How to Avoid Falling into Depression

Excerpt from "The Way Toward Health: A Seth Book" by Jane Roberts

It is also true that persons in ordinary good health who often contemplate suicide have already closed themselves away from the world to an important extent. Even their physical senses seem blurred, until often they seek further and further stimulation. These same attitudes are apparent in a lesser degree to varying extents in periods of mental or bodily illness or in unsatisfactory life situations. If you are such a person, however, there are also other steps that you can take. Project yourself into a satisfying future. Remind yourself that the future is indeed there if you want it, and that you can grow into that future as easily as you grew from the past into the present. 

Many depressives concentrate almost devotedly upon the miseries of the world – the probable disasters that could bring about its end. They remind themselves that the planet is overpopulated, and project into the future the most dire of disasters, man-made and natural.

Such thoughts are bound to cause depression. They are also painting a highly prejudiced view of reality, leaving out all matters concerning man's heroism, love of this fellow creatures, his wonder, sympathy, and the great redeeming qualities of the natural world itself. So such people must change their focus of attention. 

The other creative, positive, achieving portions of life are ever present, and thoughts of them alone can bring refreshment and release from tension.

How to Deal with a Stressful Situation

Excerpt from "The Way Toward Health: A Seth Book" by Jane Roberts

There are certain simple steps that can be followed, whenever you find yourself in a difficult situation, whether the condition is one of poor health, a stressful personal involvement with another, a financial dilemma, or whatever.

These steps seem very obvious, and perhaps too easy – but they will bring an immediate sense of ease and a peace of mind while your inner reserves are being released and activated. I have mentioned these steps many times, because they are so vital in clearing the conscious mind, and bringing some sense of relief to the frightened ego.

1. Immediately begin to live in the present as much as possible. Try to become as aware as you can of present sense-data – all of it. Often, while you are in pain, for example, you concentrate upon that sensation alone, ignoring the feelings of ease that may be felt by other portions of the body, and unaware of the conglomeration of sounds, sights, and impressions that are also in the immediate environment. This procedure will immediately lessen the pressure of the problem itself, whatever it is, and give you a sense of refreshment.
   
   
2. Refuse to worry. This fits in automatically with Step 1, of course. Tell yourself you can worry all you want tomorrow, or on some other occasion – but resolve not to worry in the present moment.
   
   
3. When your thoughts do touch upon your particular problem in that present moment, imagine the best possible solution to the dilemma. Do not wonder how or why or when the ideal solution will come, but see if in your mind's eye as accomplished. Or if you are not particularly good at visual imagery, then try to get the feeling of thanksgiving and joy that you would feel if the problem was solved to your complete satisfaction.
   

These steps will allow you breathing time, and actually help minimize the pressure your situation, whatever it is.  Then, quieted, you will be able to consider other suitable steps that may more directly address your particular solution.

Lynparza - a very expensive Drug

I had rarely thought about the cost of prescription drugs. We pay for family health insurance that covers 80% of most prescription drugs. When we turned 65, we became illegible for the province of Ontario's Drug Benefit program - only the computer can figure out who pays what but most drugs end up costing nothing!

Last year I had the experience of going to the hospital for cancer treatments and surgery. Drugs and IV treatments given to you in a hospital and cancer centre are free. So when a maintenance drug Lynparza (olaparib) was recommended for follow-up treatment, I didn't think about the cost.  I asked when I could start - the oncologist said less than 12 weeks after my last chemotherapy (Online information said you start Lynparza 8 weeks out). The doctor said he would start the "process" (several weeks ago another doctor said he was starting the process).

No one in the medical system mentioned Lynparza's cost. I had asked my pharmacy if the drug was covered by my insurance and they said 'yes'. I called the insurance company and they said it was 80% covered. I had no idea how to ask the Ontario government if they covered the difference.

When weeks went by without hearing anything, I phoned the support nurse at the hospital to say I was still waiting to hear from the compensation office at the hospital. She said she would check into it. They called 2 days later to tell me I needed to hear from the drug manufacturer about their financial programs to help pay for the drug. (No one could tell me the cost.) They put in a request and only two hours later someone from Astrazeneca who could barely speak English called - I think they offered to cover the co-pay 20% difference. After they made me listen to a very long privacy agreement, they said they would be email the doctor's office. The prescription and payment confirmation arrived at the pharmacy that day. When I called the pharmacist she confirmed the 20% payment was covered by Astrazeneca - $1740 for a 30-day supply! Yikes, that means the drug costs $8700 for 30 days. Unlike others, this drug didn't come with a receipt showing the cost. There was only one refill listed on the prescription, but followup by the oncology team is required. I've started the drug and both the hospital nurse and someone from Astrazeneca phoned me to confirm the date I had started.

The good news is that I'm feeling great on day 5 and should live 3 years longer without a recurrence of the cancer - statistically of course. There's no "cure" but none of us are getting out alive anyway. :)

Dear Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos and people of vision:

You and many others have the resources and youth to follow any dream you want. But instead, you play games looking upwards towards the stars instead of down here on earth. You could help mankind and the earth survive, yet you seem to be looking for ways to get away from the earth. If someone could find a new source of energy, the pollution destroying the earth would end, and a new bright future could begin the "energy revolution".

People thought solar energy could be the solution, but only direct conversion of solar where it's used is efficient and does not use other resources. Large solar fields are being built only when subsidized. Large wind 'farms' are seldom welcome hear the populations that need their power. Batteries that store solar energy require materials and energy that creates new sources of pollution. Charging batteries from the existing power grid does not solve the pollution, as most power is generated by oil, gas, and nuclear generators. New ideas, research and development are clearly needed.

My dream is to save the earth - and everyone in it - by finding a new source of energy. Many people have hypothesized how this could be done, but no one has yet come up with the knowledge, persistence, time and money to find answers to this problem.

But I am a senior, and those of you who are younger have the time and resources to do it. The rewards would be far more than money or accolades - it would be the rewriting of the history of the human race. It might require more investment than any one person or country is willing to spend, but it might be necessary to survive.

    "We can't afford to fail. we have to prove that we have the
    intelligence to prevent our own extinction."
        - former NASA systems engineer working on the ITER Project

Physicians, Faxes and Phones

In a recent article in The Ottawa Citizen, Kate Heartfield described the health system's communication problems and it really resonated with me. No one knows why doctors still use faxes - even lawyers, financial and real estate professionals have moved online.  In my experience faxes from doctors often don't get sent in a timely manner and can even get lost at the receiving end, requiring multiple calls to get it fixed.

Then there's appointments with my doctor - these must be made by phone, which  takes from an hour to a whole day (busy signals, leave message, wait).  

Here's a typical example of an injection I get every 6 months, which takes many phone calls (see above), at least 2 faxes, spread over a month and takes hours of my time.  Read on only if you have a love of torture... 

I begin about 5 months after my last injection, I call the clinic and must listen endlessly about their office hours, COVID information, how difficult it will be to get an appointment (no kidding), then a beep without warning. I'm too slow and have to call again to leave a message. I get a call-back the next day, and explain I need a blood test requisition and an "appointment" with the doctor 2-3 weeks before the target date.

The clinic says they will fax a blood test requisition to the lab. The next day I make an appointment with the lab online, which takes a few minutes. But when I arrive all masked up on the day, and stand in a distanced line outside for half an hour, but then the lab can't find the fax! The nurse looks up my previous requisition, and proceeds anyway - not her first rodeo! But they still need a requisition, so they give me the lab's email to notify them after it's re-sent - another save. I drive to the clinic (faster than phoning). Their response is: "Did their fax machine fail again?" But they re-send the form, and give me a paper copy, which I upload to the lab website as soon as I get back to a computer. Then I email the lab and have a reply within minutes informing me they have the requisitions - even the lost fax, oddly enough.

Two weeks later, I receive the call from the doctor. After a short chat, the doctor promises to fax the prescription to the pharmacy "right now". Then I phone the clinic to arrange an appointment to receive the injection.

And yet more "gotcha's". I need to get the prescription filled, delivered and kept cold. But when I phone I discover the pharmacy has not received the prescription fax. I phone the clinic again and finally manage to leave a message to please send the fax. I phone the pharmacy a couple of hours later and it's still not there - they promise to call when it arrives. I finally call again and they have it. I arrange for it to be delivered one day before my appointment. 

But they aren't through with me yet. The delivery never came. This one's on them. I had no choice but to call yet again, and stop at the pharmacy to get it before going to the clinic for the injection. Happy to report that I didn't pick up "the virus" at any of the three places. In 5 months, repeat...