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More than a feeling – Indianapolis Recorder

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More than a feeling – Indianapolis Recorder


The song Superstar, which was popularized both by the Carpenters and by Luther Vandross, contains the memorable and melancholic line, “Loneliness is such a sad affair.” While the song specifically concerns a forlorn lover, the fact is that loneliness – due to a variety of causes – has become a health crisis in America.

The physical health consequences of loneliness are staggering. There is a 50% increased risk of dementia for older Americans, who are often at high risk of having a solitary lifestyle. For all Americans, the risk of stroke increases by 32%, and there is a 29% increased risk of heart disease. Most tragically, a lack of social connection increases the risk of premature death by more than 60%.

Unfortunately, there is more bad news. With regard to mental health, social isolation increases the risk of developing depression among lonely people by more than double the rate for people who rarely or never experience loneliness. Regarding young people, social isolation in childhood increases the risk of depression and anxiety both immediately and over time. In the U.S., more than one in five adults, and more than one in three young adults, lives with a mental illness.

When considering the big picture, there is a strong argument to be made that our society should stop drawing a distinction between physical health and mental health; the scourge of loneliness certainly doesn’t do so. Indeed, challenges to mental health often affect physical health and vice versa. Similarly, if we positively affect one we’re likely to positively affect the other.

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Ironically, the holiday season tends to intensify the problem for millions of people. Even as families across the country baste turkeys, decorate Christmas trees, and make travel plans to see loved ones, many of our friends, neighbors, and co-workers become despondent as they mourn the loss of spouses, parents, grandparents, and even children. Smiles and laughter are supplanted by tears and heartbreaking memories. Fortunately, the medical community has begun to take this issue seriously.

In May of this year, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory that officially identified loneliness as a public health crisis. Though the recent pandemic expanded and exacerbated the problem of loneliness in America, roughly half of the population reported measurable loneliness even before COVID. In a report called Surgeon General’s Advisory on Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, Dr. Murthy offers specific recommendations regarding how individuals, health systems, nonprofits, and the government can fight this growing problem:

  1. Strengthen Social Infrastructure: Having the community come together for the specific purpose of connecting people to each other. This can be achieved in a variety of venues, including libraries and parks. Volunteers can design activities that are designed to break down barriers that often separate us.
  1. Enact Pro-Connection Public Policies: While this crisis cannot be solved by the government alone, policy can play a role in strengthening interpersonal bonds. Such policies might include paid family leave or accessible public transportation, both of which enable stronger community connections.
  1. Mobilize the Health Sector: The healthcare system is well-equipped to diagnose and treat health challenges that may be brought on or increased by loneliness. Unfortunately, the poor and elderly often face substantial barriers in getting to see a doctor. However, creating the types of public policies that are referenced above can ameliorate this problem.
  1. Reform Digital Environments: As has often been stated, technology is a blessing and a curse. It is crucial to evaluate both the extent to which we use our myriad digital devices and the manner in which we do so. Human interaction is, and always will be, infinitely more important than being tethered to our phones, etc.
  1. Deepen Our Knowledge: It is crucial not only for researchers to continually examine the causes, effects, and remedies to loneliness, but also for us to educate ourselves regarding their findings. Knowledge is not only power; it is also health.
  1. Cultivate a Culture of Connection: While so many of us lead lives of constant motion that often loosens social and even familial bonds, we can choose to be more intentional about connecting with others. Consciously making a few changes here and there could make a world of difference in someone’s life.

This holiday season, we should all consider reaching out to those who we know (or strongly suspect) will be spending an inordinate amount of time alone. A little bit of caring can go a very long way.





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Indianapolis, IN

Winners and losers from Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Indianapolis Colts

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Winners and losers from Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Indianapolis Colts


INDIANAPOLIS — The Pittsburgh Steelers came out slow against the Indianapolis Colts and paid the price for it, falling 27-24 in a valiant comeback attempt. However, Pittsburgh still sits at 3-1 and will be atop the AFC North, so it’s not all bad for the Steelers. Regardless, this loss highlighted a lot of issues that bubbled to the surface despite some very good play all around the team through their first three wins.

Here are the winners and losers from the Steelers’ loss to the Colts:

Loser: Linebackers

You can put Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson in this bucket, especially. The Steelers’ linebackers have struggled throughout much of the year, but a dominant defensive line has made most of the issues. With the Colts having the offensive line to neutralize Pittsburgh’s defensive line. In the second half, the linebackers did step up their play against the run, but with consistent miscommunication across the defense, some of that comes back to Queen. Queen himself missed a few keys and struggled to fit the run early. Wilson struggled in coverage mightily, getting caught being too aggressive on too many reps.

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Colts head coach Shane Steichen did an excellent job pitting the linebackers in conflict, which sank the defense for much of the day. Without the linebacker play to stay afloat, Pittsburgh could not secure themselves a win.

Winner: Darnell Washington

Washington continues to prove that he is fantastic. He has taken a second-year leap as a blocker and cleared out numerous lanes for the Steelers running backs, but the plus ones in the box, which we will get to in a bit, prevented much of that from mattering. As a pass catcher, there is untapped potential, and he can be deadly after the catch when given space.

Washington is a solid player who gets better each week. The Steelers will want to acquire that type of player as they continue to build their team into a contender.

Loser: Coaching Staff

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The entire Steelers coaching staff deserves some flack. Mike Tomlin does for a poor challenge and awful clock awareness throughout the game. From that perspective, the way he called the game made no sense. Tomlin failed to challenge a third down where Najee Harris clearly got a first one. The Steelers came out extremely flat and that goes to the head coach.

Defenisve coordinator Teryl Austin struggled to adjust after the quarterback switch due to Anthony Richardson’s injury. The Steelers never blitzed or disguised their coverages, and instead let the Colts dissect their vanilla Cover 3 scheme. Pittsburgh needs to go deeper into its bag of tricks against clever offensive coordinators, something they have struggled to do. For the predictability, that falls on Austin.

Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith called a brutal game that put his team in tough spots. The Steelers ran on second-and-long five times throughout the game, and Smith’s insistence on running the football in bad situations hurt the team significantly. Pittsburgh’s run game continues to run in the mud, and their play-action game has shown no life down the field through four weeks of the season. All of that falls on him, and Pittsburgh’s struggles are, to a large point, on him.

Winner: DeShon Elliott

Elliott played well in this game, and the Steelers have themselves a legitimately solid safety. In a game where many players, including Joey Porter Jr. and Minkah Fitzpatrick, uncharacteristically struggled, Elliott was like a shining diamond in the sea. He continues to make the Steelers’ investment in him look smarter by the day.

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Loser: Najee Harris

Harris averaged less than two yards per carry, posting 19 yards on 13 rush attempts. He did have a big play on the screen, but it did not make up the day. Harris is not a great schematic fit and Smith has done little to nothing to tweak it to him, even when the Steelers showed they could be a deadly pulling team last year.

However, Harris continues to show that his lack of burst, especially getting downhill with zone runs, is a huge issue for the Steelers. The icing on the cake was Harris not going out of bounds on the final drive, forcing the Steelers to rush their final play. He is a loser in this one, and is off to a disappointing start.

Winner: Cordarrelle Patterson

Patterson is efficient and fits this offense like a glove. Before his unfortunate ankle injury, the Steelers were working extremely well with Patterson taking much of the work from Harris, and his explosive, hit-it-quick style is just what the Steelers need. If he can get healthy, Patterson should take up even more time.

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Indianapolis, IN

Citizens Energy to Host Community Resource Day  

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Citizens Energy to Host Community Resource Day  


From food trucks to community resources, Citizens Energy Group is preparing for its second annual Community Day.

Jeffrey Harrison, the President and CEO of Citizens Energy Group, says the event’s goal is to help community members solve problems with paying their bills and accessing resources. In addition to healthcare resources and educational assistance, financial resources will be made available to Citizens customers who need assistance.  

With music and food trucks on hand, Harrison says, “This should be a really fun day.” The first 500 attendees will receive a food voucher. “It’s important to bring people together,” Harrison says. He wants customers to walk away from the event with information and resources to reduce their utility bill.  

Citizens Energy Group Community Resource Day is free and open to the public. It will be held on October 5th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Spanish, Frech-Creole, and Burmese language translators will be available on-site to help with translation. 

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To learn more, visit www.citizensenergygroup.com.



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NFL Picks – Pittsburgh Steelers vs Indianapolis Colts Prediction, 9/29/2024 Week 4 NFL Free Picks

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All Videos » Free Picks » NFL » NFL Picks – Pittsburgh Steelers vs Indianapolis Colts Prediction, 9/29/2024 Week 4 NFL Free Picks

Posted on September 28, 2024

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NFL Picks – Pittsburgh Steelers vs Indianapolis Colts Prediction, 9/29/2024 Week 4 NFL Free Picks

Indianapolis Colts vs Pittsburgh Steelers 9/29/2024. The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Indianapolis, IN to face the Indianapolis Colts at 1:00PM EST at Lucas Oil Stadium.

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