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FATHER
It is not uncommon nowadays for fathers to bring their babies and
children to clinics to have them weighed, to have immunisations, to have
consultations with the health visitors and to see the doctor. Years ago this
would have seemed quite remarkable. A father even carrying a baby or
wheeling a pram in those days might have felt embarrassed. Not so nowadays.
I heard of a father who took a half day's annual leave each week to accompany
his wife to the clinic when the baby was needing expert attention. The attitude
of fathers to family responsibility is changing. It is much commoner nowadays
for father to take an active share in the upbringing of his children, as he ought
to do, and most parents benefit by discussions on parenthood.
PEPTIC ULCER
If you have indigestion, heartburn and discomfort in your stomach, even
pain, especially combined with a feeling of weariness, consult your doctor.
There are several diagnoses for your condition, some of them serious. One
diagnosis is gastric or duodenal ulcer. If this is confirmed you should take it
seriously, for if you do not you are likely to have the ulcer for the rest of your
life and it may lead to serious consequences.
One potent cause of ulcer is anxiety. Anxiety is worry caused by constant
fear, a fear which may not even be consciously recognised. The fear is due to
the consequences which follow imagined loss of love and affection from those
who matter to us ; because of this imagined loss of prestige we strive to do
things often beyond our capacity, in the hope that we shall get wonderful praise.
There comes a stage when nature puts on the brake as a safeguard. One of the
safeguards is fatigue caused by gastric ulcer. The lining of the stomach can
be rendered pale and bloodless just as the face is in fright or panic ; that is
under strong emotion. When this happens constantly the surface of the stomach
breaks down and ulceration commences. The treatment of your ulcer then is to
so regulate your life as to live within your resources.
As each attack of indigestion occurs it will be cured sooner or later by
taking alkalies and rest. However, if you go on as you have been doing the
ulcer will return and you will be faced with a second and a third and continued
attacks for the rest of your life. In between attacks you will be off your guard
and tempted to try to do things beyond your capacity ; if you do the ulcer
will come back. It is foolish to try to ignore or to fight your symptoms ; you
must examine your mode of life and try to make adjustments. The ulcer often
appears at the time of a change of work, or a change of house, or a change in
some other way such as getting married, or children growing up and requiring
various things, a change in the manager, or a change in the policy at the office
or works, a loss of a dear friend or relative, or anything that makes life different
and harder from what it formerly was.
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