WARM UP:

One Joke: 

Question: What happened to the cowboy who began hearing voices in the middle of the cattle drive?

Answer: He was deranged. 🤠  

One Fact: 

There were 14.3 suicides per 100,000 people in the U.S. in 2022, the highest rate in over 80 years.

One Quote:

“I think a lot of people, myself included, can sometimes get stuck. Like ‘They haven’t called me, so I’m not going to call them.’ If you want to talk to your friend just call them. You don’t have to play chicken about who’s going to take the first step."

– Julie Beck, How Friends Become Closer

One Guess…Name That Drug: (Answer at bottom)

• Description:  Common antibiotic used to treat respiratory infections, sinus infections, skin infections, STI’s.  

• Course: Usually taken once a day for five days.

• Mechanism of Action:  Macrolide antibiotic.  Works by inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis at the level of the 50S bacterial ribosome.

• Route:  Available as a tablet or liquid.

• Side Effects:  Diarrhea, headache, change in taste.

HEALTHCARE HEADLINES:

** The Department of Veterans Affairs says it’s committed to studying whether psychedelic treatments like MDMA and psilocybin are effective treatments for PTSD.  There is growing evidence that hallucinogenic drugs, when paired with psychotherapy, could dramatically improve mental health.

** As pointed out above, a record number of Americans died by suicide last year.  Nearly 50,000 Americans took their own lives in 2022.  One bright spot: suicide rates are significantly lower in the 15-24 age group, suggesting efforts to stem the youth mental health crisis may be paying off.

TOGETHER WITH FULTON:

Discover the world's most comfortable, supportive, and sustainable insoles. Fulton offers comfortable cork insoles that mold to your foot as you walk to provide customized arch support. They mitigate foot, knee, and back pain and align your body to prevent injury. Fulton offers a 90 day comfort guarantee, so your order is risk free!

WATER COOLER WONDERS…the stuff we found interesting this week:

** Contest: Did you grow out some facial hair for No-Shave November?  See how you stack up with the 2023 Honest Amish National Beard and Mustache champions.

** Culture: Not sure if your coworker really thinks those pictures of your baby are cute?  Enter Merriam-Webster’s 2023 word of the year: “authentic.” 

FOCUS ON FINANCES:

Money doesn’t buy happiness…right?  Most Americans actually disagree with this age old position, according to a recent study by financial services firm Empower.

Highlights:

• 59% of Americans say money can actually buy happiness.

• 71% believe more money would solve most of their problems.

• Median household income in the U.S. is about $74,000 annually.  However, Americans told Empower that they'd need to earn roughly $284,000 each year to achieve happiness. 

• Earlier studies suggest happiness only increases up to a certain point, about $75,000 in annual income.  A new study from Princeton University's Daniel Kahneman, however, suggests that happiness continues to increase up to earnings of $500,000 per year.

• Americans say they'd need about $1.2 million in the bank on average to feel happy. 

• Millennials said they would need the highest net worth to be happy.  Boomers said they’d need the least.

While money is a concern for nearly everyone, especially in the face of rising inflationary pressures, it’s worth considering in your own life how much you really need to be happy.

THANKS FOR READING!

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DRUG ANSWER: Azithromycin