On Health Day, for those who care — DNOTICIAS.PT

Today we celebrate World Health Day, at a time when we face new diseases while others spread throughout our society. This dreaded cancer that will not leave us and whose cases are increasing among young people. A disease that was once closely linked to aging increasingly presents us with a new reality, one that can apply to everyone and anyone. It is scary to feel a jolt in life as if everything is collapsing around us. Priorities change, plans change, dreams stop and everything else seems to fade away. And if what we've learned is that it will be closely linked to bad habits like smoking, poor diet, obesity, or lack of exercise, then the truth is that I see people who completely disagree with that association. People who don't smoke have lung cancer, people who supposedly have a balanced diet with stomach cancer and so on. I think we still have a lot to learn about this dreaded disease and that it could be very linked to our genes and the DNA we carry. But it is not only cancer that kills us and deprives us of our quality of life.

Mental health is a very current topic in our society. Having recently declined in value, its adoption is now more open, especially by women, and there is still a long way to go. Depression, burnout syndrome (very linked to physical exhaustion and stress), anxiety attacks that freeze us, panic attacks and many others, but also the form of our acceptance in an increasingly finger-pointing society, which does not allow failures or defeats and who judges us in the public arena. Neurocognitive disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer's or personality disorders such as bipolarity and borderline syndrome recognized by mood swings, fear of abandonment, unstable relationships, and impulsive behaviors are more difficult to treat because many of them are not directly physical but refer us to what is happening in our minds. Our state of mind and our ability to interact with others. There are those who live trapped inside their own mind all their lives, as if they were a prisoner without ever being able to free themselves.

For all these reasons and more, it is essential to cherish and thank those who care. Who loves, who accompanies and does not leave anyone alone in these situations of fragility and despair. So I have a lot of respect and admiration for doctors and nurses, but I especially highlight informal caregivers. Children who take care of their parents and parents who put their lives on hold to take care of their children. Close family members, companions or friends. People who live in constant trauma, who change their dynamics to be there for others. People who give up a lot in giving, accompaniment and support. Who can't turn off their cell phone at night for fear that someone might need something, or who sets alarms on their cell phone to warn someone about taking medication, or who misses appointments to take them to the appointment or to be there during treatment. Who offer words of encouragement and who often have to listen to insults from those who are frustrated, in silence, so as not to make the situation worse.

Stopping what you are doing, risking not achieving your dreams or goals to care for others, changing routines, habits and schedules for the benefit of someone who at a certain moment needs attention, is one of the noblest and most selfless acts. can exist. . The world is also made up of people like these who choose dedication and love, often putting success second. They deserve our applause and appreciation more than ever. Characters in the shadows did not choose their fate and fate often does not recognize them. In an increasingly self-centered and self-centered world, such human beings will never cease to exist.