As a parent of two beautiful high school boys, I’ve recently become more aware of how they feel and relate to the world around them more than ever before. I’m not the only parent concerned about how their children, spouse, or loved ones are emotionally dealing with the incredible changes we’ve endured in recent years. Over the last three years, we’ve seen more anxiety, depression, and stress inundate our lives than ever before. At Healing Hands of Manahawkin, we’ve seen team members’ and patients’ bodies break down from the severe and significant stress they’re dealing with, some as young as teenagers!
We have been through a lot of changes in recent years. Inflation is up, gas prices are skyrocketing, stores are running out of products, and small businesses have been forced to close their doors. We live in a vacation destination, and many of our bars and restaurants are closing because of soaring food prices and their inability to get products that used to be easy to procure. A sign at one of our local restaurants informs customers they’re no longer giving salad with meals because of an increased price of lettuce. This stress has become unbearable not only for our teenagers, who are now more medicated than ever, but for our entire community.