Ten years ago today we lost my brother Jim. At forty-seven, he was in his prime. I lament the unfinished promise of his life, and all that it held for his two sons. I mourn for my sister’s children and my own, for all they lost in
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By Kristina Cowan On March 11, the World Health Organization made official what many anticipated: It called the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Within days, the world closed. Everything from restaurants to businesses to schools shuttered, sending everyone home to “slow the spread.” Work and school from home
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My brother, Jim, would be fifty-four today. We lost him to suicide seven years ago. Like many before, he lost a battle with depression. As of 2018*, suicide was the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. That works out to an average of one
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Today is World Mental Health Day. Every October 10, the World Health Organization asks those working in the mental-health arena to talk about what we do, and discuss ways we can improve and expand mental-health care for everyone, everywhere. This year, the WHO is focused on suicide
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Postpartum depression is gaining ground. For the first time, the U.S. government has approved a drug made specifically to treat it. The medication is administered through an intravenous drip for 60 hours. Patients will have to be admitted to a medical facility to receive it, and fork
Read more →When it comes to new moms and mental health, much isn’t discussed, but should be. False perceptions, misinformation, and stigma bar us from the truth, which often provides solace in the sensitive first days of motherhood. What is talked about after a woman has a baby skews
Read more →This morning I’m sipping tea from my wedding china: the sleek-and-elegant Noel Alabaster, designed by the late Kate Spade. News outlets were quick to tell us she ended her life. It’s easy, in the wake of suicide, to look for explanations and labels, to tie things up
Read more →Losing a baby is a tragedy. Whether it’s during pregnancy, or from unexpected complications after the baby is born–the significant grief and pain need to be addressed. If not, they’ll likely resurface, wreaking havoc on our mental health. Definitions and statistics vary for pregnancy loss. The Mayo
Read more →Suicide is one of the most uncomfortable topics around. If we say we lost someone to suicide, it might be perceived as a weakness, a selfish act, a stain on their character. Not so if they died from cancer or heart disease. But like other ailments, suicide is uninvited. Suicide and
Read more →Dear Jim, Three years ago this summer, you warred with the cruelest of enemies–depression. He was a sinister thief of your thoughts. He tried to make you unrecognizable even to those of us who knew you best. He made it difficult for you to eat, sleep, and
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