Dr. Vivek Murthy, the outgoing Surgeon General of America of Indian origin, has issued his farewell prescription for America. Dr. Murthy spent six of the last 10 years as America’s top doctor. His prescription is based on his personal and professional experiences. Dr. Murthy, unlike his predecessors, focused on physical ailments.
While serving in the Biden administration, he focused on mental health issues in America and the crisis of loneliness and isolation. His aim was to understand the root causes of the pain and suffering felt by Americans.
Dr. Murthy has written in a post on X- “Today I am issuing my farewell prescription for America. These are my final thoughts after completing my tenure as US Surgeon General. This is related to a fundamental and important question with which I am struggling. “What are the root causes of the pain and suffering that so many people are experiencing?”
Dr. Murthy said that after traveling across America during two terms and talking to thousands of Americans, he noticed that one thing that was very disturbing was that the common feeling that was troubling all Americans was that the sense of community was decreasing.
Dr. Murthy writes, “People tell me that they have no one to rely on. Or they tell me that they feel like they are carrying the burden of life alone and that it is exhausting. “People tell me in different ways that they feel something is missing from their lives.”
In his final prescription, Dr. Murthy explains how the American people can achieve health, happiness, and satisfaction by rebuilding a community centered on relationships, service, and purpose.
Dr Murthy argues that three things – “relationships, service and purpose” are essential for a happy, connected and fulfilled life. This is the “triangle of perfection” which stands in contrast to our current definition of success as “wealth, fame and power”, which focuses on the individual. In contrast, wholeness connects us to something larger than the individual and thus gives us both meaning and a sense of belonging.
There are thoughts on each element of the idol and his final prescription explains in detail which affects our health and how.
Relationships are powerful sources of happiness and support
The relationships we build with friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, and others. Healthy relationships can be a powerful source of happiness and support, and a buffer against stress. When we don’t have meaningful relationships, we can experience loneliness. Currently one third of adults and almost half of youth experience loneliness. Being socially isolated increases the risk of heart disease, dementia, depression, anxiety and premature death.
Continuous service reduces the risk of diseases
Although service is defined as providing benefit to others, filling one’s life with service can be of great benefit to the person doing the service. Studies show that sustained service efforts can reduce the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, premature death, depression and cognitive decline and make us feel more connected to others.
Purposeful life is good for mental health
Purpose is a sense of an overarching life goal that guides and prioritizes our decisions and actions. Purpose can be good for our physical and mental health. A higher sense of personal purpose may reduce the risk of premature death as well as stroke, lung disease, and dementia for some people. Research also shows that people with a strong sense of purpose may experience lower levels of depression and anxiety and greater resilience in the face of stress.