By Don P. | Featured Contributor
I had a heart transplant in 2007. But I suppose I can’t really explain what my rebirth has been like until I told you what my “old” life was like to some degree.
Therefore, here is my story…
Continue reading “Another Chance at Life: A Heart Transplant Story”
If you have been feeling increasingly down or depressed lately, you are not alone. Surveys worldwide have shown that the vast majority of people feel that the coronavirus pandemic has had a significant negative effect on their mental health and wellbeing—and it’s no surprise why. The stress of social isolation compounded with the daily onslaught of negative news—along with existing worries about health, work, and family life—is more than enough to trigger depression for the first time or exacerbate symptoms in those who have already been diagnosed.
No matter where you are in your journey, this article will provide some practical strategies that will help you counteract negative thoughts and feelings of loneliness while improving your mood and helping you feel less depressed.
Continue reading “Feeling Depressed? Coping with Depression during COVID”
Iron deficiency can be a serious condition that can adversely affect your quality of life. Do you know how to recognize its symptoms? In this article, you’ll be able to find out if you are at risk for iron deficiency anemia, learn about its symptoms, and find out what you can do to prevent it.
Continue reading “Iron Deficiency Symptoms: Do You Have These?”
There is no question that the past year has, for the most part, been a stressful time for many. Stress, among its many harmful effects on health, also tends to elevate blood pressure—regardless of your age. While there are many practical things you can do to relax and de-stress, the purpose of this article is to help inform you on a topic that is often dangerously overlooked: high blood pressure.
Continue reading “High Blood Pressure: What Everyone Needs To Know”
By John Gregory Evans | Featured Contributor
Lying in my upstairs bedroom at home in San Antonio, Texas back in 1999, I was frightfully sick with a terrible flu-related virus. I felt as if I were dying. I laid half asleep and half out of sleep. At this depth of illness, I cared not whether I lived or died. So I simply fell asleep thinking this was it for me. I was forty-five at the time. Life had proved cruel, and all so often we need some type of boost to get us back on track. I felt I was at the end of my rope, both emotionally and mentally, but my writing career was just beginning. Spiritually, I was alive and well, but my body had suffered greatly over the years. I was in very bad shape.
Continue reading “A Golden Azure of Light: My Hospital Visitor”
By Jason Lewis | Guest Contributor
Seniors face a lot of challenges that bring on stress, depression, and anxiety. Worry about illness or finances and grief over lost loved ones can have a negative impact on both physical and mental health. Loneliness and isolation can even drive older people to risky behaviors that put them in danger. And some seniors are dealing with issues from their past, such as substance abuse, that put them at risk for many additional problems.
There is one option that doesn’t cost a thing and can benefit seniors in many ways: going to church. It is even good for your physical health. Research shows that regular weekly church attendance can:
Improved physical health is just one of many ways that attending church can help seniors.
Continue reading “How Church Attendance Can Improve Senior Health”
By Dre from Jerz | Featured Contributor
As a man in his early 40’s, coping with bipolar disorder and manic depression has been a major struggle. But through an open understanding and a willingness to learn, mental health issues can become manageable.
It all started in my late twenties. I was sitting on my twin-sized bed listening to one of my favorite hip hop CD’s. After a breakup with a young lady at the time and in between menial jobs, my mind was in a fragile state. I would play this particular CD on repeat from evening to morning. Not realizing it at the time, but internally I had snapped to the point my brainwaves shifted into an altered phase.
Continue reading “The Broken Mind: Living with Bipolar Disorder”
