HEALTHY YOU

Safety at Home is Wellness STORY MICHELLE JOHNS

MA, LPC-MHSP (TEMP), NCC, 200 HR E-RTY, 500 HR RYT

violent crime has risen to an all-time high across the country. The Mid South is feeling the impact of the rise in violent crime such as rape, murder, aggravated assault and robbery. Included in these numbers are carjackings and home invasions; carjackings in particular are up as high at 45 percent in major cities. These numbers are alarming as our personal safety has never been more at risk of violation.

Women are at a higher risk of being victims of a violent crime than men. Statistics show that one in three women will be a victim of a violent crime at some point in her lifetime. Women are also more likely to experience verbal and sexual harassment assault.

You are only as safe in your home as the community in which you live is safe. Safety includes being able to walk the streets of your community without fear of being attacked, violently or otherwise.

HOW SAFE IS YOUR COMMUNITY?

I did a quick search on the crime index of some of the Mid South’s largest cities. The NeighborhoodScout crime index ranks communities on an index scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being the best score. The closer your community is to 100 the safer it is to live, work and play. If your community scores a 60, for example, it means it is 60 percent safer than average U.S. cities.

Memphis, TN – Crime Index Safety Score = 0

NeighborhoodScout ranks Memphis as the most dangerous city in America.

Following are the scores of other Mid South cities, ranked highest to lowest.

Tupelo, MS – Crime Index Score = 60

Madison, MS – Crime Index Safety Score = 58 Collierville, TN – Crime Index Safety Score = 43

Olive Branch, MS – Crime index Safety Score = 22

Oxford, MS – Crime index Safety Score = 18

Southaven, MS – Crime Index Safety Score = 13

Starkville, MS – Crime Index Safety Score = 8

Jackson, TN – Crime index Safety Score = 5

Jackson, MS – Crime index Safety Score = 3

*This data came from https://www.neighborhoodscout. com

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO KEEP YOURSELF SAFE AT HOME AND IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

In the event of a threat, you are most likely to experience panic and fear along with an adrenaline rush. Tunnel vision, loss of hearing and loss of fine motor skills are common during times of panic and fear. The best strategy is to avoid the attack to the best of your ability and to create distance between you and your attacker.

1. Take self-defense classes regularly. Self-defense classes teach methods of escaping an attack. As opposed to combative classes that teach techniques for winning a fight, self-defense teaches techniques for getting away from an attacker and creating space between you and the attacker so that you can get to safety. Gracie Jiu Jitsu and Krav Maga are two of the best-known self-defense programs in the world.

Attending one seminar once a year is not likely to help you in the event of a real-life event. To be prepared in the event of a threat or attack you need to take part in at least one class a week to develop mental and physical reflexes and skills.

2. Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, it isn’t right. Women often minimize a threat with self-talk that includes, “I am being paranoid,” “I am overreacting,” “I am not being polite,” etc.

We are born with an innate radar system located at the base of our brain. Babies communicate from this part of the brain to let caregivers know when they feel uncomfortable. Along the way of life, people develop reasoning skills and start to allow the rational part of the brain to override instinctual radar. IF IT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT, IT ISN’T!! You have the right to make a decision based on how you feel. You do not need facts to support your feelings.

3. Practice safe distance. Everyone has a personal space zone. Creepy people know when they are entering that zone. It is not your place to accommodate someone who makes you feel uncomfortable. In the South, we tend to think it is impolite to speak up or move away from situations that make us uncomfortable. If someone enters your personal space without permission, they are in violation of your space and you should take necessary steps to remedy the situation.

If you are out on a walk or run and you notice a parked car ahead of you that makes you feel uncomfortable, turn around and go the opposite direction. Call 911 as you are making a change in direction. Get out your pepper spray and have it ready to use.

Shout loudly for the person entering your space to “stay back” to let others around you know you are being threatened. Continue shouting until they move out and away from your space. If you have told them to stay back and they continue to approach you, spray them with pepper spray, then jump to the side and away from them to confuse them about your location. Call 911 or shout for someone nearby to call 911.

4. Take a non-lethal weapon self-defense class that teaches how to use pepper spray and a baton. Batons are illegal weapons in most states unless you have a permit to carry. Mississippi and Tennessee both require a permit to carry a baton. They are effective self-defense tools and knowing how to use them effectively is an important skill. I took a class at Top Gun in Memphis.

*If you are going to carry a gun, please take gun safety classes. They are informative and provide legal knowledge as well as useful skills.

5. Install security cameras outside your home. Ring doorbells, security cameras placed above the garage door and security lights on the corners of the exterior of a home alert inhabitants to the presence of an intruder. Security cameras are a deterrent to criminals.

6. Never get in the car with someone, no matter what. If they have a weapon pointed at you and threaten you, do not get in the car with them. Your chances of survival are much better if they attack you in public than they are if you get in the car with them and they drive away with you. Yes, there are exceptions, but you cannot count on being an exception.

7. Always lock your doors at home and in your car. When you get into your car, lock the door immediately. When you arrive home, close your garage door behind you and then unload your car. Distracted people are targets for criminals.

8. Take note of your surroundings. Be aware of the people around you. Observe their behavior, notice what they are wearing, what they are driving, etc.

9. Make three right turns. If you think you are being followed while driving, make three right turns. If the car is still behind you after three right turns, that indicates you are indeed being followed. Call 911 and report it immediately as you drive to the nearest fire station or other place of safety. Do not get out of your car or stop driving until you are safe.

10. Allow a trusted family member or friend to track your location. While tracking is largely discouraged, it can be lifesaving. If you are in an abusive relationship and tracking is being used to monitor you, that person is not safe and should not have access to your location. However, it is a good idea to allow one or two trusted persons access to your location. My family and I use the Find Friends app on our iPhones and Apple watches. Additionally, I often take an AirTag with me when I go for a walk or run. It is easily hidden and if someone were to take my phone, I would likely still have the tag somewhere on me.

It is not fair that we live in a world where we must be on guard. I am sorry for all of us who have to be prepared for a life-threatening attack. Until we live in a world completely devoted to God, we will face evil and all it brings to our lives.

The best strategies for safety are to be alert, to avoid threatening situations and to know self defense. If you assume you are at risk, you will be more likely to avoid a life-threatening situation. It is when we are caught off guard that we are most at risk.

RESETTING & RESTORING HEALTH

It was a sunny summer morning in 1982 in the idyllic town of Florence, Alabama. Dr. Alexander Ly, a first-generation immigrant from Taiwan, opened the doors to his acupuncture clinic. Like most quintessential stories about the American dream, this one is no different. Arriving with just a suitcase in hand in 1976, Ly went to Auburn University and completed his postgraduate degree study. He loved the peaceful, pastoral lifestyle of the deep South and knew this was the perfect setting for him to share his family legacy of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture.

Young Alexander learned from his father, Dr. SuHuai Ly, who was a well esteemed practitioner and instructor of Chinese medicine and acupuncture in China and Taiwan. During the Chinese Communist Revolution in 1949, Su-Huai and his family sought refuge in Taipei, Taiwan. Treating patients alongside his father, Alexander witnessed the innate healing abilities of the human body when using centuries-old herbal formulas and acupuncture to treat illness and in turn restore health. He coined a term “reset” for the process of initiating healing pathways that influence the body to change, and he foresaw that the future of health care would involve collaboration between Eastern and Western medicine.

Fast forward to today. Dr. Ly Natural Health is celebrating its 40th anniversary and Dr. Alexander Ly still personally attends his clinics which have expanded to Huntsville, AL, and Memphis, TN. The Ly family legacy continues full steam ahead; now at the helm are Drs. Amy and Helen Ly, daughters of Alexander. Drs. Amy and Helen Ly

are board-certified neurologists and certified medical acupuncturists. Embracing their family heritage, they are now the fourth generation in the Ly family to provide Chinese medicine and acupuncture. They are based in Memphis, in the same location on North Highland Street where Alexander established the clinic in 1986. Dedicated to their calling and unique background, in 2017 they founded Integrative Health Associates, where a multidisciplinary approach is used to treat patients with neurological conditions. In 2021, they founded Brain Body Balance, a one-of-akind medical clinic offering transcranial magnetic stimulation, a noninvasive, cutting-edge treatment for neurological and mental-health disorders that works by improving brain function.

Text by Dr. Helen Ly