Latest news with #struggle
Daily Mail
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Only Dave and I knew how much pain he was hiding as he filmed Hairy Bikers one last time...' Widow LILI MYERS recalls the last weeks of her beloved husband's cancer battle - and an incredibly moving moment in his final hours
I have still not watched the final series of The Hairy Bikers. I'm not sure I could bear it. Dave, my beloved husband, was far more poorly than he let on publicly at that point. Most people wouldn't notice or realise the significance, but I know I'd recognise a look on his face, a slight wince in the way he moved or steadied his balance, and I don't want to be reminded of his struggle.
The Review Geek
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Straw (2025) Ending Explained – Does Janiyah get her daughter back?
Straw Plot Summary The story here predominantly centers on a single mother named Janiyah. She works two jobs, is eking out a living, can barely afford to pay rent on her dingy apartment, and is close to breaking point. Unfortunately, today is going to be the worst day of her life. After dropping her daughter off at school, Janiyah finds herself in trouble with the police, fired from her job, and left on the street when she can't pay the overdue rent to her abrasive landlord. Intervening in the middle of a robbery, Janiyah shoots the robber and then turns the gun on her boss and pulls the trigger. Heading to a nearby bank with her bloodied cheque, her backpack (including her daughter's science project, which looks suspiciously like a bomb), and a handgun, a stand-off ensues as police close in on her. What's going on with Aria? We soon learn across the movie that Aria suffers from seizures and has asthma. She also appears to be bullied at school (it's never outright said, but her teacher seems to hold a grudge against her) and is very much Janiyah's entire world. It doesn't help that she was born premature and without health insurance, its constantly been an uphill battle for her as a single mother. Janiyah talks about her situation, and her speech is broadcast out across the nation. Everybody empathizes with her plight and even the landlord listens, although she's clearly behind on rent given the earlier eviction notices on the counter we saw earlier in the movie. What happens during negotiations? Raymond gets emotional during her negotiations with Janiyah, ignoring everyone and deciding to talk about her own situation. She empathizes with her as a single mother herself and hope it works out for her. Unfortunately, the FBI rock up outside just as groups carrying placards reading 'Free Janiyah' also arrive. The FBI are led by a man named Bryce, who attempts to strong-arm the situation and force Janiyah out the bank. Officer Sam is here and tells Raymond about the earlier incident on the road. Near the beginning of the film, Officers Sam and Oliver stopped Janiyah over an expired licence but Oliver also hit her on the road too. Oliver is the one responsible for taking Janiyah's car away. What's the twist? Raymond decides to approach the bank before Bryce and his men can force their way in and shows off the picture of Officer Oliver, a man who is going to be reprimanded for his part to play in this. All the hostages inside the bank are let go, while Nicole, the bank manager, decides to stay and wait with Janiyah. Janiyah's phone turns back on here and the FBI arrive with her mum. She rings and has awful news. Aria is dead. She had a seizure and died at the hospital the previous night. So the whole time Janiyah has been imagining Aria. The phone call at work was about overdue debts, the school were confused over her arriving, and working on the science project appears to be a coping mechanism. Janiyah finally realizes the truth, and she comes out with Nicole to face the police. She's bundled in the back of a police car and taken away, ready to face murder and hostage charges. What will happen to Janiyah? In the end, Janiyah winds up succumbing to her grief, with the twist at the end involving Aria clearly obscured from all of us and not used during negotiations for some reason. Given the police would have found out earlier about Aria's death, they could have used this as a negotiation tool and tried to get Janiyah out of the bank this way By the time the final credits roll, the disenfranchised are out in support of Janiyah but unfortunately it's unlikely to be a happy ending for our protagonist. She still killed two people, held hostages against their will and clearly needs psychiatric care. There's also video footage of all of this so no matter what way you slice it, she's going to be behind bars for a while. Unfortunately, this is a bad ending for a woman experiencing the worst day of her life. Read More: Straw Movie Review
Al Jazeera
26-05-2025
- General
- Al Jazeera
Afghan villagers struggle years after US dropped ‘mother of all bombs'
NewsFeed Afghan villagers struggle years after US dropped 'mother of all bombs' Villagers in a remote corner of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province are still struggling with the aftermath of the US military's most destructive non-nuclear bomb over eight years after it was dropped.
WebMD
24-05-2025
- Health
- WebMD
The Diagnosis That Helped Me Finally Heal: Living with Bipolar Disorder as a Mental Health Professional
I thought I was the helper, not the one who needed help. As a mental health professional, I've given many difficult diagnoses to clients. I never expected one of those diagnoses to hit so close to home. It happened during an appointment with a high-achieving woman. A leader, someone respected in her field. I delivered the diagnosis, and I saw something shift in her eyes. She almost cried. To her, it felt like a life sentence. But something else happened, too. While sitting across from her, I had a quiet realization: I meet the same criteria. I'd already suspected it. Deep down, I knew. But in that moment, I felt like I was straddling two identities: the clinician and the woman silently struggling. And I couldn't ignore it any longer. The Internal Struggle: Denial, Shame, and the Voice in My Head I didn't accept my own diagnosis right away. I questioned everything. I thought, maybe the psychiatrist got it wrong. I rewrote my story, convinced myself there had to be another reason. But no matter how I tried to explain it away, I couldn't ignore what I'd been through. I thought about the younger version of me, the girl who stayed up all night dissociating. The one who went from feeling on top of the world to feeling like she was buried six feet under, sometimes overnight. The girl who felt like she never fit in, who didn't finish the career path she once dreamed of. The one who constantly questioned her worth. That girl didn't need to be fixed. She needed to be heard. She needed compassion. And she needed me to stop gaslighting her. The Turning Point: Choosing Stability Over Survival It took me six months to fully accept the diagnosis. And even then, I fell into the classic trap: I felt 'better,' so I stopped taking my medication. I thought I could manage on my own. But I wasn't actually managing. I was suppressing. I was reacting more, having emotional meltdowns, and pushing through life on empty. I started to track my moods and patterns. I fought with myself daily. I even projected my fears onto my husband, convinced he just wanted me 'subdued.' But the truth was, I didn't want to lose control. I was afraid of what healing would require from me. But eventually, I chose it. I returned to treatment, took my medications consistently, and most importantly, I started communicating clearly. I began naming what I needed: connection, validation, rest. I stopped pretending everything was fine. Because 'I'm fine' is not an emotion. Reclaiming My Identity, Purpose, and Peace With stability came clarity. And with clarity came purpose. I reconnected with my family. I found joy in my work again. I stopped living in survival mode and started building a life based on my values, not just my coping mechanisms. Today, I'm a licensed psychiatric nurse practitioner, therapist, and emotional intelligence coach. I'm also the founder of Empower Mental Health, a space created to give others the kind of comprehensive care I once needed: Therapy Medication management Emotional education and coaching I've built my life – and my practice – on the belief that healing happens when you meet all parts of yourself with honesty and care. I teach my clients how to regulate, connect, and thrive. Not in spite of their diagnosis, but with it. You're Not Alone Mental health diagnoses can feel scary. They can come with stigma, shame, and uncertainty. But they can also be an invitation to stop surviving and start living with intention. Getting diagnosed was not the end of my story. It was the beginning of real healing. If you're wondering what's 'wrong' with you, maybe it's time to start asking what your mind is trying to tell you. Trust your body. Listen to your intuition. And know that help doesn't make you weak. It makes you wise. You're not alone. And you don't have to fake it anymore.
The Verge
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Posted May 22, 2025 at 9:09 AM EDT 0 Comments / 2 New
Adi Robertson Seeking contributions for the time of monsters. Do you mourn the old world dying? Will you celebrate the new world's struggle to be born? Write (or, in a few months, read) about it.
