BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

By Salynn Boyles The mysterious chronic pain condition fibromyalgia is widely thought of as a woman's disease, but new research suggests it is also common among men with posttraumatic stress disorder. In a study of male Israeli war veterans, half of the men with combat-related PTSD also had the tenderness and pain characteristic of fibromyalgia. The findings were reported today in Berlin at a European rheumatology meeting. There is a growing body of research linking posttraumatic stress and chronic pain, but the Israeli investigation is the first to limit its study population to males. "A consistent relationship has been seen between PTSD and chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia," says psychologist John D. Otis, PhD, who is also studying the link. "The fact that the pain is often independent of the traumatic event leads us to believe that there is something else going on." Pain and Trauma While the cause of fibromyalgia remains unknown, the conditi...

I never learned there was any Jewish heritage in my family until I was in my early 40s. There was talk... whispers... but nothing conclusive said or seen. My father is from New England stock. A family that goes all the way back to the Mayflower, a small historic cemetery in Oxford, Mass., familial relations to American writer Booth Tarkington and a pride in all things American. I only dated one Jewish man - twice. We worked together and after two dinners on the Upper West Side of Manhattan where we both lived I finally told him that he, being a Modern Orthodox Jew and I, being Catholic -- there was no way this relationship would ever be anything but a friendship. I was very involved in my acting career, I was traveling a lot, and while his parents seemed to like me I was a shiksa ... I would always be a shiksa and I just didn't have the time or inclination to be involved with anyone, let alone someone who's culture (I felt) would never accept me. I was involved with o...

By LOREN BERLIN Sometimes drugs that heal your body can cause side effects that dampen your spirit. Loren Berlin, who has ulcerative colitis, writes about gaining weight as a result of a drug treatment. Two years ago, when I was 29 years old, I experienced my first flare from ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune disorder of the colon with intermittent cycles of disease activity and remission. I lost five pounds in less than a week, was unable to eat or drink, and was bleeding internally from the ulcers and inflammation decimating my large intestine. My gastroenterologist prescribed prednisone, a corticosteroid that vanquished my symptoms in seventy-two hours. Literally. One day I was on the verge of hospitalization. Three days later I was no longer bleeding. It was amazing. But it wasn’t free. Prednisone is infamous in the medical community for its side effects. It can cause osteoporosis and diabetes. It suppresses the immune system and can lead to insomnia and depression. Sure, that ...

This is what happens when abuse victims (ANY kind of abuse, and any religious or cultural background) are silenced!: By SUSAN EDELMAN and KIRSTEN FLEMING A Brooklyn newlywed who jumped to his death from a hotel balcony the night after his wedding was tormented by memories of being sexually molested as a Jewish student, sources say. After joyfully singing and dancing at their lavish celebration in Williamsburg on Nov. 3, Motty Borger, 24, bared his secret anguish to his bride, Mali Gutman, the next day -- and the revelation caused a strain, a source close to the family told The Post. "That entire day he discussed it with her. He told her the story of his life, how he felt so awful and he couldn't go near her," the source said. The couple had met just last July, after a matchmaker set them up. "When he got married, he realized he couldn't face up to it, and he told his wife that he needed help." The stunned bride responded, "So, why did you m...

I was raised by my father, of blessed memory - to be truthful. Being scrupulously truthful has caused me a lot of problems. People either don't want to hear it or are frightened by it coming out (and often attack you for telling it.) But I am raising my own children to cling to truth. It will set you free. By Berel Wein The Torah extols the value of truth as an absolute virtue. It teaches us to stand firmly away from falsehood. Even though the technical application of this value in Halacha is apparently limited to legal and evidentiary matters, the value of truth in Judaism as a general axiom is unquestioned. Yet the Torah itself allows for the situations when ultimate truth can be harmful and counterproductive to family harmony and social amity. The Lord Himself, so to speak, does not tell Abraham the entire statement of disbelief of his wife Sarah when the angel informs her of the coming birth of her son Isaac. She wonders aloud how she will become youthfully rejuvenate...

An Excerpt from the book ( highly recommended by this blogger! ) : In Sheep's Clothing - By George K. Simon Two Basic Types of Aggression There are two basic types of aggression: overt-aggression and covert-aggression. When you're determined to have something and you're open, direct and obvious in your manner of fighting, your behavior is best labeled overtly aggressive. When you're out to "win," dominate or control, but are subtle, underhanded or deceptive enough to hide your true intentions, your behavior is most appropriately labeled covertly aggressive. Now, avoiding any overt display of aggression while simultaneously intimidating others into giving you what you want is a powerfully manipulative maneuver. That's why covert-aggression is most often the vehicle for interpersonal manipulation. Acts of Covert-Aggression vs. Covert-Aggressive Personalities Most of us have engaged in some sort of covertly aggressive behavior from time to time. P...