The President's speech did not inspire hope for many North Georgia citizens, "We had a growing construction business until 2008. We closed the doors December 2010. Now, we look for odd jobs whenever and wherever we can find them. The stress of not knowing whether we will make enough each month to pay the mortgage is killing us. We are treading water and there is no land in sight," from the owners of a former construction business.
The laborers in construction who have been laid off for two or three years are not counted in the unemployment numbers. The state of Atlanta and all counties leading North is not rosy. The number of new applicants applying for Medicaid and Food Stamps is growing daily. There were over 57,000 new cases of Medicaid recipients from Dec. 08 through Dec. 09, with 156,777 new food stamp cases - a 32 percent increase.
Stress can destroy relationships and personal health. It is a factor in marital discourse and ultimately, divorce (number of divorces nearly doubled in Georgia over the last ten years).Stress causes hair to fall out, stomach spasms, weight gain, insomnia and more. The greater the stress, the better the odds that a mental illness will manifest. A nation looking for hope in the President's address found little to cling to until better times arrive.
Businesses going under, families breaking apart, homes foreclosed on (Metro Atlanta ranked 15th in the nation, filing over 27,000 in spring of 2011), standard of living falling for many and children caught in the middle of it all is the current state of North Georgia. Fewer state and federal monies are available for necessary services. The President spoke of cutting funds even deeper than the current budget on Medicaid, Medicare and other public services.
There has never been a better time to practice natural health care. Relieve stress by relying on prayer, neighbors, friends and relatives, or find a peaceful place to go to be alone, if only in thought.
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