Pine Ridge Pastoral Counseling Services

Pine Ridge Pastoral Counseling Services Founded in 1994, Pine Ridge Pastoral Counseling provides the best mental health counseling as well as useful segments about a mental health issues.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE PROBLEM OF NOT KNOWING WHAT IS REAL.It's not an exaggeration to say that artificial inte...
07/16/2025

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE PROBLEM OF NOT KNOWING WHAT IS REAL.

It's not an exaggeration to say that artificial intelligence (AI) has become a dominant force in modern culture. What started out as simple things, like speech-to-text software, has become a mind-boggling technology that can not only analyze data but also solve problems and produce images and videos that are almost indistinguishable from actual recordings.

And there is the rub. We've all seen them - those cute videos of animals doing heartwarming things. (I love the one where the elephant plays with the baby giraffe and sprays it with its trunk. Facebook.)

Despite their charm, virtual productions have the potential to create a serious dilemma. They make it difficult to distinguish what is real from what is not.

Deep Fakes and Not Knowing What is Real

While it may not matter that an elephant does not really play with a giraffe, a video showing a person doing something that they did not do could have serious consequences.

In addition, AI-generated images and recordings exacerbate the already serious problem of misinformation which pervades the internet and social media.

This technology complicates the difficult task of accurate news reporting. Beyond journalism, however, fraudulent AI creations create false impressions in public perception or beliefs. For example, consider the many false beliefs that arose during COVID-19.

It is a characteristic of human nature to seek thrills. Thus, many people are susceptible to sensational misinformation and seek it out. Likewise, the news media understand this appetite and, in order to satisfy their viewers, often run stories that are unlikely to be true.

It's essential to recognize that the media's content influences us. Misrepresentations or unsubstantiated stories often receive more attention than they deserve. Due to their presence in the media, they appear to be real. In doing so, they create a problem of public perception. By exploiting their audience, the media stokes skepticism and further mistrust of the media.

Besides the media, politicians play on and use misinformation to promote fears and win elections. (Consider the exaggerated claims of the threats undocumented immigrants posed.)

Apart from politics, the exaggerated threats that AI-aided misinformation creates can exacerbate anxiety and depressive conditions. Apart from those with diagnoses, outrageous stories stoke paranoia and irrational fears in ordinary people who don't normally suffer from anxiety and depression. Online Misinformation | Pastoral Counseling Syracuse NY

Recent Example of Deep Fakes

Incredibly, A.I. has taken online misinformation to a whole new level, to the point where discerning what is accurate and legitimate from what is fraudulent is extremely difficult. Photographic and video deep-fakes, as they're called, can make real people say or do anything.

Recently, a video of NBC weatherman Al Roker deep-faked him, pitching a worthless anti-hypertension device. Deepfake video of Al Roker selling blood pressure device emerges

Additionally, an AI-generated audio of Senator Marco Rubio was sent out fraudulently, posing as him.

Even worse is when an AI "thinks" on its own. Recently, X's chatbot, Grok, spewed an anti-semitic slur. AI chatbot Grok issues apology for antisemitic posts – NBC Los Angeles

It's no secret that media outlets sensationalize the news to attract viewers. In doing so, many of its stories are exaggerated, which then creates fear and panic. Fear and panic take away a person's ability to rationally assess and determine the validity of the images they see.

Despite the challenges, we must not give up or give in to the lies. Here are some tips to help you sort the grain from the chaff:

Tips for Spotting Fake Stories and Reports

The key to dealing with AI in the media is to first calm the emotions that it stirs. Fears allayed, we can reestablish a rational perspective and think logically.

When calm and thinking reasonably, these common-sense tips will help you to spot fake posts and determine the authenticity of what you read, see, or hear.

1) Be Selective and Limit Your Exposure to Media.

Pay attention to where you get the news and only rely on trusted sources. Regardless of the source, given the 24/7 availability of information on the internet, it is advisable to limit the amount of time you spend listening to or watching media news or commentary. Especially in the wake of major news stories or tragedies, excessive exposure can overwhelm your emotions and distort your judgment.

2) Be Skeptical of Unusual Information and Check Out the Source of the Story.

When unusual stories emerge, it's essential to be skeptical and examine the source of the report or image. Given the level of political, cultural, and religious polarization, it's crucial to understand the perspective of the source. Skepticism and verifying the sources of stories is crucial when they originate from internet blogs or podcasts.

3) Does the Story Fit with Other Reports or is it an Outlier ?

When you come across sensational or odd stories, notice if other news sources report them.

4) When a Story Goes Against Accepted Wisdom, Be Open to New Information but Take Your Time Before Deciding About Its Truthfulness.

Every once in a while, new historical or scientific findings challenge established beliefs. That said, establishing the research and data as reliable and true takes time and repeated verification.

5) Examine Your Own Reactions for Bias.

One final point. Sometimes our own bias predisposes us to believe false stories. Sometimes we see what we want to see and believe what we want to believe.

Reflecting on your history with the topic is especially helpful when it provokes a strong emotional reaction within yourself. For example, if you have not liked a movie star or politician, you may be inclined to believe negative stories or disbelieve positive ones.

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When all is said and done, we must acknowledge and remember how technology has changed what we know. The information superhighway enables us to travel to places like never before, but it can also lead us down numerous dead ends.

Rev. Michael Heath, LMHC, Fellow A.A.P.C. 7 16 2025

www.revmichaelheath.com

RETHINKING FORGIVENESS What comes to mind when you hear the word forgiveness?When one is betrayed or treated unjustly, i...
07/02/2025

RETHINKING FORGIVENESS

What comes to mind when you hear the word forgiveness?

When one is betrayed or treated unjustly, it's normal to feel anger and resentment. Sometimes, however, the initial reaction doesn't go away and the ill feelings can disrupt relationships and get in the way of living.

Religion and moral teachings have taught us that when a person is wronged, they should forgive. Indeed, forgiveness is not only the right thing to do, but it is also good for our physical and mental health. Forgiveness | Psychology Today

Ironically, in spite of its benefits, for many folks, forgiveness is difficult to do. That's unfortunate because not forgiving and holding a grudge is detrimental to both our mental and physical health. The Destructive Power of Resentment | Master's Counselling Calgary

Specifically, unrelenting resentment elevates cortisol levels, which correlate to increased emotional problems such as irritability, depression, and stress. Likewise, it's not secret that unchecked stress levels can lead to a number of serious physical disorders How Holding a Grudge Can Hurt You

Why would something that is so obviously good be so hard to achieve? Part of the reason forgiving is so difficult is that much of what we have been led to believe about it is false.

For example, according to Google, forgiveness is " a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you..."

Wrong . Understanding forgiveness as an intentional decision misconstrues its reality. It assumes that one can forgive when, in fact, they may not be. Psychology views forgiveness as a complex process, not a simple decision. Let me explain:

Why Forgiveness is not a Conscious Choice

Sadly, when one is told they must decide to forgive, it implies that one can forgive but is choosing not to, i.e., they are consciously holding on to resentments because they don't want to forgive.

Frankly, the idea that people intentionally hold on to resentment gets things backward. Instead of them holding on to resentment, resentment has a hold on them.

In fact, in most cases, forgiveness is outside volitional control. Let me repeat, in contrast to popular opinion, resentment has a hold on the person. Forgiveness can not happen until the hold is broken. Bursting the Forgiveness Myth | Pastoral Counseling Syracuse NY

Forgiveness as Healing from an Emotional Wound

A more accurate way to understand the experiences of resentment and forgiveness is to think of them like a physical wound and the healing process.

Anger is like an ugly scab. When the skin is cut, a scab forms over the wound to protect it from infection. In the same way, when someone feels wronged, the emotional scab of anger and resentment forms..

The psychological function of anger is to create the illusion of power. Feeling strong calms the panic of powerlessness created by the injustice.

Consider how anger expresses itself. We raise our voice and make cutting remarks to make ourselves feel bigger and stronger. The result is that, temporarily, we feel safer and more in control.

The reason a person needs to feel powerful is that, in the moment of being triggered, they experience themselves not as an adult but as a small, powerless child.

Forgiveness is the scab falling off. With a flesh wound, the scab falls off only when the underlying wound is healed. In the same way, when a person has emotionally healed, i.e., they realize they are neither permanently ruined nor vulnerable. With the threat removed, the protective emotions of anger and resentment are no longer needed and fall away.

It is essential to recognize that forgiveness encompasses more than just the immediate injustice. Sometimes it is hard to understand why it takes a person so long to get over a seemingly minor offense.

Emotional wounds that don't heal quickly are often due to their connection to other deep and unhealed wounds experienced in the past. Forgiveness in these instances requires healing wounds from both the present and the past.

Healing means becoming rational and experiencing life in the present as an adult, not as a frightened child from the past.

Forgiveness Does Not Require Reconciliation

Another misconception regarding forgiveness is the misleading belief that forgiveness must lead to reconciliation. Sometimes it does not.

Likewise, the adage "forgive and forget" is not always true . Forgiveness does not mean that you forget. In fact, when the offense is serious, remembering the lesson of the trauma may be crucial to healing and emotional growth.

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One more thing, if forgiveness is a problem, try to understand why instead of just blaming yourself. Also, stop comparing yourself to someone else. Not everyone forgives the same. The ability to forgive is usually determined by the level of intrusiveness of past emotional wounds.

Also, one's resilience and ability to recover from trauma is related to one's overall mental health and physical health. Premorbid conditions can complicate and prevent healing and forgiving.

Remember, all healing takes time. Just as one person may heal from a physical wound more quickly than another, so too with anger and grudges.

That said, whenever forgiveness is felt, it changes everything. Freed from obsessing about someone who hurt you, can open yourself to living more fully in the present and anticipate a better future.

If forgiveness is difficult for you, remember that you don't have to struggle alone. Talking with a therapist can really help .

Rev. Michael Heath, LMHC, Fellow A.A.P.C. 7 02 2025

www.revmichaelheath.com/

COPING WITH THE NON-STOP VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIARecently, the news has been filled with so much violence that it's impossi...
06/18/2025

COPING WITH THE NON-STOP VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA

Recently, the news has been filled with so much violence that it's impossible to shrug it off. As the reports from the Israeli/Iran war grow more disturbing each day, breaking news screams the shocking details of the Minnesota shootings.

Although most people aren't directly affected by these events, the non-stop media coverage wears away our indifference and increases our anxiety. Indeed, a number of recent studies reveal that extended exposure to tragic news reports can cause PTSD-like symptoms.

PTSD-by-proxy includes nightmares, difficulty concentrating, increased anxiety and recurrent flashbacks of disturbing video and still images. Media Exposure and the Risk of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Following a Mass traumatic Event: An In-silico Experiment - PMC

Coupled with other brain research, it's becoming clear that vicarious exposure to trauma can create neuro-pathway damage consistent with what is experienced by deployed soldiers or other trauma victims. This new evidence also provides clues for treating those who are affected by shocking stories in the media.

An update about trauma

Some people wonder how simply seeing something on television or the internet can cause symptoms that are similar to those experienced by those who actually lived through an actual trauma.

Recently, studies have expanded our understanding of what constitutes trauma. We now know that trauma does not have to be physical to be harmful or even directly experienced. Exposure to vivid accounts of trauma can have a similar impact on our emotions as an actual experience.

Tips for Coping

Fortunately, there are several effective tools anyone can employ to reduce the disruptive impact of panic reactions.

The key to dealing with a PTSD reaction is to, first, calm the panic and restore the neuro-pathways to the parts of our brain which can think. Only then can we accurately assess the seriousness of the immediate perceptions and discern from prior experience what response should be made.

Here is a brief list of things to try if you are having problems coping with the news: Coping with the Absurd and the Horrifying Stories in the News | PastoralCounseling Syracuse NY

Reduce your exposure to media

Too much exposure to the sun can cause a burn. The same is true emotionally with respect to too much exposure to distressing reports in the media.

Frankly, our access to the news has changed dramatically ever since the advent of CNN and 24/7 news coverage. More recently, smartphones have dramatically changed our access to information. While this has been a benefit, it has also created over-exposure problems. The best way to prevent and manage stress from hearing about violence in the news is to monitor and limit the amount of time you spend listening.

Learn to detect initial panic reactions

Effective stress management includes learning to recognize when the initial panic reaction begins. Usually, it starts with muscular tension somewhere in your body, even before you realize it.

Learning to identify this tension as an alarm can help you to employ system calming techniques as early as possible. The sooner calming efforts begin, the easier it is to hit the emotional reset button and return to normal.

Short-circuiting panic before it becomes full-blown

When muscular tension is felt, it's important to act quickly to stop it before it becomes full-blown and interferes with your funtioning. One way to interrupt the fear reaction is to wear a rubber band around your wrist, snap it, and say out loud, "Stop it."

Other good ways are splashing water on your face or, if a refrigerator is nearby, holding ice cubes in each hand until it hurts.

These techniques distract and interrupt the panic cycle and can, when used with other calming measures, restore rational thought.

Notice your breathing

After interrupting the distress reaction, notice your breathing. When things are out of control, remembering that we can control our breathing helps to calm our feelings. Slowing down our breathing rate, taking in deeper breaths and exhaling completely can provide instant relief from panicky sensations.

Meditate

Research has shown that your brain needs conscious rest in addition to sleep. Meditation is a good example of non-demand neural activity. Becoming a passive observer of your being provides brief breaks for your brain., During this time, all demand or problem-based activity (thinking, problem solving, worrying over unsolved challenges) ceases.

Research shows that these short breaks allow neuropathways, broken by stress, to heal and restore rational thought.

Go for a walk,

Any sustained activity for twenty minutes, even something as simple as a brisk walk, gets your heart rate into the aerobic zone and releases endorphins, contributing to a sense of wellness and well-being.

Write in a journal

Putting into words and describing the unpleasantness you are going through shifts the locus of brain activity from feeling to thinking. This shift reduces the intensity of the feeling and provides understanding. (Journaling is so effective that the U.S. military uses this technique for its men and women who have undergone traumatic stress.)

Talk to a therapist

Life is too short to suffer needlessly. If the news is not just disturbing but is interfering with your life, there is much that can be done to help. If unpleasant or interfering symptoms persist for more than two weeks, find a therapist to talk to.

Talk therapies can help you gain perspective and place immediate distress in a broader context. Having perspective on an immediate experience exposes the exaggeration of your initial reaction and is calming.

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Getting a realistic perspective includes understanding and accepting what we can control and what we can't. While we can't control the terrors of the world, we can control and manage our stress reactions to it.

With practice, we can become better and better at coping with the negative, which frees us to enjoy the positive aspects of life.

Rev. Michael Heath, LMHC, Fellow A.A.P.C. 6 18 2025

www.recmichaelheath.com/

COUNSELING BASICS: AN UPDATEOver the years, attitudes about counseling as well as counseling itself have changed.  While...
06/04/2025

COUNSELING BASICS: AN UPDATE

Over the years, attitudes about counseling as well as counseling itself have changed. While the stigma connected to counseling may have declined, many misconceptions about it still endure.

In addition, new research has brought significant change to both how we understand and treat emotional problems.

Today, I want to update your understanding and answer some common questions that many folks have about psychotherapy.

Common Threads in Counseling

While there are different counseling approaches, it's helpful to understand the basic elements found in most talk therapies. Understanding psychotherapy and how it works

-- Trust in the therapeutic relationship. The key to any successful therapy is the solid trust one has with their therapist. Over time, non-judgmental responses from a counselor create a sense of safety and trust. This safe space allows one to explore and discuss important but painful issues that may have been previously avoided.

Unlike most other interpersonal interactions in life, counselors are neutral. They seek to understand rather than judge or express a personal opinion. This experience creates a supportive bond that promotes emotional healing and growth.

-- Expanding Self-Awareness Becoming mindful of the systemic influences of one's environment and past experiences creates a wider perspective on one's current problems. This enhanced perspective leads to greater understanding of one's difficulties and opens up options for change.

-- Advances in Counseling

Greater understanding results in correcting trauma-based distortions about how one sees oneself and others. Many psychological problems are the result of past trauma, which has created perceptual distortions in the way one views oneself and others.

Most commonly, the distortions result in a person's not fully approaching their value and thus having low self-esteem.

PolyVagal Theory: A significant advance in our understanding of the polyvagal system has revolutionized our understanding of human psychology.

"Polyvagal theory in therapy, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, is a neurobiological framework that explores how the autonomic nervous system (ANS) influences emotional states, social behavior, and responses to stress." (from Google AI)

The major takeaway from this theory is an appreciation of how fragile our connection to reason is.

This awareness has added a new dimension to psychotherapy. Further, understanding how we become disconnected from the reasonable part of our brain changes our understanding of many psychological disorders and how to treat them.

-- The Expanded Understanding of the Residual Effects of Trauma Research reveals that many more events are traumatic than previously recognized. Specifically, trauma disconnects a person from the human/rational part of their brain, the neo-cortex, leaving one at the mercy of their animal/ limbic brain. The limbic system is not rational. Its only concern is with survival and thus it has no concern for social interaction or getting along with others.

-- Trauma's impact on the amygdalae

Sadly, trauma corrupts the threat-alert system in our brain, the amygdala, and causes it to give off false alarms. When the amygdalae perceive threats, whether real or false, access to the reasonable cortex is greatly slowed or blocked. As a result, a person reacts without evaluating or reality-testing the threat with a fight-or-flight action.

-- Somatic Awareness

Understanding of the impact of trauma on disrupting our connection to our neo-cortex expanded therapy to go beyond just understanding. It explains the necessity of addressing the somatic (physical) dimension of psychological disorders to provide successful relief and change.

Specifically, increased appreciation of physical symptoms of distress connects seemingly unrelated elements that can trigger irrational reactions caused by childhood trauma.

In addition to understanding, calming symptoms of physical panic is necessary to make significant and lasting change.

Conditions for which counseling is helpful

Mental health counseling can't help all psychological disorders but here are some issues where it can:

-- Grieving and Adjusting to recent loss, changes, or hardships. One of the most common types of emotional problems arises when a person experiences change. Since humans are creatures of habit who need reliable routines, any change causes anxiety.

Losses, like the death of a loved one or a job, are examples of common issues for which counseling can help. Talking with a therapist can calm anxious and depressed feelings and help individuals, couples, and families to solve problems and make needed adjustments.

-- Healing from prior trauma. Corruptions in perception caused by trauma can last for many years after the experience. Another common source of emotional disturbance is previous trauma. Just as the notion of trauma has expanded, so too has the understanding of PTSD.

It is essential to understand that even though a person's symptoms may not meet the criteria for a formal PTSD diagnosis, counseling can be very effective in relieving distressing emotional elements.

-- Marital, family, or other relational conflicts. Interpersonal disagreements and arguments are a major source of individual distress. Whether with couples, families, or workmates, counseling can help folks learn practical communication skills and ways to deal with anger and conflicts constructively.

Learning how to communicate with I-statements and conflict resolution skills are just some of the powerful skills that folks learn in conjoint counseling that are useful in a variety of interpersonal situations.

-- Ongoing environmental stress. Not all counseling involves a psychosocial disorder. Sometimes, life's stress alone can overload a person's ability to cope. Trouble at work, problems with finances, or health may not have immediate solutions.

Learning about stress management and coping skills can help people endure and get through difficult times.

Spiritual and Existential Mysteries Apart from psychological disorders or painful circumstances, life itself poses spiritual or existential challenges. Pastoral counseling helps individuals, couples, and families come to terms with life mysteries.

Rather than offering advice or solutions, counseling helps clients to address rather than avoid important existential issues regarding one's sense of purpose and an ultimate understanding of the meaning of life. Bursting some common myths about Pastoral Counselling | Pastoral Counseling Syracuse NY

Indicators to see a counselor

People often ask when they should see a counselor or how bad it has to be to get professional help. In the past, family doctors were the primary source of referrals to counseling. Today, however, individuals can decide for themselves if they want to see a counselor/

While there is no one-size-fits-all way to tell, here are some questions to think about to help you decide: How much is your problem interfering with your life?

Ultimately, only you can say when you need counseling. Asking yourself:

Is your problem getting in the way of your job?

Does your concern interfere with your relationships ?

Do people tell you that you have a problem

Is the emotional pain detracting from your personal happiness?

If the answer is yes to any of these, counseling can help. That said, if you are unsure, there is no harm in trying it out and seeing how it feels doing it.

Rev. Michael Heath, LMHC, Fellow A.A.P.C. 6/04/2025

www.revmichaelheath.com

Joe Biden and Dealing with Cognitive DeclineRecently,  the release of the audio recording of Special Counsel Robert Hur'...
05/18/2025

Joe Biden and Dealing with Cognitive Decline

Recently, the release of the audio recording of Special Counsel Robert Hur's interview of Joe Biden exposed, in painful detail, evidence of the president's cognitive decline. Biden’s Interview With Hur Confirms What Many Suspected - The New York Times

The tape confirmed what critics of the president had previously alleged. Likewise, it raised a firestorm and accusations of a cover-up. Republicans claimed that Democratic leadership conspired to keep his failing mental status from the American people.

As big as this story has been, I believe its real significance lies elsewhere. Indeed, Joe Biden's decline shines a spotlight on the larger issue of age-related cognitive decline.

Hopefully, the president's situation can be a wake-up call for America. We must start talking about this universal human problem: How to understand and deal with age-related cognitive decline that's gone too far.

Due to its emotionally painful nature, talking about and confronting cognitive decline is often avoided. Here are some thoughts concerning this difficult topic.

Many People Are Working Longer.

It is no secret that people are working longer than they used to. Instead of retiring at age 65, modern technology and medicine have extended the length of time many continue to work. For example, both the Queen of England and Dr. Ruth Westheimer worked until the day they died at 96. Likewise, Pope Francis served until he passed at 87.

My concerns here are not to offer specific guidelines or rules for when an individual is unfit to work, but to help folks talk about the problem. We need to raise the question and increase understanding of the psychological and spiritual crisis that the loss of mental faculties creates.

The Emotional Crisis of Cognitive Decline

Of course, it would have been better if President Biden had acknowledged his condition and stepped aside. Unfortunately, for many, it seems to be beyond their capacity to have such a presence of mind and courage to accept the unacceptable.

I believe that his experience of gradually losing one's mental faculties is no different than anyone else's. It is so terrifying that distressed emotions prevent a more rational response.

Indeed, Biden's dilemma is our own. The toll that aging takes on our mental abilities can happen to us all and is becoming a crisis that no one wants to talk about. The Quiet Crisis : Adult children. aging parents | Pastoral Counseling Syracuse NY

Maybe it's obvious, but we need to think about how to handle the diminished capacity and what the losses point toward: death. And here is the odd thing. Death is scarier for people who are far from it than it is for those for whom it is imminent. Is Dying Our Greatest Fear? | Psychology Today. In other words, fears and anxieties deter the folks who need to make essential decisions from doing so.

Instead of avoiding, we need to empathize and understand the emotional obstacles both the person and their friends and family experience.

Often, the one who has lost mental capacity is in denial. Either they are unaware or are unable to accept the horrifying reality.

Many times, those who attempt to point out the problem are met with anger and hostility. Thus, effective responses need to overcome both the resistance from the individual and the avoidance or denial on the part of family and friends.

Breaking the Denial, Encouraging Conversation

In order to promote meaningful conversations, we need to change expectations and normalize the occurrence of cognitive decline.

Despite the obstacles, we need to encourage conversations before a difficult situation arises. Going forward, serious and reasonable discussions must take place actively.

Discussion must include talking about difficult things. Rather than avoiding, we must acknowledge the difficulty of the situation and ask difficult questions: How to determine when an impairment makes adequate functioning impossible? How to confront a person who refuses to acknowledge or accept their decline?

Although most of us aren't involved in high-level politics, many know what it's like to deal with things such as taking the car keys away from granddad when he could no longer safely drive. It is important that we normalize and understand that losing our mental capacities is often a part of aging, just like diminished physical capacities.

Many of us will eventually face the gradual loss of our ability to think clearly. Accepting this eventuality will replace anger with compassion and avoidance with acceptance.

The Spiritual Dimension of Aging

Ultimately, the solution to dealing with aging and cognitive decline is spiritual. Apart from the emotional aspects, the loss of a person's cognitive functions raises profound and intimidating spiritual questions, i.e. questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life.

Awareness of this loss raises anxiety over the encroaching reality of death. Even persons of faith are not exempt from death's daunting spectre. Even so, turning to one's faith in times of anxiety is comforting.

Both the aging person and those around them need to embrace life and acknowledge the inevitability of dying as part of the grand mystery of existence. Neurologically, accepting this reality calms fears and makes reasonable responses possible.

While neurological science helps us understand cognitive impairment, the real challenge is raising public awareness and developing reasonable approaches to dealing with affected individuals.

That said, dealing with end-of-life issues is complicated and beyond rational control. Above all, when discussing this mystery with others, we must emphasize empathy and compassion.

Rev. Michael Heath, LMHC. Fellow A.A.P.C. 5 18 2025

www.revmichaelheath.com/

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