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Dear Annie: Running out of reassurance

Columns

Dear Annie: I am an adult now with grown siblings, but it seems my mother’s anxiety is growing right along with us. My mother is an incredibly anxious person. I try to be empathetic, but she hasn’t seen a therapist in years, and she completely dismisses any logical or positive reassurances meant to comfort her. At this point, I am at a loss for what to do. Currently, her anxiety is hyperfocused on our upcoming summer family vacation. She is worried about everything: flying, hiking, driving, wildlife and fires. It feels like she actively seeks out things to worry about, operating ...

Fog of war: When political rhetoric meets strategic reality

Columns

One of the dangers of war is that political rhetoric often collides with strategic reality. President Donald Trump spent years vehemently criticizing former President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal, arguing that it failed to permanently halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions while providing the regime with economic relief and resources that strengthened its position throughout the Middle East. He called it one of the worst foreign policy agreements in modern American history. Millions of Americans agreed with him. The criticism was straightforward. Iran, many argued, received billions ...

Low ferritin level might be the cause of fatigue and dizziness

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 62-year-old woman in fairly good health. I’m currently on Wellbutrin, carvedilol, Farxiga, Entresto and spironolactone, and my blood pressure is very well-controlled. I also recently started Zoloft. About eight months ago, I started feeling bad and spoke to my doctor about it. She wasn’t concerned at the time and said that it might be due to my recent weight loss. I’ve lost about 25 pounds. I went to my cardiologist and had an echocardiogram and stress test done, and both were normal. Recently, I read about ferritin levels and the symptoms of a low ...

Rural areas lag behind in cancer treatment and prevention – even as rich, urban areas increasingly leave dying from cancer in the rearview

Columns

Cancer in the United States experienced a dramatic turnaround in 1991. Prior to that year, cancer deaths had been increasing for decades, peaking at 215 deaths per 100,000 people, meaning about 1 in 4 deaths were attributed to cancer. Then it began to consistently decline, decreasing by 34% between 1991 and 2022. This amounted to an estimated 4.5 million fewer cancer deaths during that period. When the second-most frequent cause of death in the nation begins to decline, the effects are considerable. Improvements in cancer screening, treatment and prevention have led to increases in ...

Trump’s three retreats

Columns

President Trump has been musing about whether he’s the most powerful man in world history, and judging by the results lately, the answer is definitely “no.” It’s certainly true that Trump has technical tools at his disposal that would have astounded famous pre-20th century contenders for the title of most powerful man, whether Caesar, Alexander the Great, Charlemagne or Napoleon. Trump’s power, though, isn’t defined by, say, the precision and explosive punch of the Tomahawk missile. As the leader of a constitutional republic that disperses power and depends ultimately on ...

Dear Annie: The marriage ledger

Columns

Dear Annie: I am middle-aged and lost my job during the pandemic when the company I had been with for years eliminated my position. Despite my experience and education, I have not been able to find anything permanent or full-time since. I feel like I am too old to be hired and too young to retire. My husband and I live in an economically repressed region with a limited job market, and he refuses to leave his job and relocate, despite offers and interest from other companies in more lucrative areas and my pleas over the years to leave this one-horse town. He is also not interested in ...