For the last three years, we have been mired in grief. Each month seems more challenging than the one before. All sense of normalcy appears to have departed, making it easy to lose sight of joy, hope, and happiness. We have endured two years of lockdowns, masking and handwashing only …
Read More »Dear Editor: Too much negativity in media! Columnists and contributors should also inspire
“[…] I have no difficulty with the working journalists reporting the news as they find it, whether positive or negative… My concern is with the columnists and the established letter-writers. “I am suggesting that you devote at least one of your contributions per month to a positive message—something that will …
Read More »Noble: This too shall pass—the power of hope in times of fear and despair
Growing up as a child of the ‘50s, you learned that ‘laugh and cry does live in the same house’. This piece of folk wisdom meant that after joy will come sorrow. The reverse is also true: ‘weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning’. The …
Read More »Noble: Sorrow at Christmas—‘how can we sing songs while we weep at our fate?’
In the period between Christmas 2020 and 2021, because of Covid-19, we have lost a staggering 2,456 persons. We have empty chairs and beds in many homes, which serve as a haunting reminder. How do we eat a Christmas Day meal without the presence and joy of a loved one? …
Read More »Dear Editor: The media must beware of unhelpful ‘post-truths’ about mental health
“[…] I had a problem when she said, ‘No matter how privileged or happy your circumstances are, most humans suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.’ “No degree of latitude from journalistic licence should be allowed about that statement. It is incorrect—not just because I am a psychiatrist saying so…” The following …
Read More »Vaneisa: The lonely crowd; understanding our parallel pandemic
For those accustomed to an interior life—that is, living without need for external stimulation—the enforced isolation of a lockdown has been little more than an inconvenience. However by now, everyone has had to confront the grim surge of Covid cases; and anxiety and fear have mounted. The darks days will …
Read More »Noble: Living in a messy world; God understands suicide, so help—don’t judge!
God understands suicide. There are seven stories about suicide in the Bible, including Samson, seen as victorious, killing more in death than in life and finding his way into the Hall of Fame (Hebrews 11). Suicide is a complicated story in the Bible. It is a short-circuiting of God’s plans …
Read More »Who feels it, knows it! St Bernard’s pick for calypso crown and how local music can raise foreign exchange
I’m backing Joanne “Tigress” Rowley for Calypso Monarch 2019. Her story is real. Her music is good. And, yes, I had a ring side seat to her deciding on the song, Who Feels It, Knows It. Her rendition deals with depression and a mental health issue she dealt with after …
Read More »RSA: Avoiding the void; a short story of life on empty
I have known empty; I have lived empty many times in my life. There’s the running on empty that goes well beyond the mere Monday to Friday exhaustion spawned by the world of work. The bone-deep lassitude that slowly but steadily seeps into your soul and its spread is similar …
Read More »Lifeline gets new TSTT toll-free number; NGO still desperate for financial aid
Lifeline, a 24-hour hotline for persons suffering from depression or thoughts of suicide and violence, have a new toll-free number to dial after TSTT stepped in to help the 40-year old non-governmental organisation. The toll-free number is 800-5588. The TSTT service came online today and is a boon for Lifeline who, …
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