bank account. I had planned to pay $1,000 for red bricks to be used for landscaping my garden. I hover on the Qantas site. Qantas has return flights to London for $1800…bugger the bricks……..
So I head off for nearly 3 months in the UK in April 2022, returning late June. I’m 72. It feels like 2 years of very precious life have been stolen by fear and Covid. Around me 70 year old friends have died or are sick. Life reduces as we age. If not with sickness then with fear. I won’t live this way.
I left the UK and a newly discovered Scotland in 2019 vowing to return, never imagining how our lives would change. I want to visit Rick Stein’s Padstow in Cornwall. I want to head home to Nottingham again and walk the lake at Wollaton Hall and deer park. I want to hike the Scottish highlands and drink whisky in noisy Glasgow pubs where the glasses on the table rattle in time to the music. I want to picnic in Hyde Park with my salad lunch from Marks and Sparks. I want to pretend I’m a Londoner as I walk the streets around the hotel I call home near Portobello Road. I want to gasp at the art I see in tiny Notting Hill galleries and at the Tate and the National Portrait gallery. In the UK my days aren’t counted in steps…they are counted in adventures.
We’re all different. But my time to live in fear has to end. I’ll get a booster shot of Pfizer before I go, I’ll do all the Covid tests required and I have my Vaxx certificate ready. The flight has one stop- over (in Perth or Darwin depending on WA feudalism!) I’ll wear a mask. I have 5 months to prepare and see how the land lays. Worst case scenario I get my money back minus $400. But the best case scenario has already happened. I can dream again and plan my trip. I can keep improving on my health and get Scottish highlands fit. I am smiling and I have a goal ahead of me. I can live with fear and hope and travel with whatever comes down the road.
As Springsteen says..” I’m alive! I can feel the blood shiver in my bones…..”
Take a snapshot of life in the different states of Australia over the past 6 months and it feels like each state and territory is a different country. With borders, for the most part slammed shut, each state has their own narrative about how to survive the pandemic. New South Wales and Victoria experience high daily Covid numbers but are opening up and easing restrictions as 70% and then 80% of the population is vaccinated. WA resembles a feudal kingdom keeping out the infidel virus and Queenslanders just keep on dining out and surfing with rarely a rumble in their daily lives from the global pandemic.
This leaves us all in very different places and adjusting to a major shift of really living with Covid all around us while we rely on vaccination rates and minimal restrictions to manage covid numbers. Some months ago Victoria aimed for zero cases of Covid, Today Victoria recorded 2,297 new cases and 11 deaths and we’ll be opening up and easing restrictions because the 70% vaccination target has been met.
But how do we live, work and play in this new Covid normal world? I’ve been thinking about the different dilemmas we may face in navigating Covid normal. We all tolerate different levels of risk. What will life be like in our Covid normal world? So here’s a little quiz to help us think through how risk tolerance meets life in a Covid normal setting…..
What would you do in each of these scenarios….?
Friends suggest a holiday to Fiji. There are some great travel deals on offer. What will you do?
A friend has made a point of not getting vaccinated because she doesn’t trust the vaccine. She says she’ll drop off some magazines at your place tomorrow. Are you OK with this?
You’re given free tickets to the Melbourne cup with 10,000 people attending. Will you go?
Your local supermarket is closed for deep cleaning after being a covid exposure site. Will you shop there tomorrow?
A friend has invited you and 20 friends to her small flat for drinks. Will you go?
You are given a spa voucher as a gift. It’s a public spa bath. Will you go?
Your boss suggests you take an Uber to drop off some boxes at the post office.. are you OK with this?
You call a plumber to fix an urgent leak. He arrives at your house but doesn’t wear a mask and mentions that his son had Covid 2 weeks ago but he’s Ok now. All good?
Your friend consistently ” forgets” to check in with a QR code. What do you do?
Your grandkids want to go to the cinema to see Luca, a kids movie. Do you go?
You go to the gym but there are used tissues and water bottles left on equipment and it looks like it hasn’t been cleaned for a while..any action?
A close relative dies in the UK. You would normally book a flight and make sure you’re there for the funeral. Will you go?
In a long supermarket queue the person in front of you keeps sneezing and coughing. They have removed their mask. What do you do?
A close friend who you see regularly, mentions she is not vaccinated because she read an article…… Do you do anything?
You haven’t seen some friends for months as they are very anxious about covid. Now things are opening up you’d love to reconnect. How will you do this?
A friend is struggling with anxiety and is not leaving his house very much. How can you help?
You’ve recently recovered from mild Covid and call a friend to reschedule your regular coffee catch- up. She says she’s busy. This happens 2 weeks in a row. What do you do?
We’ll all be making decisions around our health and navigating these unchartered waters. How we make those decisions may lead us into conversations we’ve never had before around risk, legality, morality and even ethics. How do we make these choices?
What feels right and comfortable for you?
Think it through..then act
Take a breath before you respond
Consider alternatives
Is this a relationship you are invested in or a transactional encounter?
” Openness, respect, integrity- these are principles that need to underpin pretty much every decision you make.” Justin Trudeau
Qantas just sent me an email to say that if I can provide evidence of my double Covid vaccination they would give me 1,000 frequent flyer points! Yoo Hoo! Along with the 50 points I already have I cannot actually fly anywhere, but I’m on my way…soon! Oh and no one is allowed to leave Australia yet. Hmmm..maybe next year!
So, from my armchair I remember trips made most recently in 2019. But today I’m going way back to a year I spent living and studying in Italy in the late 1970’s.
In 1978 I was in love with life and Him. I was (am) a feminist, finding my voice, dressing the part but unsure what the part was exactly. On the outside I was a confident, cool, lefty activist and on the inside a deer caught in the headlights. But this was the era of challenging everything, being open to experience and I had the naive idea that I could change the world. I was deeply involved in teacher politics and the peace movement and He was a charismatic hero leading the revolution who, incidentally was interested in ME! He was all I was not..(or so it seemed)….. confident, articulate, a politician in the making. He was a great educator, musician, tennis player. In my eyes he excelled at everything. What’s not to love. I was a young teacher with a lot to learn but unending enthusiasm.
Our love was intense and passionate and then he announced he had won a scholarship to complete a Master’s degree in Italian at a very famous university in Perugia. Italy. He would be leaving in 8 weeks and he said that I should enrol in the same university and come with him. We would be away for a year, living in an Etruscan city in Umbria famous for wine, truffles and Perugina chocolate!
Uproot my teaching life in the poorest suburbs of Melbourne, where most of my students followed their career path to Pentridge prison? Abandon the Victorian terrace house I had just bought on my teacher’s salary? And even more disturbing was the notion that I would abandon my life and FOLLOW a man across the world because He had won a scholarship! No way. I’d fought hard for my independence!
He left. We wrote aerogrammes to each other professing intolerable pain at not being together. He had picked up a new Mercedes in Germany that his parents had purchased, and he would use it his car for a year, bringing it back, duty free to Australia. But I was resolved I would not follow this man.
Roman Statues Image by Julia Volk with thanks
A month later I arrived at Rome airport to be met by Him holding a huge bunch of red roses. I had taken leave, rented my house and we would be living in Italy together feasting on truffles and chocolate and making love in the afternoons! The Mercedes was beautiful but navigating the tank through narrow, winding streets avoiding Vespa scooters and Fiat 500’s was a nightmare.
He had found us a beautiful apartment in the Old Town of Perugia, close to the university in Corso Garibaldi. The building was solid stone and the streets so narrow that you knew what what being cooked for lunch in the house across the street. You shared a washing line that was strung across the street and many conversations took place leaning out of the window as you pegged out the undies. When I say conversations……. He spoke fluent Italian and was often asked if his accent was Milanese? I knew two words of Italian…. Pizza and Ciao and my accent was definitely from Carlton, Australia.
Washing lines shared by Maud Bocquillod
Soon we embraced the student lifestyle of Perugia. The Mercedes was garaged and we rode a Vespa along the cobbles and under arches gasping at the statues and beauty of this Etruscan town. As poor students we ate in the student cafes, sang revolutionary songs with street musicians, debated politics over cheap wine and embraced Italian life fully. At weekends we would all ride out to a nearby lake and picnic in the soft, gentle colours of early summer. We visited the ancient towns of Gubbio, Orvieto and Assisi, ate truffles in Todi and went to a music festival in Spoleto. We joined thousands of visitors for the Palio di Siena which is essentially a bare back horse race held in the town. Each part of the city has their own colours and takes immense pride in supporting their rider and his horse. It’s a wonderful colourful spectacle, intense, passionate, very Italian!
Umbria image by Achim Ruhnau with thanks
While He won awards for his essays in Italian I ate cannoli and drank cheap red with my new friends. I met a French woman called Claudette who lived in Paris. She was a trust fund kid with wealthy parents and she wandered the world doing nothing in particular, although she had studied at the Sorbonne. She was dating a local Umbrian medical student with a voice of velvet and sapphire eyes. After weeks of walking on the wild -side we decided to get in touch with our adult selves, and enrolled in a 6 month Italian language and culture course at the University for Foreigners… It sounds better in Italian…… Universita per Stranieri di Perugia. The university was housed in a palace, Palazzo Gallenga Stuart and as we entered the halls of learning I was utterly overwhelmed by the beauty of this building.
Universita per Stranieri di Perugia… my place of learning for 6 months
Once you entered these halls of learning everything was in Italian. My two words germinated into 50 and then more. I studied hard, while Claudette studied her suntan but with the same outcome. We had a smattering of Italian and knew all the swear words,but we somehow got by until the men in our lives arrived and took over in fine Milanese and Perugina accents!
Lessons were formal and focussed on grammar rather than conversation, so it was in local bars and shops that we practised our Italian skills. Until one day we were invited to join the local student drama group. This was a life changer. The group was funded by the Communist party of Italy which also ran the student cafe, the local laundry and sundry arts festivals. The group were largely foreign students from UK, Spain and Norway and life and fun expanded exponentially. Our play was written by a class mate. It was appalling. It featured a turgid, didactic plot line, heavy handed metaphors and characters that all seemed to have a break-down and throw themselves to the ground mid sentence. The main message was that society was doomed.
Despite the gloom of our material, rehearsals were great fun and I skipped many classes at the university in the name of art. The script was in Italian but when lines were forgotten, improv. was in any language you wanted to speak. I had a walk – on part as a villager and as a protest at having no speaking part, I would wail and howl very loudly when the hero was being beaten by the mob. I’d also improvise with ” Sod off you bastards.”
Our days were full with rehearsals and our gala opening night was imminent. We took over one of the magnificent halls at the university which quickly adapted to a grand theatre. I was on the door, doing make-up, and starring in the third act. Collette had managed to get a major part and was very nervous on opening night. To ease the anxiety we all went out for a long Italian lunch that day and siesta took us through to 5pm. Showtime was 8pm but we had to be at the “theatre” by 6pm for warm-ups etc. Claudette had taken Valium and wine all day to ease her nerves. She was a mess. The man with the sapphire eyes was called to support her, and due to his medical training (year one) to try and make her less comatose. When showtime came I abandoned all previous roles and my primary role became pushing Claudette on stage at the appropriate time while whispering her lines as I stood in the wings. What a night!
Somehow the play went down well and the ” season” ran for 3 more nights. We celebrated well for longer than the season ran!
Weeks later, I remember sitting on a hillside with Him overlooking the city walls, in that soft, golden light that only Italy knows. It was summer break soon and we would be leaving our world in Perugia to travel across Europe using the Mercedes as our campervan. We’d say good bye to Claudette and the whole international group of students we’d met on this adventure. We sat together in silence and awe. No words were needed as we shared the knowledge that this was absolutely extraordinary, and would fuel memories that travelled with us for many years of our lives.
Words by Nora Vitins Feature Image with thanks Enjell Gjepoli
Note: The University was founded in 1925 and is still offering language and culture programs for foreign students in Perugia.
SBS television recently commissioned surveys to ask more than 2,000 Australians about their views on people with disabilities, older people and overweight people and in a series of three programs attitudes to each group are explored. Hidden cameras, interviews and research findings provide insight into Australian attitudes. Last night the program about attitudes to older people aired and I was interested to see what would be revealed.
Is ageism real?
Noni Hazlehurst, a well known Australian actress talked of diminished roles being offered as she aged. Older women told of discrimination in finding work or even getting interviews and of workplace discrimination. Approximately 1 in 10 companies in Australia do not want to hire older people. A sweet older couple in a telecoms shop were told by a younger salesman that he wouldn’t explain the features of the phone because ” you won’t remember.” Experiences of being dismissed, not being heard or listened too and being ” invisible” were demonstrated and discussed.
72% of those surveyed said older people were often lonely and Covid has exacerbated this. (However, the Psychweek Loneliness study 2021 reports though that 1 in 4 Australians across all ages said they experience long term loneliness) 42% said younger people made assumptions about older people because of their age. Many older people bemoaned the fact that their experience and wisdom are not valued.
The notion of ageing in different cultures was noted but not explored. Mention was made that attitudes to older people were kinder in communal cultures such as Asian cultures. In these cultures there is an expectation that children will care for their parents but also that older people have a key role in grandparenting, household chores and working in family businesses.
Ageing is a transition
Much of this was known and there were no surprises. It’s sad that people living in their third age experience discrimination and a waste of human potential. But I felt some key messages were missing in this discussion and this piece of ” investigative” journalism. One important omission is the understanding that ageing is a major life transition and with it comes endings, a messy “neutral zone” when your new life is being shaped and then new beginnings as grandparents, retirees and business people. The idea that “Old People” have the same needs, abilities and experiences at the age of 50 as they do at 90 was not explored. Ageing is a time of reinvention, transition and creating new identity.
Neither was there a discussion about the stages of ageing. Our last 30 years of life can clearly be seen as, at least 2 phases..one of independence and health and one of ill- health and dependence. In varying degrees most older people will experience these years differently and conversations around these 2 very different stages of ageing was not explored by the TV program.
Fighting ageism starts with older people
Because we all have agency and a voice, even in our later years, waiting to be noticed, heard or listened too can take greater effort when you have grey hair, but I strongly believe that its older people of this generation that have to fight ageism. This is the generation who fought our way into board-rooms and professions, previously closed to women, gay people and migrants. It takes effort to pull up ageism one interaction at a time but that’s how social norms change. So when a salesperson ignores you, they will hear from you, ” Excuse me it’s my turn now and I’d like to buy….”
This program failed to show positive examples of older people tackling ageism and there was a disappointing ” notice me” tone to the script.
There is a personal, individual need to tackle ageism one interaction at a time. There is also a need for social change at an institutional level and older people need to find a voice to work for change at this level. There are plenty of great examples of older powerful people- Peter Doherty and Ita Buttrose among them.
Ageing in poverty
One of the most powerful segments of this program was an exercise where 12-15 older women were asked to stand in a line and in front of them were a series of lines marked on the floor. The facilitator asked a series of questions and each woman had to take a step forward if the statement applied to them. For example – Are you single? Do you have a mortgage? Do you rent? Do you have a casual job? etc. As women moved forward through the lines there was a point at which the facilitator said..” all the women beyond the red line will be living below the poverty line in their older age.”
It was a powerful image of the rarely explored fact, that many women have less than $50K in their superannuation fund and living on the pension is extremely difficult. Financial stress , particularly for single older women, is very real and little has been done to address this.
As with most programs ” What does Australia think about older people?” has its shortcomings, but it can be a catalyst to start a conversation about ageing and society.
I don’t know about you, but some days I look in the mirror and say..who’s that old person? Then with dollops of creams, toners, serums and occasionally masterful make – up, the wrinkles, sun spots and lines seem less prominent and I can feel more ” like myself.” The end of winter is particularly challenging as skin dries out and looks grey and lifeless. The orange glow of spray tan looks out of place shrouded in layers of woolly knits!
I’m delighted to bring you a great article by our Viva70 guest writer and medicinal herbalist, Julia Richards who this month writes about skin and how to best care for ageing skin in a holistic way. Here’s Julia’s very timely article…..
Skin is the largest organ in the body and because it’s visible, flaws and issues are readily brought to our attention. Ageing, hormonal changes, weight fluctuations, sun damage and pollution all combine to play havoc with our skin. However, don’t despair, research shows that a good skincare routine and lifestyle choices can prevent or halt the progression of numerous skin problems and help our skin stay healthy as we age.
What happens to skin as we age?
Changes in the condition of our skin as we get older can include:
Decreased production of natural oils causing it to become dryer, therefore rougher and / or itchy.
Decreased rate of cell renewal leading to fine lines and wrinkles.
Loss of elastin and collagen causing slackness.
Thinning of the epidermis (surface) and dermis (deeper) layers making skin more transparent and fragile.
Thinner blood vessel walls making more prone to bruising.
Darker pigmentation, increased pore size and skin lesions (non-cancerous and cancerous).
Loss of fat below the skin and decreased bone density causing loose skin. This can result in sunken eyes, puckering around the mouth and nose and lose hanging skin all over the body.
Things to do today for healthy skin now and in the future
Here’s a list of the basics.
Slip slop slap summer and winter
Always apply sunscreen and lip balm in summer and if you are going to be outdoors longer than 15-20mins in winter. The sun’s UVA and UVB rays accelerate aging leading to wrinkles, spider veins, melanomas and age spots.
Moisturise daily
Moisturise face and body at least once daily and always after bathing or swimming to seal in moisture. Look for moisturisers with: Vitamins A, C, E; Coenzyme Q10; Green tea; and caffeine.
Get quality sleep
Sleep is essential for healthy skin because it helps keep inflammation low and your immune system functioning optimally. For tips read our sleep article here.
Move daily
Being active reduces inflammation and boosts your immune system. Walk, dance, garden, play sport, or do a practice like yoga or tai chi.
Drink and eat your water
Proper hydration plumps the skin helping it to glow and promotes skin repair in the skin cells to heal scarring and wounds. For tips, see our article on keeping hydrated here.
Quit smoking
You know smoking is not good for you and as far as skin is concerned it reduces blood flow leading to premature wrinkles.
Check product ingredients
You may need to change any of the following products to something with natural ingredients and for sensitive skin: washing up liquid; laundry powder; makeup; nail polish and remover; shampoo and conditioner; hand and body soap /wash; perfume/aftershave; shaving cream; hair products; moisturisers; sun cream; toothpaste; and mouth wash.
Manage stress levels
Stress causes inflammation and lowers immune function so try to incorporate regular stress reduction activities into your daily routine for good skin health. Think about starting meditation, deep breathing, yoga, qi gong, tai chi, walking, reading, writing or an enjoyable hobby.
Diet and supplements
You can get your vitamins topically through creams/oils applied to your skin, swallow a tablet or add more foods into your diet that are rich in skin specific vitamins. Concentrate on the list below which is relevant to your skin issue.
With thanks for the image Rod Long
Common skin issues that crop up as we age
Bruising easily, dry, itchy, flaky, age or sunspots and loss of elasticity are common skin problems as we age. You can improve any of these with supplements, diet, herbal medicine and some lifestyle choices.
Skin that bruises easily
A bruise is produced when capillaries rupture, usually due to a bump or knock, and blood leaks out, making the skin discoloured. Rupturing happens more easily as we age due to skin being thinner and having a reduced fatty layer between the skin and blood vessels for cushioning. As well as eating a diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, there a few key supplements, foods and herbs to focus on.
Key supplements and food
Vitamin C – essential for tissue repair and healthy blood vessels. Good food sources include citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, cruciferous vegetables, potatoes, capsicum and peppers.
Anthocyanidins – derived from plants, help support and preserve collagen (an important protein that helps to form connective fibres in the skin and blood vessels). Good food sources are found in deep red, purple or blue foods such as blackcurrants, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, pomegranate, eggplant with skin on and red cabbage.
Vascular herbs
These strengthen tissues and capillaries to reduce bruising. Examples are, Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), Gotu kola (Centella asiatica), Butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus) and Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus). They are also useful for varicose and spider veins. Seek advice from an herbalist or naturopath regarding the best ones for you.
Skin that is dry, flaky, itchy
Aging causes loss of natural oils in our skin. The key to soft, smooth skin is keeping it hydrated with an internal and external approach.
Key supplements and food
Evening primrose oil tablets – rich in Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) which is hydrating and anti -inflammatory to reduce dryness and itch.
Fish oil tablets – rich in omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA which regulate the skin’s oil production, improve hydration, reduce inflammation and boost immune function. You can also get vegan DHA.
B7 or Biotin – helps maintain mucous membranes. Lack of B7 results in itchy, red, scaly skin. It’s a water- soluble vitamin, so the body doesn’t store it meaning you need to consume it regularly to maintain adequate levels. Good food sources include: legumes; nuts and seeds; liver; egg yolks; sweet potatoes; mushrooms; bananas; and broccoli.
Vitamin E – helps close cracks in the skin to prevents moisture loss, keeping it hydrated and firm. For good food sources include nuts (not peanuts) and seeds in your daily diet.
Vitamin A or Retinol – helps prevent dry, pigmented and premature aging skin. Good food sources include: oily fish; green leafy vegetables; orange, yellow and pink fruits and vegetables such as apricots, watermelon, passionfruit, pink grapefruit, pumpkin and carrots.
Probiotics – increase the production of lipids (fats) to keep moisture in the skin and feed good bacteria to balance the skin’s pH and protect it against free radical damage. This helps skin look healthy.
Skin herbs
Soothing herbs for external use include: oats (tied in a stocking) or a chamomile / green tea bag added to a bath; aloe vera gel; chickweed cream; calendula cream; and St John’s wort oil.
For herbs to reduce allergies that cause rashes try nettle tea.
Herbs to take internally include: black currant oil as it’s high in (GLA) to promote healthy skin growth; green tea as the high concentration of catechins are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-aging: and turmeric for its anti-inflammatory effect.
Lifestyle factors to consider
Avoid extremely hot showers or baths as they dry out the skin.
Use a humidifier in cold weather to add moisture to the air of your home or office.
Wear smooth natural fabrics like cotton, bamboo and silk as they create less friction against dry skin. Note, that wool is a common irritant for many people who are prone to allergic skin rashes.
Wear rubber gloves, the ones for sensitive skin, to protect your hands when cleaning and doing household chores and wear winter gloves when out in harsh weather to protect your hands from cold, wind and rain.
Skin with age / sunspots
Age and sunspots are a common form of hyperpigmentation in the over 40’s. They are caused by an increase of melanin (pigment that gives skin its colour). Excessive sun exposure increases the amount of melanin that skin produces. Obviously protecting skin from the sun is key as well as some key supplements, foods and topically applied herbs.
Key supplements and food
Vitamin C and Green Tea both inhibit the enzyme that produces melanin therefore lightens pigmentation of spots.
Selenium – helps to protect cell membranes against UV damage, inflammation and pigmentation. Found in thermal spring water, brazil nuts, seafood, lean meat, whole grain wheat, rice and oats.
Zinc – helps protect the skin against sun damage conditions. Good sources include flax and pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, egg yolks, beef and lobster.
Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 – an antioxidant that helps protect skin from the adverse effects of sun exposure and helps promote an even skin tone.
Herbs to reduce pigmentation
Turmeric – used topically, may help fight melanoma . See more about this spice in our winter spice article here.
Aloe vera gel, green and black tea, horseradish made into a paste and Sandalwood essential oil all applied topically can lighten pigmented skin.
Safety note: see your doctor about any spot on your skin that has changed in appearance or is dark, growing, has an irregular boarder, itchy, painful, red, bleeding, or unusual in colour.
Skin with Loss of elasticity
Elasticity is the skin’s ability to stretch and snap back to its original shape. As we get older this reduces causing skin to look saggy and wrinkled. It can be improved though.
Key supplements and food
Collagen supplements help restore elasticity. Nutrients that support collagen production include: Proline (in egg whites, meat, cheese, soy, and cabbage); Anthocyanidins: (in blackberries, blueberries, cherries, and raspberries); Vitamin C: (in oranges, strawberries, peppers, and broccoli); Copper (in shellfish, nuts, red meat, and some drinking water); Vitamin A (see above); and Squalane, a lipid in olives.
Cocoa flavanols in dark chocolate improve skin elasticity.
Vitamin D – essential for skin cell growth, repair, and metabolism.
Skin tightening herbs
Coriander leaf (start adding to your dishes) and Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) boost collagen production for skin firmness.
Astringent herbs used topically to tighten the skin include Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), Horsetail (Equisetum arvense), Plantain (Plantago major) and Shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris).
Always seek qualified practitioners and always check with your doctor before undertaking new activities and taking new supplements as they might be counter to any other health issues or medication you take.
Words by Julia Richards. Images with thanks Pexels.
Julia Richards is a qualified Medical Herbalist and Director of Enhance One Limited, a consultancy passionate about helping individuals, groups, families, communities and organisations be the best they can be physically, mentally and emotionally. To achieve this, Julia uses a holistic approach to help you enhance yourself by drawing on her experience and studies in personal development, life coaching, aromatherapy, nutrition, herbal medicine and other wellbeing techniques. Julia helps you design a wellbeing plan that is unique to you and works in a complementary way with your doctor or any other therapist you are seeing to help you make improvements in your health. Julia offers individual consultations and group workshops.
Instagram ‘s a funny thing. As I scrolled and liked my way through the day’s posts I came across Retiring_Not_Shy and smiled. Clever. Funny. A woman who models my kind of clothes. Months pass and I post a shout-out for people to be interviewed for my book 50 Faces: 50 Lives. Jan is among those who responds and we agree to each write an article – I’ll write one on dementia care for her blog, (retiringnotshy.com.au) and Jan will write her story for 50 Faces: 50 Lives. Now all we both need is the time to make this happen! Jan wrote her article about a month ago. But at my end. life happened. My website imploded and I ran from web page designer to IT tech-support to internet provider and then lockdown struck. But finally, the problem was solved.
I’m delighted to share with you Jan’s story. What struck me about this woman in her 60’s is that her “retired” life is really the way she seems to have always lived. A life of exploration, reinvention and change. Looking for opportunities, finding purpose, enjoying people, learning along the way and making every day count.
It was great to read her story. I hope that you enjoy it too. Thanks Jan…….
Growing up on the land
I was born at Coonamble NSW, and spent the first 16 years of my life living on a sheep farm near Quambone. Quambone was our nearest village, about 24 kilometres away along a sandy dirt road. I grew up surrounded by cousins and neighbours who might as well be related, we were so close.
My parents were very social and most weekends there was cricket or tennis with a ‘ladies bring a plate’ event afterwards. And every second Sunday it was to Mass in Quambone, followed by a car boot picnic breakfast. Life was fun.
I was the youngest of seven children, life was always busy on the land and for me pretty much idyllic. I studied my Primary School lessons by Correspondence and typically had a 3 day weekend. But sadly, when I was 7 my youngest sister (then 20) had a shocking car accident which saw my parents absent for weeks at a time, and my middle sister left responsible for my schooling and care – bless her!
At the age of 12 I went to boarding school in Sydney which was tough but also a respite, and then completed my schooling at the local high school once my parents moved off the land.
Early career and travels.
Unlike some of my friends I left school with no real career or further study aspirations. I moved to Sydney and thanks to the mother of a very good friend I did the traditional nannying job (badly) until my HSC results arrived. I then happily stumbled into a job at Manly Public Library, which became the first of many happy times working in that sector.
At the age of 25 I left my job and, with a friend, embarked on the ‘must do’ SE Asian backpacking trail. How did we survive? I have no idea really. We flew to Bali and from there travelled overland and overwater through Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal and India. These were magical times with wonderful memories. From India we flew to Paris, as at that time the route through Afghanistan looked somewhat unfriendly. I still feel sad not to have been able to travel through those West Asian and Middle Eastern countries – I am sure the Hindu Kush calls my name at times. From Paris (the first of many visits), we travelled to London where I had a brief stint being a chamber maid (badly) at the Savoy Hotel.
On arriving home, I discovered that work was no longer as easy to secure, I had too much experience (and too high a pay grade) and not enough qualifications to go with it. I embarked on a Bachelor of Arts (Library Science) part time, and found a job at a public library nearby the College. Having completed my degree I then began a transition into the IT industry, mostly focussed on library technologies.
Travel continued to be a passion and I travelled regularly to SE Asia and the Pacific Islands. This passion continues and together with my now partner I have greatly enjoyed exploring France, Italy and Spain amongst other destinations. Oh for the pandemic to be under control and travel to be back on the agenda.
A peripatetic lifestyle
I have variously lived in Sydney, then Melbourne, back to Sydney, to Port Stephens and then back to Melbourne where my now partner Rowan and I started our life together. We were fortunate to live in the wonderful inner Melbourne community of Kensington where we renovated an early 20th Century weatherboard cottage. At this time, Rowan was working in the IT industry and I was combining some counselling and healing work with working in his wine tourism industry – multi talented or a dilettante? I will leave that for you to decide. I had already had a stint at being a ceramic artist.
After several years in Melbourne, we moved to the beautiful Victorian location of Mallacoota in far East Gippsland. We decided this was ‘it’ and had a home built to our specifications and thought we were ready to retire. This was a mistake on many fronts. We had made the classic mistake of thinking that somewhere nice to holiday at was necessarily also a great place to live. After a few years of living there we realised that it wasn’t the place for us, for lots of reasons, and so we began scouting for a new location.
Finding our feet in Noosaville
We were incredibly fortunate to buy a home in Noosaville before the world went mad and prices went through the roof. We had it tenanted for 3 years and then moved in a couple of years ago.
It has been the best move ever. All the things we were missing are now close by – restaurants, airports, medical facilities, shopping, and Brisbane only just over an hour away. We have also found a rich social life as well as opportunities for meaningful work, both paid and unpaid.
Rowan has taken up a Directorship with the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation which he greatly enjoys, and I have started a very small-scale modelling career. Who would have thought that in my late sixties I would commence modelling! This has been a fun and fulfilling job working with local businesses on the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane and learning how to best work with professional photographers.
What’s next?
Like most people that answer lies with the COVID Gods right now. Our international travel dreams have been curtailed, although we have been fortunate to have had two domestic trips in the past 18 months. We have focussed on some home renovations and upgrades, and enjoying the company of family and friends as we are able.
Earlier this year I was on the National Organising Committee for the Women’s March for Justice, which was an exhausting and exhilarating experience. I have stepped away from that for the moment, but remain connected to the team.
Making the most of life in retirement
This is such an interesting time of life, one in which we can either focus on contraction or on expansion.
What do I mean by that?
Well ,there is no doubt that my physical health isn’t as good as it once was and I don’t have the energy I once had. But I choose not to focus on that and instead focus on the expansion in my life – the modelling, the social opportunities in this community, and many other joys. I like to look on the bright side, so when I find my body really is no longer happy with the concept of high heels then I find the fun in styling my clothes with comfortable sneakers. When we can’t travel overseas, we travel domestically. When we can’t see friends and family in person, we have online catch ups. For us it’s a choice to look on the bright side of life.
I have seen others close to me contract their horizons before they needed to, and I am determined to keep pushing at the edges of my boundaries to the greatest extent possible. I manage my health to the very best I can, without punishing myself, and I enjoy engagement in both the face to face and online world.
I recommend staying engaged, and wherever possible taking the opportunity to mix with younger persons, there is no better way to stay young at heart.
Retirement, we call it rewirement, can be the best time of your life. Go grab it!
Viva70 is a community of older people ageing well. There’s no formula for this, as we’re all so wonderfully different, but there are role models all around us. Most of us have at least 30 years in the 3rd stage of our lives and making the most of this phase is about what’s in our minds rather than what’s in our bank accounts. A good life can be a simple life made up of noticing the moments of joy, surprise, awe and adventures big and small.
This month we’re lucky to have articles written by members of our Viva70 community. Inge lives in Canada and sent through this lovely story of her recent visit to the ” Big City.” It resonates for so many of us revisiting familiar haunts after being locked- down due to the pandemic. Here’s Inge’s travelling tale……….
I have not been to Halifax since before COVID and then some months. Spontaneously this morning I decided, instead of going to garden, or go for a walk, that I would get dressed in city clothes and go to see a summer exhibition at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. I was happy that I’d made this decision and sang with Creedence Clearwater Revival at the top of my lungs- so as to speak- all the way to the city.
I was like a country – bumpkin dawdling along streets, looking up and down in astonishment at the new that had replaced the old. I recognised very little, except the street names which I followed because I knew that they would lead me to the place that I wanted to go….. the gallery…..
The exhibition was at times hard to look at because it was focussed on giving a voice, raising awareness, challenging the status quo and offering a fresh outlook on today’s society and political landscape- particularly the aboriginal and Black Lives Matter issues. We humans sadly have a great capacity to behave in inhuman ways.
Emily Falencki The Mira River, 2012
Now I needed some nourishment- emotional or otherwise. Clasping my falafel wrap from a great Lebanese take-out place I found a bench and people- watched while I munched with joy on the mingling of exotic flavours.
Although they have moved, I managed to find the two art galleries which I have enjoyed in the past- wow how times have changed, neither of the galleries enjoyed the prominent premises they once had, nor the quality of the artists that they once represented. What is happening on the art scene??! The best local art gallery in my community has much to be proud of – a much broader selection of art and finer artists.
I just had to go into the Lululemon store where I saw young people spending half a year’s earnings in one hour. To be honest I could have done the same- but I am a crone- sometimes wise, so I looked, touched and walked out!
My fave coffee shop was still where I remembered it, so it was a brief stop there for a delicious tea and back to the car. Accompanied by Norah Jones’ more sedate music I made my way home- back to my country bumpkin life!
Thoughts wandered and I realised how my needs and desires have changed as I’ve grown older. I once lived an urban, international city life for more than 30 years. Now I’m content to live by the coast in a town of two thousand people with friends who have become precious and community activities that nurture me and give meaning to my life.
Getting older while it has its challenges, also offers deep appreciation of the ordinary every day routines of life.
Feature Image with thanks to S. Migaj
Words By Inge Hatton.
Before she retired, Inge worked as a psychotherapist and later, an art gallery owner. She was passionately involved in the birth of the Lunenburg Documentary Film festival and other community arts programs. She lives happily by the sea in Nova Scotia and loves being a granny as well as restoring old homes and keeping fit and active.
I don’t know about you but I’m really weary. It’s somehow different to being tired. When I’m tired I just have a good night’s sleep and bounce back. I was having lunch with friends when Melbourne’s latest (5th) lock-down was announced. We all looked shocked and rushed off to cancel plans, manage businesses, connect with family and reshape our lives again for the next 5 days at least. It’s exhausting but necessary. This article was first printed in Viva70 in March 2020. Little did we know that this pandemic would forever reshape our lives. Julia’s excellent article is a reminder to us all to attend to our health as the pandemic challenges us to live with uncertainty, risk and a life largely beyond our control. Here’s the article……..
Amidst all the uncertainty, concern, fear and panic about Coronavirus (COVID-19), we need to focus on what we CAN DO to help our immune system function optimally so it can fight off any infections effectively.
I like to help my patients make simple lifestyle changes to enhance their wellbeing. Here are my holistic tips for creating a stronger immune system to help keep viruses and bacteria at bay.
Eat more immune boosting foods
As always, eating plenty of fresh vegetable and fruit is key. Specific vitamins and minerals essential to proper immune system functioning include:
Vitamin C – high in peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, papaya, oranges, strawberries and pineapple.
Vitamin D – in wild salmon, sardines, fish liver oil, full fat dairy products and eggs. It’s also derived from the sun and this form is thought to circulate for twice as long as that from food or supplements so it’s best to spend at least 15 minutes a day outside with some of your skin exposed to the sun. Light boxes can be useful in the winter months.
Zinc – high in oysters, crab, lobster, beef, chicken, cheese, kidney beans, chickpeas, cashews, and almonds.
Also eat 1-3 cloves of raw garlic per day. It’s anti viral and immune boosting. It must be raw because when heated the active ingredient (allicin) is destroyed. You can make garlic bread / toast or a bruschetta. You can add minced garlic to a salad dressing, sauce or mixed in with vegetables. You can even pop in your smoothie for a boost.
(Nora’s note…hey you’re self isolating…who cares if you reek of garlic!)
There are many herbs that have immune enhancing and anti viral qualities. You could try any or a mix of the following easy to get herbs in your cooking or as a tea: Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary, Basil, Lemon Balm, Calendula (Marigold), Elderberry, Licorice root ( not if you have high blood pressure) and Ginger.
To make Tea with FRESH HERBS
Place a few sprigs / leaves / berries or slices into a cup or teapot / cafetière.
Pour over boiling water and ensure you put a lid on the pot or cover your cup with a saucer (this keeps all the essential oils in).
Allow to steep for a minimum of 5 minutes.
Drink as is or add a slice of lemon and some honey ( locally produced is best)
To make Tea with DRIED HERBS
In a cup
Place 1 teaspoon of the dried herb into a tea ball.
In a pot
Place 1 teaspoon per amount of cups you are making into the pot
Then
Pour over boiling water and ensure you put a lid on the pot or cover your cup with a saucer (this keeps all the essential oils in).
Allow to steep for a minimum of 5 minutes.
Drink as is or add a slice of lemon and some honey (locally produced is best).
Remember the therapeutic dose is 2-3 cups per day.
Tip: sugar suppresses your immune system so try to reduce it as much as possible and this includes limiting or avoiding alcohol.
Move your body every day
Regular moderate exercise has been shown to improve the activity of natural killer cells and thus your immune function. So go for a walk, take the stairs, do some gardening, stretch or dance around your living room or follow an exercise class online.
Schedule in daily relaxation time
We often feel too busy to take time out for rest but it is essential to help fight off infections. Simple ways to do this include: listening to music or a podcast when commuting; take a walk at lunch time; take a tea break and simply sip your drink and do nothing else; have an aromatherapy bath before bed; write in a journal; practice yoga or tai chi; or work on a hobby.
Make sleep a priority
Seven to nine hours restorative sleep is essential to keep your immune system functioning well. Top tips are:
Turn off devices at least an hour before bed and dim all the lights in your environment.
Try an herbal tea one to two hours before bed. For Sleep onset try Valerian, Passionflower, Withania, Lime blossom or Zizyphus. To stay asleep try Valerian, St John’s wort or Skullcap. For anxiety have Lemon Balm, Chamomile or Skullcap.
Keep your bedroom cool and dark and devices out.
Sleep on your left side for better restorative sleep. It keeps the airways clear and supports brain clearing. Sleeping on your back is also beneficial as it distributes weight evenly to prevent you waking up in the night from pain.
If you are feeling anxious and worried about the virus crisis consider:
Homeopathy to help your body find its own peace and equilibrium. Google Registered Homeopaths in your area.
Flower essences to support emotional re-balancing. Googles flower essence practitioners in your area.
Listening to a guided meditation to help you to let go of worries and relax your body before bed. Look in the App store for Calm or Headspace. Or try Arianna Huffington’s sleep meditation sound track.
Be diligent with your hygiene
Follow this National Health Service (UK) advice:
Do
Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds.
Always wash your hands when you get home or into work.
Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.
Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards.
Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
Don’t
Touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.
Use essential oils
You can also use anti viral and anti bacterial essential oils for wiping hands and surfaces.
For hands, mix a few drops into a hand cream or aloe vera gel. For cleaning surfaces, mix a few drops into a spray bottle with water. Effective oils are lemon, thyme, tea tree, eucalyptus, lavender, pine, clove, peppermint and Cinnamon.
Always seek a qualified Medical Herbalist before using herbs.
Always check how the herb or supplement interacts with any medication you are taking.
Julia Richards is a qualified Medical Herbalist and Director of Enhance One Limited, a consultancy passionate about helping individuals, groups, families, communities and organisations be the best they can be physically, mentally and emotionally. To achieve this, Julia uses a holistic approach to help you enhance yourself by drawing on her experience and studies in personal development, life coaching, aromatherapy, nutrition, herbal medicine and other wellbeing techniques. Julia helps you design a wellbeing plan that is unique to you and works in a complementary way with your doctor or any other therapist you are seeing to help you make improvements in your health. Julia offers individual consultations and group workshops.
With thanks to Markus Spiske for the feature image.
It’s funny how memories can be triggered by the most inane association. This week I was trawling through a recycled fashion store in downtown trendy Brunswick for no reason in particular except that I had time to kill before my lunch date. The little shop was a mecca for nostalgia and squeezed among the flares and tube tops on the rack, I came across a true 1970’s relic… The Afghan Coat….. Do you remember them? Sheepskin with long fur edging the coat and fur dangling around the cuffs. They were usually embroidered and the height of Hippie chic.
An Afghan Jacket typical of 1970’s
In the 1970’s I owned an Afghan coat. But mine was long and white with huge winding strands of fur. The coat was intricately embroidered in blue thread all over and I loved it because I had seen a photo of Marianne Faithful (then Mick Jagger’s girlfriend) wearing one similar…….
David Bowie wearing an Afghan Coat
But let me go back…context matters …..
The early 1970’s was a big time in my life. I graduated from university, started my first teaching job, married my university sweet heart and my father died suddenly from cancer. It was a maelstrom of grief, change, happiness, and chaos. My newly minted husband and I started saving for a house and spent weekends touring show homes and wondering if we could really afford the super – trendy sunken lounge room of 1970’s dreams. I was earning a first – year teacher’s salary and my husband was still at university studying his honours year in politics.
We had purple blankets and an orange set of very expensive Le Crueset cookware c/o kindly relatives and their wedding presents. We lived in a studio flat close to the university while I travelled 4 hours a day across the city and back, to teach at my first school. First form Egyptian history and several English classes was my teaching allocation as well as drama to a class of 35, year 9 boys. Testosterone fuelled drama every session! My cooking skills consisted of one dish- tuna casserole, which I served in my magnificent orange cast iron cookware and brown Mikasa dinner plates.
At the time there was a teacher shortage in Australia and we made friends with expat. teachers from Canada, UK and USA who came to work in Oz. They told tales of exotic places and travelling the world, trekking to Nepal, and teaching in India. My tuna casserole and flagons of cheap red wine hosted evenings of stories told, and while my man and I checked our home savings balance these exotic birds, the international teachers, told tales of lands far away.
After 3 years of married life, at the wise age of 24, my lovely husband and I looked at each other and at our saved deposit for a house and decided there must be more to life than this. Over a few months we each talked of our dreams. He wanted to study some more and become an academic. I wanted………. Ok what I really wanted was a white Afghan coat which cost a fortune on a teacher’s wage…… it was a lofty ideal…… it was impractical and had little merit but the yearning was strong and somehow epitomised what I wanted at this age- freedom. frivolity and to be exotic rather than a haus frau.
So we parted…sadly but gently. He got the purple blankets, I gave the cookware to mum and we divided the home deposit equally, the princely sum of $4,000. We kept in touch over many years and it was a gentle parting – the best kind. We each had a lot of growing up to do.
But I had places to be and first stop was the travel agent where I booked a trip to Toronto to see my sister and her family and a trip to New York where experimental theatre beckoned. The bit I didn’t tell my mum about was a burning passion to go to San Francisco which was synonymous with student riots at Berkeley and left -wing politics and teaching. Sex, drugs and rock and roll had a bit to do with it!
San Fran was also the mecca of hippiedom and Haight Ashbury a shrine to any self-respecting would be hippie like myself. A visit to Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s City Lights Booksellers would secure my place as a true believer. In preparation for this trip I read Ginsburg and Bukowski and I knew every word of Dylan’s ” Blowing in the Wind.” There was just one thing more…My white Afghan Coat……….
Nora 1970’s
I arrived in San Francisco with my long blonde hair, pale lipstick, denim flares, peasant blouse and my long, white embroidered coat. I was to stay in Oakland with a teacher friend, Nancy who had returned home to the Oakland hills after a teaching stint in Australia. She lived in a share house with 6 others in the hills and this would be my base for the next 2 weeks. We planned many adventures around the bay area including a pride march, women’s march, a rock concert and workshops in candle making at a neighbourhood house near Berkeley U…candle-making was as close to the heart of Berkeley student revolution as I could get!
At the airport in San Francisco I had no idea how far or where Oakland was, (no google in those days!) but I saw a sign advertising helicopter flights to Oakland. Ok I thought, that must be the way people get to Oakland. So I piled my stuff into a helicopter and 2 minutes later I landed on the strip just over the Oakland Bay Bridge!! I could have taken a taxi!
This became the travellers tale of the share house for weeks to come… the Aussie who took a helicopter over the Oakland Bay Bridge! To recover some credibility I made my tuna casserole for dinner that night and as I sat there in the treetops house with my new tribe I marvelled at how great life could be. In San Fran. I learned how to make bread out of blue cornmeal, bought my first Persian rug, learned the words to nearly all of Dylan’s songs, went to lots of protest marches and consciousness raising groups, smoked pot, drank heaps, met painters, musicians and writers and saw a life that I had only read about. I wore my white Afghan coat lots even though it was too hot most days. It became my blanket at rock concerts held under starry skies. It held me close at the times when I felt scared that I had overstepped my need for the adventurous life and instead craved home and the familiar.
After 2 weeks in San Fran I knew how to make lentil burgers and Nancy and I hosted my farewell party at the beautiful rambling house in the Oakland hills. A holiday romance had bloomed. Guitars played. There was deep conversation about women’s rights, open relationships, de-schooling society and all the noise of revolution. Cheap wine and cheap words which in the morning we knew were momentary imaginings.
I returned to San Francisco many times, most recently in 2013. It’s a city I love and although my hippie identity was short lived, this city continues to be enchanting. In 2013 it was a city remembered for Girardelli chocolate, steep hilly streets, softly painted dolls houses, the beautiful bay area and it’s life threatening tram rides. As a woman now in her 60’s I found myself in San Francisco taking Salsa lessons in Union Square, seeing the best Gaultier Fashion exhibition using robots as models, wandering into book readings and art exhibitions and feeling utterly in love with this city once again. I haven’t been back to Oakland…not even by helicopter….those memories shall remain protected in my mind as a time of wonder and youthful exploration..but never forgotten.
Words by Nora Vitins. Images ( with the exception of Nora 1970’s) with thanks to Unsplash, pexels and wikipedia.
If you’ve been clinically depressed you’ll know the force of this debilitating illness and its impact on you and those around you. Thankfully I have been well for many years now but I’m hyper – vigilant during times like the Covid crisis and I’ve learned how to manage my health and when I need help. There are thousands of people who are not so lucky and as I write this article they are struggling to cope. One of the worst aspects of this illness is the stigma that surrounds mental illness and also that so little is known about its causes and cures. I’ve probably gone overboard in trying to make mental illness an issue we do talk about…Did I tell you about my breakdown…??!!
It was against this back-drop that a friend suggested I have a look at Johann Hari’s book Lost Connections: Why You’re depressed and how to find hope. Published in 2018, Hari sources current research from seemingly reputable medical schools and institutes to argue that our current reliance on pharmaceuticals to treat the ” cause” of depression ie low serotonin in the brain is largely ineffective and misguided.
“Depression isn’t a disease. It’s a normal response to an abnormal life experience.” (page 136) His proposition is that because of our unease and the social stigma attached to mental illness, we have asked that a biological reason be attributed to depression. It feels more comfortable for patients to say..yes I’m depressed because my serotonin is low and I’m taking antidepressants to restore balance and up my serotonin. Doctors, using low serotonin as a cause of depression can provide a neat scientific explanation. Pharmaceutical companies, that fund a lot of the research, have a stake in the serotonin explanation because they can sell more antidepressants. This, argues Hari is why for many years we are being overprescribed medication to treat depression.
” Low serotonin is the smoke but not the fire.”
Hari says that in 1990’s there were doubts being raised by Professor Irving Kirsch, when he was associate director at Harvard Medical School about the efficacy of pharmaceuticals to alleviate depression. Together with a young graduate student Guy Sapirstein they looked at all the available research to date on the effectiveness of antidepressants and found very little evidence of their success in ” curing ” depression or even ” managing the symptoms”. Hari met with Irving as part of his research and followed research trails across the world to make sense of these findings. It’s exhaustive but continuing work.
So why does depression exist according to Johann Hari?
He believes that in understanding an individuals depression and treating it we need to use a bio-psycho-social model (page 66) looking at a holistic response. Biological factors can exist eg Low serotonin, and psychological factors eg a grief response but also social factors in the patients current work and life experiences. ” Clinical depression is an understandable response to adversity.” (page 63)
Hari identifies a number of causes of depression
Disconnection from meaningful work – many people perform in meaningless jobs where they have little agency or control. This induces stress related illnesses
Disconnection from Other People-Loneliness is at epidemic proportions among all age groups. Being around people isn’t the answer. Hari argues sharing meaningful Interactions with other human beings.. sharing something that matters with someone else. You can be lonely in a couple.
Disconnection from Meaningful Values- eg parents spending time really engaging with kids rather than buying them stuff or sharing junk food… what matters most to me? If you get too far away from what matters most to me you become disillusioned and life loses meaning
Disconnection from Childhood Trauma- Obesity, anxiety, depression are the symptoms of something deeper. ” There’s a house on fire inside many of us and we’ve been concentrating on the smoke.” ( page 136)
Disconnection from Status and Respect – status gaps in jobs but also when you age… does our culture value older people or are they a burden on the healthcare system?
Disconnection from the Natural World- A cruel thing about depression is that it immobilises our energy and interest in life. It drains the soul. We know that exploration in the natural world, walks and forest bathing heals. Animals can heals us. This reconnection to nature heals.
Disconnection from a Hopeful or Secure Future – Put simply, If you have control over your world you are less likely to be depressed. This book was written before a Covid world but we need to recognise that this is added to the list of climate crises and economic disparity that impact how hopeful or secure we feel.
Genes..how big a role do they play in depression? He concludes that genetic predisposition exists but its profoundly impacted by all the other factors listed above
How do we reconnect?
In the final section of the book Hari gives examples of how we can reconnect to a healthy society that values people. He gives examples from Berlin, Cambodia, UK, Brazil and many more
1. Rebuild meaningful communities of people working together to achieve something valued eg community gardens, men’s sheds. choirs
2. Shift the mindset from focus on the individual to focus on community- he looks at the Amish and also asian communities that have a focus on group rather than individual
3. Social Prescribing- Create social networks around health hubs
There are many many examples of how to build ways in which people can reconnect and rebuild networks.. not support groups for an illness specifically but instead building new communities of people engaged around meaningful work and play.
Is this a book worth reading?
YES! Even if you’ve never had depression I’m sure you know someone who has anxiety or depression. It’s an interesting book because it looks beyond drugs as an answer and Hari has worked hard to build a research base for his work from existing high profile sources. His answers- that people need to reconnect to their higher values, themselves and especially in meaningful connection to others is a strong argument. I’m left thinking though that our society is fundamentally individual, competitive, exclusionist to some and wealth disparate… There are big shifts needed to this essential fabric plus the power of the drug companies for reconnection to be a viable prescription for the treatment and prevention of depression. Acting locally to build community is important. So is living a mindful, simple life where mental wellbeing is the focus. I think his book is well worth reading and it contributes substantially to dialogue about one of the most pervasive illnesses of our time.
This book is also highly recommended by Hilary Clinton, Elton John, Naomi Klein, British Journal of General Practice, Emma Thompson and Russell Brand!
PLEASE NOTE: THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. IF YOU ARE FEELING UNWELL PLEASE CONSULT YOUR GP IMMEDIATELY.
Words By Inge Hatton.
