If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). They also have a “Click to Chat” option on the website. For anyone who has struggled with depression, it’s likely they’ve been told to “Suck it up and move on,” or “Get over it,” or “Don’t be so gloomy.” Easier […]
Sleep is in short supply and the cause of costly losses these days. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that approximately 40.6 million American workers average fewer than six hours of sleep per night. According to the Wall Street Journal, workplace insomnia has cost U.S. companies collectively over an […]
Every once in a while, a book lands in your hands at the perfect time. For me, that happened this month when I received my lovely review copy of Cravings: A Catholic Wrestles with Food, Self-Image, and God by my friend and fellow writer Mary DeTurris Poust. The book arrived just in time for me […]
Last night I finished reading Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey, M.D (2008). My family physician recommended the book at my annual checkup last month. I told my doctor of my various discomforts and moodiness—I’m pretty healthy, but hadn’t been feeling 100%. He didn’t offer pills or […]
The Obama administration’s HHS mandate may force the Catholic Little Sisters of the Poor to cease their U.S. operations, according to Sister Constance Carolyn Veit, the religious order’s communications director. The Little Sisters currently provide group homes and daily care for the elderly poor in 30 U.S. cities. Sister Constance told The Daily Caller that the Little Sisters […]
This week, M expressed a very clear desire to commit suicide, including the method of ending life. Racked with pain, deteriorating health, loneliness and a lack of familial, spiritual and friendly support, M has had enough of living. Statistics in Canada estimate that the number of depressed, suicidal elderly people is 14%. (Canadian Mental Health […]
Before my feet touched the floor on January 1st, 2012, I offered a simple prayer: Please Lord, before the year is over, find me where you want me to be. Up to that point, I had been suffering from a decades-long chronic condition and although I imagined health in my future, that morning I offered every […]
On the 6th of November, citizens of Massachusetts will face a critical vote. The choice people make on Question 2 is a choice that literally involves a life or death decision. The so-called “Death with Dignity Act” brings with it a dark deception. The citizens of Massachusetts are being asked to vote for or against the […]
40 Days for Life ends on November 4, 2012. Since the first 40 Days for Life 4 years ago in my city, my family and I have participated in the prayer vigil. We haven’t been as dedicated as the daily prayer warriors but we have committed to praying at the vigil site once or twice […]
On June 15, 2012, the Canadian province of British Columbia Supreme Court struck down a law prohibiting euthanasia and assisted suicide. It won’t be long before the other provinces follow suit. My country is on the same slippery slope as Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Oregon and Washington. Within minutes of the law being struck down, my […]
“A rose by any other name,” Shakespeare wrote, “would smell just as sweet.” Unfortunately, the same is true when the fragrance is less pleasant. When the role of ObamaCare’s Independent Payment Advisory Board in rationing life-saving medical treatments is alleged, the law’s apologists indignantly point out that the law specifically precludes the board from “rationing.” […]
I would like to discuss briefly something that is so necessary to our spiritual, emotional, and psychological health, but which has been virtually obliterated in the current culture in which we live. I call it Healing through a New Language. We need to reclaim this essential part of our lives, because God made us to […]
Healed through Cancer by James Littleton is a treasure trove of faith, scripture quotes, and brotherly advice, as well as a personal account of one man’s journey through cancer and the fruits of that journey. With depth and understanding, Littleton takes his readers through the physical, spiritual, and emotional “valley of death” as he learns of […]
Elizabeth Crnkovich also contributed to this article. Gardasil has been controversial from the beginning. While other vaccines protect against diseases spread by casual contact, Gardasil was developed to protect against a sexually transmitted disease called Human Papilloma Virus or HPV. Merck & Co., the manufacturer, has been very effective at lobbying governments around the world […]
A new study critiquing a drug’s effectiveness in childbirth sparked a vicious backlash from the abortion lobby this week, deepening concerns over the politicization of international maternal health research. A study published in the prestigious journal of the Royal Society of Medicine investigated how well the drug misoprostol prevents life-threatening bleeding in women who have […]
Good news came from UNICEF today. The number of children under age 5 dying globally has dropped nearly in half since 1990. (This, of course, would not include the number of babies who die before they are born.) In 1990, nearly 12 million children died. That dropped to 6.9 million in 2011. UNICEF and the […]
It is ironic that, as a Catholic, the most difficult part of having a chronic health issue isn’t the health issue itself but is the big question: Should I pray for healing…or should I carry my cross? And it is that question that often keeps us spiraling through a journey that is already burdensome and […]
As someone who has suffered from a chronic health condition most of her adult life, it was with great interest that I began researching health and fitness many years ago. I wanted to understand what I was going through but also wanted to see it all in the light of my faith. The mainstream medical […]
Experts claim that Planned Parenthood has such a serious foothold on government policy and finances that it would literally take a jackhammer to pull them apart. In fact, some historians have even suggested that Planned Parenthood softened many of its early positions from the hard-line culture of death posture in order to garner respectability among […]
Part of the recently upheld Affordable Care Act that many in the disability community applaud is the elimination of policy exclusions for pre-existing conditions. I agree that our culture should not discriminate against and withhold heath care from an individual based on a physical or mental disability. Early Intervention services, exceptional educators, and medical advances […]
The Holy Hours and prayers have all been said, the letters written to legislators, the blogs have been written, the teach-ins have played themselves out, and the church bells have all been rung. Now What? Where do we go from here, and will our bishops continue to lead us along the way? These are the […]
No matter how it is interpreted, the Supreme Court’s ruling on Obamacare was a landmark decision. On June 28th the Court narrowly voted 5-4 that the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (ACA) or “Obamacare” is a constitutional law properly legislated by congress. Surprising many was Chief Justice John Roberts siding with the usual suspects from […]
Summertime offers the perfect opportunity to get outside as a family and make exercise a fun experience. By taking part in physical activity together, you will be helping your children learn that fitness is about doing what you enjoy and doesn’t have to be a chore or involve a lot of time, expense and fancy […]
Did you know that Zelie Martin yelled at her daughter, Marie, at least once? The mother of St. Therese of Lisieux tells the story in a letter to her sister, a Visitation nun. Zelie was in great pain from her breast cancer and Marie told her, “Mama! Don’t make that face, it’s worrying auntie!” Zelie […]
