Published inElemental·Oct 5, 2020Member-onlyHow Suicide Fuels Medical DebtAmericans who attempt to end their life are often sent medical bills for subsequent care that creates financial turmoil and more stress — This story contains descriptions of people attempting to end their life, which may be disturbing to some readers. If you or someone you know need help, consider calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1–800–273-TALK (8255) for English, 1–888–628–9454 for Spanish.Mental Health20 min readMental Health20 min read
Published inElemental·Oct 5, 2020Member-onlyA Survivor’s Guide to Medical DebtSuicide attempt survivors often deal with high medical bills from subsequent health care. Here’s a helpful guide for how to start navigating them. — If you or someone you know need help, consider calling The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1–800–273-TALK (8255) for English, 1–888–628–9454 for Spanish. The last thing suicide attempt survivors think about in the first days and weeks of recovery is their medical bills. …Mental Health6 min readMental Health6 min read
Published inElemental·Aug 14, 2020Member-onlyChronic Stress Is an Underestimated Pandemic Risk FactorAmericans who bear the most chronic stress — predominantly people of color — are at an especially high risk for the severe outcomes of Covid-19 — The pandemic is a stressful and traumatic experience for millions of people around the world. There’s constant feelings of lack of control, isolation, and fear of contracting Covid-19 and dying from it. Science has shown for decades that high levels of stress like this can put people’s immune systems at…Coronavirus6 min readCoronavirus6 min read
Published inZORA·Jul 7, 2020Member-onlyWhat We Lose When Retail Stores DisappearSecond-act careers for women vanish with the demise of department stores and malls — It was a job rooted in routine. That’s what I thought at first when my mother worked for JCPenney in a suburb of San Diego in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a customer service representative in the catalog department. …Retail5 min readRetail5 min read
Published inElemental·Jun 8, 2020Member-onlyWhy People Turn to Puzzles for Stress ReliefFor many, puzzling gives order to the chaos we feel right now — Danielle Levanas is on a puzzle streak. Thanks to social distancing, the creative arts therapist has been holed up at home in Los Angeles with her husband and toddler since March. Between working at home and spending time with family in the last couple of months, she’s done five jigsaw…Puzzle5 min readPuzzle5 min read