Both of my readers know that I have an antipathy for urban areas. Even Parowan, Utah, the small town where I live, is too busy for me, and I would prefer to live on the farm. What has not been shown . . . until now . . . is that our lifestyle choices at Rural Ways have protected us from schizophrenia. That's right, country living is good for your mental health.
Doctor Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg of the University of Heidelberg's Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany has just published a study in Nature proving that city dwellers are more prone to mental disorders than those of us who live in small towns: "[S]chizophrenia is twice as common in those who are city-born and raised as in those from the countryside, and the bigger the city, the higher the risk." City dwellers evidently respond to stress differently than do rural folk, and that stress response sometimes signals the onset of psychosis.
It is, however, a sad truth that not everyone can live in the country. Some people must live in the city in order to pursue a career or to care for family. And, it is possible that some people even like living in a city, though it is hard to see why. In any case, for those who must live in the city, but want to avoid schizophrenia, what is to be done?
Professor Meyer-Lindenberg has not answered that question with his current study, but a solution seems worth pursuing. For now, however, I'd recommend a daily dose of Rural Ways. After all, it can't hurt, and it may well keep you from going crazy.
How can we have a daily dose of Rural Ways if there were only 11 posts in June? And two months worth of posts in six months? Something ain't right. If you want us to stay sane, you're gonna have to up your posts...just sayin'.
ReplyDeleteSorry to stress you out, Ms. Sandy. If your therapist thinks it would help calm the voices, you could visit Rural Ways for the next month. We've got a whole year's supply of firewood to be split.
ReplyDeletePart of me agrees with you and Professor Oscar Meyer. Part of me agrees with Charles Lindenberg. Another part of me wonders who kidnapped Lindenberg's baby and why? Part of me just told the part of me wondering about Lindenberg's baby to "shut up, you're an idiot". What were we talking about? I'm moving to Parowan to roam the streets and allow all the voices in my head to be heard.
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