My Battle with Postpartum Depression

Even though I felt myself being sucked into an abyss of darkness, I refused to reach out for help.by Shoshana Kagan

Looking down at my 6-month-old daughter, Rivka, I am filled with immense gratitude for this sweet bundle of joy in my arms. I caress her warm soft skin and gaze gently into her sparkling eyes. Relishing in the simple joys of motherhood I relax in my chair as I feed my child, letting my mind flow.

Suddenly, I sit up with a start and my dreamy smile slowly evaporates. A far off memory has jolted me. In my mind’s eye, I see a younger version of myself holding another six month old little girl. I am catapulted a decade back in time. I’m 24 years old and I’m holding my second child Devorah who is screaming.

Teen Sexting Linked to More Sexual Activity

Teens Not Using Sexting to Delay Having Sex, as Some Have Suggested

By Kathleen Doheny
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

"Sexting,'' the sending or receiving of sexually explicit messages or photos by cell phone, isn't an alternative to teens' sexual activity, but is actually linked to it, according to a new study.

"Sexting is part of the new landscape of the sex lives of teens," says researcher Eric Rice, PhD, assistant professor of social work at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

While some experts have suggested that sexting is an alternative to having sex for teens, this research suggests otherwise.

The Stigma of the Anointing

Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. —1 Peter 4:13

At the end of the day the anointing will have a stigma. It will offend. John Wesley was offended by George Whitefield's preaching because it was done in the fields instead of in a regular church building.

My congregation at Westminster Chapel was offended when I started our Pilot Light witnessing program on Saturday mornings. I had no idea of ever being a witness on the streets. I was always glad for somebody else to do that. It just wasn't my anointing—or so I thought!

But my thinking changed when I invited Arthur Blessitt to preach at Westminster Chapel in May 1982. The plan was for us to take pamphlets and questionnaires to nearby Page Street, knock on doors, and talk to people about the Lord. But we never made it. Arthur began witnessing to some youth who were standing in front of the chapel, and within a short time, several of them got saved.

S t i g m a

By Lizzie Simon

I've always thought that stigma against people with mental illness came from ignorance. And when I'm confronted with someone who simply doesn't know much about mental health, I can explain myself, my story, and my viewpoints and stay pretty relaxed through the conversation. After all, there's plenty of stuff I'm ignorant about, and I generally like to give people the benefit of the doubt.

But what happens when the person expressing stigma is extremely intelligent? For me, it's far more complex and uneasy.

Her thesis was that mental illnesses didn't really existRecently at a party, I was introduced to a small group of people by someone who praised my book on mental illness. One of the women in the group asked me what it was about, and I told her that it was a cross country memoir in which I interviewed people who had been successfully treated for bipolar disorder. I had written the very book I needed to read when I was seventeen and diagnosed.

Successfully treated? She said, and she pulled me aside to talk further.

She was incredibly articulate and well educated, a university professor. And yet, her thesis was that mental illnesses didn't really exist. That wellness through medical treatment was a conjured fantasy by the marketers of medicine. In her view, the ways in which people are diagnosed and treated for mental illnesses are nothing more than shoddy methods devised by institutions with profit motives. These methods, she said, stripped individuals of their agency, their humanity and their money.

The Wake-Up Call My Battle with Depression

By Aliza Hausman

I couldn't make myself get out of bed for the morning megillah reading last Purim. Venturing out the evening before had sapped all my energy. I couldn't bear the scrutiny of the prying eyes of others. I was sure that everyone would read the emotions on my face. I didn't want to go on living. And I didn't want anyone to know.

Just two years earlier, I was all smiles at the public high school where I taught English. As I teased my 11th grade students mercilessly, they groaned in response. I had finally found a career that challenged me. I pictured myself retiring in twenty years with countless stories under my belt. I was already a hit at every Shabbat table where I delighted the hosts and guests with stories from my colorful classroom.

Keeping the Faith: Goats and Gratitude

A man went to his rabbi and complained, “There are ten of us living in one room. Life is unbearable! What can I do?” The rabbi answered, “Go home and take your goat into the room with you.” The man was incredulous; but the rabbi was insistent. “Do as I say. Come back in a week.”

A week later the man returned looking even more distraught than before. ”Rabbi, please, we cannot stand it. The goat is so filthy!” The rabbi then told him, “Very well, go home and let the goat out. Come back in a week.”

A radiant man returned to the rabbi a week later. His perspective had been astonishingly altered. “Life is beautiful,” he cried. “We enjoy every minute of living together without the goat – and there’s only the ten of us!”

Jesus once encountered a group of ten, living together, with little for which to be thankful. These ten had more than a stinking goat in the room. They had leprosy. From a distance they shout to the rabbi Jesus to have mercy on them – life was unbearable.

Lung Cancer and Sexuality

How Will Lung Cancer Affect My Sex Life?

By Lynne Eldridge MD, About.com Guide

Updated March 27, 2012

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

Sexuality is an important part of what makes us human, but with lung cancer, the rigors of treatment can push physical intimacy to the back burner. You may be tired from treatments, or your loved one may feel uncomfortable broaching the subject as she focuses on concerns about your health. Despite its importance, healthcare professionals are often hesitant to bring up the subject of sex due to time constraints, consideration of privacy, and even their own comfort level in discussing sexuality. But we know that sexuality affects quality of life and psychological well-being for those living with cancer. What are the issues that affect sexuality with lung cancer, and what can you do to foster sexual (and subsequently emotional) intimacy during cancer treatment?

Issues That Can Affect Sexuality If You Have Lung Cancer
Lung cancer can affect sexuality in many ways, both due to the disease itself and the side effects of treatment. Understanding some of the issues can help you address those that you have some control over, and help your loved one know how he or she can best support you. Some of these include:

Physical issues: 

Changes in physical appearance – Your physical appearance (for example hair loss or weight changes) during treatment may make you feel less attractive or desirable as an intimate partner.

Symptoms of lung cancer – Common symptoms of lung cancer, such as a cough or shortness of breath, may worsen during sexual activity.

Fatigue – Fatigue is an almost universal concern with lung cancer. This can stem not only from the cancer itself and side effects of treatments, but from the demands of doctors visits and traveling for treatment.

The presence of visitors – Time spent with family and friends is very important, but they may forget that you need time to be alone with your partner.

Psychological issues: 

Anxiety about your condition, your treatments or more.

Depression and grief – Studies show that mood has a significant effect on physical function.

Loneliness – You may feel emotionally separated from your loved one as you now face different challenges.

Role changes – Taking on the role of caregiver changes the dynamics of intimate relationships. A spouse may view a cancer patient more as a child than as a sexual partner, and feel uncomfortable with physical intimacy. You, the patient, can also be affected by assuming a role of accepting care more than giving it.

Guilt – Guilt due to the stigma of lung cancer, feeling that somehow an individual caused their disease and somehow deserves it, is common with lung cancer and can interfere with sexuality.

Tips For Enjoying Your Sexuality During Lung Cancer Treatment

Talk openly with your loved one
Share your needs and acknowledge one another's concerns. Anticipate that physical intimacy may need to be expressed in a different way as time goes on. Talk about how you can express your love if you are too fatigued for intercourse, or if coughing requires you to engage in quieter activities.

• How to Talk to Your Partner About Sexual Issues or Concerns

Share intimate physical moments that don’t involve intercourse
Be generous with touch. Hold hands during doctor’s visits. Sneak a kiss while the lab tech draws blood. Look back to the days when you first fell in love, and the special “little things” you did that drew you closer.

• Sexual Activities That Don't Involve Intercourse

Adapt according to your limitations
Positions such as side-by-side may require less energy. Have the partner without cancer take the more active role. Plan to have sex when you are well-rested and not directly following a heavy meal.

Give yourselves a special treat
Think of things that make you feel good and attractive to each other. A new outfit, a pampering massage, a special cologne, even a new hair color (assuming you have hair) may add a little spice. This is important for both of you, as caregivers often feel guilty pampering themselves while caring for a loved one with cancer.

Skip the booze
Alcohol can interfere with a healthy sex life even if you don't have lung cancer. That said, a glass of red wine might add a sparkle to the moment.

• Sexual Effects of Alcohol

Set “visiting hours”
One lung cancer survivor told me that trying to find time alone with her husband reminded her of when they had young children. Now they ask friends not to call or visit during “nap time.”

Nurture your spiritual life
An active spiritual life is associated with a healthier mood and greater emotional well-being, which in turn are linked with a more satisfying sex life with cancer. Spirituality means different things to different people -- organized religion, communing with nature, meditation, or the like.

Most importantly, express your love daily in as many ways as you can. A relationship that is based on love and respect and that is continually nurtured is the best foundation for sexual intimacy during cancer treatment.

Sources:
Gilbert, E. et al. Renegotiating Sexuality and Intimacy in the Context of Cancer: The Experiences of Carers. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 2008. Dec 9. (Epub ahead of Print).

Goodell, T. Sexuality in chronic lung disease. The Nursing Clinics of North America. 2007. 42(4):631-8; viii.

Kotronoulas, G. et al. Nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding provision of sexual health care in patients with cancer: critical review of the evidence. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2009. Jan 9. (Epub ahead of print).

Lindau, S. et al. Communication about sexuality and intimacy in couples affected by lung cancer and their clinical-care providers. Psychooncology. 2011. 20(2):179-85.

Shell, J. et al. The longitudinal effects of cancer treatment and sexuality in individuals with lung cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum. 2008. 35(1):73-9

Shwartz, S. and J. Plawecki. Consequences of chemotherapy on the sexuality of patients with lung cancer. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2002. 6(4):212-6.

gotquestions  http://lungcancer.about.com/od/livingwithlungcancer/a/sexuality.htm

Jesus Came And Is Coming Again

By Bruce Collins

“And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’” Luke 2:9-12NKJV

There is usually joy when a healthy baby is born into this world. When the Lord was born, there was the manifestation of the glory of God. I wonder if that glory looked like a superb display of the northern lights coming from the angel. There were angels, and there was joy. This was the event for which Israel was supposedly waiting. But wait a minute! God didn’t do this right, did He?

In order to be the mother of the Lord, Mary had to appear to be a “loose woman” since she was not married. Isaiah was clear that a virgin would conceive (Isa. 7:14), but how many unmarried women have children out of wedlock without committing sin? Even though her husband Joseph and others accepted what God had done, I have no doubt that the stigma of being conceived before His folks married was something the Lord had to live with as He grew up. I’m sure His miraculous conception was something Mary and Joseph told others, but I’m sure most who heard their story snickered and said, “Sure! Sure!”

Born To Us

The Messiah was to be born a King, but Jesus came from a humble family. One would expect a king to grow up in Jerusalem, not in Nazareth. The Messiah’s family should have believed in Him, but they did not, until after His resurrection (Jn. 7:5). The nation did not understand that their Messiah was to suffer and die before He came to reign, so even though there was joy at the Lord’s birth there was also sorrow. Mary was told that a “sword would pierce her soul” (Lk. 2:35). This child would suffer. So would His mother. He was to be rejected and ridiculed. He was not accepted by the Jews as the promised Messiah. How could this be God’s will? How could this bring joy?

When we understand that the baby at Bethlehem was destined to be the Christ of the Cross because He was born to be the Savior, then and then only will we understand why there was joy “to all people.” This time of year we see a lot of manger scenes. I’ve been thinking that I should put three crosses in my yard with a light on the middle cross and a sign that says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). True joy comes when we realize that death could not hold the Lord in the grave. He lives, and He’s coming again. The joy of the angels when one sinner repents and believes (Lk. 15:10) is the true joy of this season.

Coming For Us

Just before His crucifixion, Jesus said, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn. 14:3). Unbelief caused Israel to miss their Messiah when He came the first time. Unbelief will cause those who reject Him to be deceived when He comes again. In 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 we read, “For this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

The Lord’s second coming will be much like His first. Most will be convinced that His coming didn’t really happen, and that those who suddenly disappeared were not really caught away by the Lord (1 Th. 4:17). Not only will they miss out on the joy of going to heaven without dying, but also they will miss out on the joy of spending eternity with this One who was born in the City of David, announced by angels, foretold in the prophetic Scriptures, proven to be the Messiah by His miracles and teaching, crucified on a cross, raised from the dead and is coming again.


http://www.gtpress.org/gtweb/gtmag/mag06/apr06/feature2.html