Mental Matters
By Dr. Jennifer Goble

I offer a 100% remedy for anyone who is feeling sorry, angry, or unappreciative. Even if one has chronic pain, terminal illness, or lives in poverty, my cure will work. I guarantee it is foolproof! And, it is free and totally accessible to everyone who can see and hear.

Gratefulness is necessary for good mental health. If one is not grateful for his/her challenges and abundances, their thinking is out of balance. Sometimes, a jolt of reality is needed to regain perspective.

My cure for the blues or grumps: hang out on the oncology wing of a hospital. Trust me. Pay attention, and you will be affected. You will feel fortunate when you leave, and it will leave you wondering about your priorities.

Picture wheelchairs, oxygen bottles, men and women of all ages wearing beanies and face-masks. Then picture family members pushing their loved one in those wheelchairs, stabilizing them as they walk, waiting, visiting, and intently listening to doctors relaying results to anxious patients and families.

Look into the eyes of patient’s and the people who love them.

Notice the man slouched in the chair, staring into the distance after his wife is wheeled away for tests, the woman shuffling down the hall pushing her IV pole, or the frail young woman bent over in her chair while she waits in the hall for her appointment.

Listen to the kind words of thanks, gentle chuckles, and continual positive comments about what’s happening with chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants. Hear counts of hemoglobin, white cells, platelets, ANC, magnesium, potassium, glucose, etc., shared among staff, patients, families, and new-found friends.

Watch infusion ports cleaned, IV’s started, and hands washed continually by everyone. Allow yourself to feel the experience.

While you are observing and listening, think about your troubles and your disappointing life. Feel sorry for yourself, if you can.

As you leave, think about thankfulness. What can YOU add to your gratitude list? Hopefully, you find my cure for your doldrums to be effective. If not, call me wrong, but challenge your thoughts.

I read this article to my sister, Patty, who is in Leukemia treatment. She said, quoting a book title by Barbara Johnson, “Pack Up Your Gloomees In A Great Big Box, then sit on the lid and laugh.”

Until the next time: Live while you live!

(Jennifer Goble, Ph.D., LPC, is the author of My Clients…My Teachers, and blogger and en-courager of Rural Women Stories: www.ruralwomenstories.com.)

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