I ask this question when the following events or thoughts occur:

Cars traveling too fast or slow on the freeway with their bright lights destroying the cornea of my eyes. Why do they insist on talking on their cell phones while ignoring the traffic around them?

When I see news about Justin Bieber taking precedence over war in the Middle East, the NSA spying on us and the weather changes taking place all over the country.

When the Republican Party attempts to overturn Obama-Care every five minutes when House members know they don’t have the votes.

When I hear a sexist, hateful song like Pitbull’s Timber, my blood boils. My mood becomes volatile when I learn this song is the number one on ITunes. When I hear five year old girls sing along with the lyrics, I wonder if their parents have a clue what they are listening to.

When a friend says or does something to cause me to want to terminate the relationship, I tend to just end it without explaining why. At this point it doesn’t feel safe to engage with this person. This decision is never made without serious thought and weighing the pros and cons. I get angry when this former friend does not reach out to me to inquire why I no longer speak to him.

Every day I hear stories and sometimes share my experiences about our country’s neglectful and abusive health care industry. Stories about the lack of adequate pain control after surgery, testing for no reason, lack of empathy from doctors, over diagnosing and misdiagnosing happen to many.

The focus on celebrity culture and reality shows makes me totally sick.

Critical thinking is no longer valued in the USA. Following rules and being totally compliant is what is supported by our society. This creates a boring populace and prepares them to be telemarketers.

Whenever I walk into a restaurant and see all the family members glaring at an ipad, iphone, or i-something, I want to scream. How did this happen? Isn’t anyone alarmed about this other than me?

When did children stop playing outside and whatever happened to spontaneous play?

Why do adults think it is a fine idea to talk in the loudest voice possible telling all their business on a cell phone in a coffee shop?

Why doesn’t anyone consider changing any of this behavior? Why doesn’t anyone listen to what I have to say about all this?

Why do some folks say that we live in a post racial society when racist acts happen regularly? Just because we have a Black President doesn’t mean that racial hatred has vanished from the landscape.

Why does anyone watch Fox News unless they want their distorted and inaccurate views validated?

Why at the age of 62 should I have to be worried about where I am going to live or if I will have enough money to survive in San Francisco?

If you are fortunate enough to make it to middle management; none of your time is truly your own. You are expected to be available to work 24/7. Even when you go on vacation, you are required to check in electronically on a regular basis. How the hell did we get to this state?

Ok, I know-if you think these kind of thoughts all day you will feel depressed, agitated, defeated, isolated and bitter. It is good to be aware of all the triggering issues I raise here. It is not healthy to be obsessed about these problems and have frantic conversations with yourself about them.

Here are some tips on dealing with these problems:

• Find likeminded folks to discuss these  issues with.
• Pick one or two of these issues and become an activist. For example, if the increasing cost of housing bothers you,      join an anti-gentrification group. If you are alarmed at what is happening to the environment, join The Sierra Club or Greenpeace.
•  Exercise regularly to decease stress.
•  Make sure you spend time taking part in joyful activities that will take your mind away from the stress of the world.
•  Make the time and effort to find out what others are doing to fight the depersonalization and devaluation of the American people. There are plenty of folks fighting for social justice every day.
•  Consider psychotherapy as a means to deal  with stress and for personal growth.
•  Listen to music regularly in order to improve your mood and transform defeat to triumph.

Here is a place to get more information about decreasing stress.