All posts tagged: Mental Health

First Suicide Memorial by a US Archdiocese Signals a Compassionate Shift by the Catholic Church

First Suicide Memorial by a US Archdiocese Signals a Compassionate Shift by the Catholic Church

Published by Sam Flores

CHICAGO (AP) — The Rev. Charles Rubey recalls the moment when he realized Catholic priests needed to do a better job supporting families of those who died by suicide. Two women told Rubey they had asked their parish priest to pray for family members who had killed themselves. At that time, the Catholic Church banned funeral rites and burial on consecrated grounds for those who died by suicide. Rubey says the women told him: “the first thing out of the priest’s mouth was: ‘Well, you know, your loved one is in hell.’” But Rubey disagreed with the damning judgment. Seeking to ease the pain, he reassured them: “They’re with God!” It was a turning point for Rubey. He began blessing bridges, railroad tracks and basements where people had taken their lives, and in 1979 founded the LOSS Program (“Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide”), a counseling and support service run by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. At 86, this ministry remains an important part of his life. EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes …

2 Reasons People With At Least One Hobby Are Mentally & Emotionally Happier

2 Reasons People With At Least One Hobby Are Mentally & Emotionally Happier

Published by Jenni Sidey

Hobbies are much more than just a fun way to pass the time. They are directly linked to a happier life, both mentally and emotionally. There’s no two ways about it. Times are tough nowadays, and most of us are looking for ways to improve our moods and feel a bit more fulfilled. According to therapist and mental health educator Israa Nasir, the simple solution is to make sure you have and nurture at least one hobby. Hobbies hold the key to a happier life, according to a therapist. Krakenimages.com | Shutterstock Now, before you roll your eyes, no, scrolling your phone and playing video games do not count as hobbies, or at least, not the kind of hobbies that Nasir described. There’s nothing inherently wrong with either of those things, but when it comes to improving your mood and your life, they just don’t offer quite the same bang for your buck as what she described as “energizing hobbies.”  Nasir’s take was in response to TikToker Harrison Swales, who said in a video that he noticed …

‘I watched my best friend disappear slowly at the hands of an abuser’

‘I watched my best friend disappear slowly at the hands of an abuser’

Published by Daniella Wilson

In cases of domestic abuse, our hearts naturally (and rightfully) go out to the people who have been through it. We want to take their hand, hold them close, and support them through it. The experience is unimaginable to many – and the impact abuse can have on friends and family is deep and devastating too. To mark Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, we spoke to 36-year-old survivor Rosie, and her best friend, Holly, about what they went through during the five years Rosie was in an abusive relationship with the father of her two children. © Getty Images “For five years, I watched my best friend of twenty years disappear slowly,” Holly says. “Seeing the person you love become a shell of themselves is a heartbreak I still can’t find the words for. I knew the beautiful, confident, hilarious, fiercely intelligent and deeply kind person I’d grown up with was still there, but she was buried beneath anxiety, isolation and survival.” ‘I was tiptoeing around a minefield’ Over the course of their five-year relationship, Rosie …

What if art could help you live longer? – Entre Nous

What if art could help you live longer? – Entre Nous

Published by Sam Flores

To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Try again Cover image: ENTRE NOUS © FRANCE 24 Issued on: 30/09/2026 – 16:02 04:04 min From the show Reading time 1 min In this episode of Entre Nous, Delano D’Souza speaks to Daisy Fancourt, professor at University College London and a leading researcher on how the arts affects our brains and bodies. In her book “Art Cure” she draws on scientific evidence to show how the arts can transform our health and what her research suggests we should be doing to optimise the benefits. By: Video by: Source link

Silence in Mood Disorders | Blog of the APA

Silence in Mood Disorders | Blog of the APA

Published by Jenni Sidey

We tend to assume that silence in and around mental illness is harmful and socially imposed. It is an assumption drilled into us by countless mental health campaigns and reams of scholarship warning that people are “suffering in silence” and urging us to “break the silence.” There are of course good reasons for this. Stigma does pressure many people with mental health problems into silence, for fear that others will find out about their struggles and mistreat them as a result. Relatedly, the scholarship on epistemic injustice in healthcare has drawn attention to how an unfair lack of the conceptual resources people need to talk about their mental health—a kind of hermeneutical injustice—can impose silence on them. These sorts of imposed silences can, in turn, be entrenched by other people’s failure to talk about, or be open to, conversations about, mental health. But our narrowly negative assumptions about silence can also harm because they obscure the fact that silence in mental illness, just as in our lives generally, is a diverse experience that can perform …

Nicotine Is Mounting a Comeback in the Wellness Movement

Nicotine Is Mounting a Comeback in the Wellness Movement

Published by skeptic

With repeated exposure, the brain adapts to nicotine’s presence. Receptors become less responsive, and so the brain compensates by increasing the number of nicotine receptors, contributing to dependence. Activation of these receptors also influences the release of other neurotransmitters, including dopamine, which plays an important role in reward and reinforcement. A common claim within wellness communities is that nicotine is a cognitive enhancer that improves focus and productivity. While there are some studies indicating that nicotine may temporarily enhance attention, vigilance, reaction time, and some types of memory, the results are mixed. If any benefit does exist, the research suggests that this may only be the case for people with mild cognitive impairment. For healthy individuals, it doesn’t appear to offer any boost and may even worsen cognitive operation among higher-performing people. In addition, many of these studies include people already dependent on nicotine. When these regular users stop consuming nicotine, they’re likely to experience irritability, anxiety, restlessness, and impaired attention. Reintroducing nicotine often relieves these symptoms, making it difficult to determine whether any improvements …

Noah Cyrus flaunts curvy figure in string bikini during overseas trip

Noah Cyrus flaunts curvy figure in string bikini during overseas trip

Published by Daniella Wilson

Noah Cyrus showed off her curvy figure in a string bikini during an overseas trip. The singer shared a carousel from her recent vacation in the Bahamas, and her main picture featured the star posing in a gray bikini top and unzipped denim shorts. She captioned the post: “PSA: I didn’t mean to post this rn.” The entertainer also commented on her own post, joking: “Other side of the world sees it first.” The carousel featured a video of the star enjoying a boat ride, as her hair swayed in the wind, while donning the same bikini.  © InstagramNoah Cyrus shared a carousel online Another picture included a fiery mirror picture of the star flaunting her hourglass figure. A third photo showcased the gray bikini once again, as Noah put her tattoos on full display. Fans loved her set and flocked to the comments. One person wrote: “Obsessed,” while a second follower added: “An actual angel.” Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus perform “Wrecking Ball” A third person commented: “Stunning,” while one fan wrote: “A BEAUT.” Noah …

Playing alone does not necessarily mean feeling lonely, gaming study finds

Playing alone does not necessarily mean feeling lonely, gaming study finds

Published by Jenni Sidey

A survey of 2,252 adults found that people who played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Yoshi’s Crafted World reported less loneliness and higher scores on a measure of stoicism than nonplayers. The researchers propose that open-world challenges may encourage persistence and self-reliance, while gentler games may promote calm attention and emotional recovery. The study was cross-sectional and used a convenience sample, so it cannot show that playing these games caused lower loneliness or greater resilience. The players who reported less loneliness were not necessarily meeting more people online. Many were spending time alone inside large digital worlds or bright, low-pressure adventures. Their games offered exploration, setbacks, small discoveries, and repeated chances to try again. The researchers use that term to describe emotional resilience, self-control, and a calm response to difficulty. They suggest that certain single-player games may strengthen those qualities without relying on online social contact. The cross-sectional survey does not prove that games caused the differences. Still, it complicates the familiar picture of gaming as little more than escape. “Contrary …

Parkinson’s drug helps restore pleasure and motivation in depression patients

Parkinson’s drug helps restore pleasure and motivation in depression patients

Published by Jenni Sidey

In a randomized placebo-controlled trial, pramipexole significantly improved anhedonia in people with mood disorders who continued their existing antidepressant or mood-stabilizing treatment. The Parkinson’s drug was also associated with greater light physical activity and relative preservation of reward-related activity in the ventral striatum, offering evidence that the treatment engaged brain systems linked to motivation. The findings are promising but preliminary. The trial was conducted at a single center with 85 randomized participants, and larger studies are needed before pramipexole could become a routine treatment for anhedonia. A loss of joy can quietly reshape a person’s life. Activities that once brought meaning begin to feel distant or empty. This experience, known as anhedonia, remains one of the most difficult symptoms of depression to treat. A new study led by researchers at Lund University, in collaboration with psychiatric services in Region Skåne, offers a possible new path forward. The research suggests that a drug long used for Parkinson’s disease may help restore motivation and pleasure in people with depression. The medication, pramipexole, is not new. Doctors have …

US Navy confirms ‘eight suicide attempts’ on USS Lincoln: What we know | US-Israel war on Iran News

US Navy confirms ‘eight suicide attempts’ on USS Lincoln: What we know | US-Israel war on Iran News

Published by Sam Flores

Acting United States Navy Secretary Hung Cao has confirmed that there have been “eight suicide attempts” by personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group posted in the Middle East – at least two by jumping overboard – during their deployment there. In a letter to US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on Tuesday, Cao wrote about quality of life on the fleet and morale among personnel. He was responding on behalf of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to her questions about reports of crew members attempting to harm themselves. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list While Cao said no service members had died by suicide during the deployment, there had been attempts to jump overboard. “This includes the Lincoln crew and sailors from the carrier airwing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers and all embarked aviation squadrons,” the letter read. Here’s what we know: What is the USS Abraham Lincoln? It is a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier that the Navy has referred to as one of the “largest warships …