Showing posts with label PTSD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PTSD. Show all posts

Saturday, April 25, 2026

The 85-Year-Old Widow Snagged by Trump’s Immigration Crackdown; The New York Times, April 25, 2026

, The New York Times; The 85-Year-Old Widow Snagged by Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

"Her story gives a glimpse into the opaque labyrinth of immigrant-detention sites operated by the Trump administration, where many like her see no lawyer, have no sense of where they are and understand little of why they are held or, in her case, later released. It also raises questions about how that system may be weaponized: A judge said in a ruling that she believed that Ms. Ross-Mahé’s stepson Tony Ross, who had been fighting with her over her late husband’s estate, instigated her arrest.

The New York Times could not independently confirm the details of her experience in detention, but it aligns with the accounts of others who have been detained in similar circumstances. Tony and his brother, Gary Ross, did not respond to requests for comment, nor did their lawyer.

The experience stunned Ms. Ross-Mahé, who previously considered herself a supporter of President Trump and so admired his policy to deport illegal immigrants that she thought it should be adopted in France.

“I didn’t think these things existed,” she said of the immigration facilities she was held in. “I thought that when we arrested them, we would treat them properly. It really shocked me.”

She added, “They treat them like dogs, not in a human way.”

Asked for comment, the Homeland Security Department said in a statement that “all detainees are provided with proper meals, quality water, blankets, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.” It added that “ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens” and is “regularly audited and inspected by external agencies.”"

Sunday, December 28, 2025

The Service Dogs Helping Veterans With PTSD; The New York Times, December 24, 2025

 , The New York Times; The Service Dogs Helping Veterans With PTSD

There’s research suggesting that these four-legged “battle buddies” can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. But shortages and long wait times pose barriers.

"Dr. Bahr is part of a growing cadre of veterans using service dogs for PTSD relief. In a 2024 study, veterans with service dogs were followed for three months and found to have less severe PTSD, depression and anxiety than those on the waiting list.

This research doesn’t say whether service dogs caused these mental health benefits or how long they might last.

Still, many veterans say these dogs make life more manageable. They are trained to catch subtle signs of distress, like thumping legs or a hitch in breathing, said Maggie O’Haire, a human-animal interaction expert at the University of Arizona. But researchers suspect that service dogs can also smell the chemical changes that accompany stress and anxiety.

Labrador retrievers are among the most common breed of service dogs, prized for their steadiness and eagerness to bond.

With a nuzzle or a tug of the leash, these dogs can interrupt the swell of panic in veterans, Dr. O’Haire said. “They know your environment is not filled with danger,” she explained, so they help veterans ground themselves."

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

I’m a black UChicago graduate. Safe spaces got me through college.; Vox, 8/29/16

Cameron Okeke, Vox; I’m a black UChicago graduate. Safe spaces got me through college. :
"UChicago should know that trigger warnings and safe spaces exist to give those with firsthand experience a way to engage without sacrificing their well-being or safety. This accessibility is the key to a truly open marketplace of ideas and an essential pillar of academic freedom. Recklessly painting trigger warnings and safe spaces as enemies to academic freedom will only make UChicago a more hostile environment for marginalized first-years.
Being diverse isn't easy and our diversity ain’t free. Don’t let us in if you can’t make room for us."