Major Depressive Disorder: The Hope-Filled Battle for the Causes and the Cures
Spokane, WA, March 17, 2021 — The voice on the other end of the phone was familiar but shaky. It was Sarah’s friend Carolyn, and she was grappling with suicidal ideation.
“Something had her in its grip and would not let go,” Sarah Zabel explains. “I kept wondering, what’s doing this? How does a normal, happy person come to feel life is so bad that she must kill herself?”
A decade after that first phone call, solutions for Carolyn’s major depressive disorder remained elusive, and Sarah felt compelled to understand why.
Fighting Chance: How Unexpected Observations and Unintended Outcomes Shape the Science and Treatment of Depression delivers a 360-degree look inside the world of this debilitating illness, featuring interviews with more than 20 experts in the fields of neuroscience and psychiatry, current research and the unforgettable stories of 16 people personally impacted by depression.
Described by Sarah as a “science book for non-scientists,” Fighting Chancetackles key questions that have guided scientific research for decades and delves into the discoveries that have formed the medical world’s understanding of the disorder. Peppered throughout are more than 20 illustrations that help explain the science involved — making it widely accessible.
Sarah adeptly explores topics ranging from the neurobiology of depression to antidepressant medications; stress and inflammation; genetics; suicide; traditional and alternative therapies and treatments; and even gives a nod to Big Data’s efforts to clarify depression’s causes and cures.
Ultimately, Fighting Chance is a tale of human endeavor and ingenuity, of downright weird experiments and serendipitous discoveries, and of people who valiantly battle for answers for themselves and for people they will never know.
Author Sarah Zabel graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a degree in computer science in 1987 and was commissioned a second lieutenant. She retired from the Air Force in 2018 as a major general and decided to turn her focus to her life-long love of learning and become a science writer. She set herself the task of first coming to understand, and then to explain for other lay-persons, the science behind some of life’s most complex but important human experiences. Inspired, intrigued and frustrated by an enduring friend’s battle with depression, she set that topic as her first task. Sarah does occasional consulting and other activities associated with her time as one of the military’s leaders in cyberspace operations and security, in the provision of communications and other services to a community, and leadership of a diverse workforce.
Journalist & Political Pundit Sophia Nelson Re-Releases The Woman Code to Inspire Women during COVID
Morning Joe Host & Author of Know Your Value, Mika Brzezinski, Pens Foreword
Washington, D.C., March 17, 2021 — The world has faced unprecedented challenges from the coronavirus pandemic, but it has hit women harder personally and financially, as they juggle multiple roles as professionals, caretakers, mothers and wives—simultaneously.
“Women are the soul of what keeps the world going. We keep our families, our companies, our communities and our nations intact,” explains Sophia A. Nelson, acclaimed journalist and author of The Woman Code: 20 Powerful Keys to Unlock Your Life (April 2021, Health Communications).
Named one of the most inspirational books by Woman’s Day in 2015-2017, this transformative book is updated with new insights about the profound economic and societal shifts that have changed our world since the pandemic. Nelson guides women through living out a powerful life Code that will lead them to purposeful, meaningful and authentically successful lives.
Every woman lives by a Code, whether she realizes it or not. It informs how she treats herself and others and how far she is willing to go in order to find success. Nelson calls on women to examine whether the Code they’re living by is truly helping them create the lives they desire. A senior columnist for USA Today and a frequent commentator on CNN, Nelson reveals 20 powerful Codes including:
Know Your Value
Be Resilient
Choose Your Thoughts and Words Wisely
Lift Other Women as You Climb
Practice Love, Laughter, Loyalty
With life quotes from philosophers and poets, mystics and her maternal grandmother, plus her experience as a Black woman rising through the ranks of a male-dominated news industry, The Woman Code is an essential tool of transformation for women to enjoy in reading groups, retreats and Bible study groups. It will help women honor themselves while navigating the demands of work, home, family and friendship no matter what their age or stage in life.
About the Author
Sophia A. Nelson is an award-winning American author and journalist who appears regularly on CNN’s Inside Politics and Newsroom as a legal and political analyst. She is an adjunct professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.
Nelson covered former First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House from 2010–2012. The author appears frequently on CNN and has been a contributor to MSNBC, NBC, Fox News, the BBC, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer and the Today show. She writes for The Huffington Post Healthy Living and The Daily Beast. She has also contributed to USA Today, Essence, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post. She is the author of The Woman Code, Black Woman Redefined, and E Pluribus ONE.
The Woman Code: 20 Powerful Keys to Unlock Your Life
Post-Traumatic Thriving Shares Essential Elements for Authentic Healing
Los Angeles, CA, March 17, 2021 — Trauma has a way of showing up when we least expect it, and society sends many signals telling us that it’s admirable to put on a brave face and soldier on. But our grief is normal — even healthy, says world-renowned expert on disasters and trauma Dr. Randall Bell.
“The hallmark error is to continually dodge the pain. There is a time and place for avoidance. However, to heal and grow, we cannot doge the pain forever …,” he writes in his new book, Post-Traumatic Thriving: The Art, Science, & Stories of Resilience. “Suffering is our opportunity to stare our moral compass in the eye and deal with the problem in a dignified way.”
Dr. Bell undertook unprecedented research, and juxtaposes outcomes of scientific studies with stories of real people (many of them familiar) who have used their trauma as their fuel to thrive to reveal common denominators. He divides his remarkable insights into three sections: The Dive Stage, The Survive Stage and The Thrive Stage, and outlines a step-by-step process toward authentic healing.
To inspire and connect with readers who’ve experienced trauma, he shares stories of remarkable resilience, including the following:
• A deaf man with a glass eye invented the electric guitar and became a household name, remarkably wealthy and most importantly, happy.
• A convicted murderer took responsibility for the damage he caused, graduated with honors from college, became a minister and turned around the hearts of the most hardened criminals.
• A girl born with cerebral palsy landed the world’s first starring role on national television and spoke at the White House three times.
• A woman hid in a basement for years and lost her entire family in the Holocaust. She eventually found true love and paints stunning artwork.
• The sister of a murder victim helped millions of women in toxic domestic relationships.
• A woman’s car crash resulted in an addiction to prescription drugs, a divorce, a loss of her children and a cot in a homeless shelter. She has rebuilt it all back and more.
• A man set to go to the Olympics had his hopes dashed by Jimmy Carter and went on to build a worldwide business empire.
Ultimately, Dr. Bell documents the science of happiness, as well as the individual styles and common thread that all post-traumatic thrivers have to emerge with a fulfilling life. When trauma hits, your most significant decision will be to dive, survive or thrive. If you choose to thrive, this book is for you.
As an economist, Dr. Randall Bell has consulted on more disasters on earth than anyone in history and is widely considered the world’s top authority in the field of post-traumatic thriving. His clients include the Federal Government, State Governments, International Tribunals, major corporations and homeowners. Dr. Bell believes that “the problem is not the problem — the problem is how we react to the problem.”
Often called the “Master of Disaster,” Dr. Bell is squarely focused on authentic recovery and resilience. His research has been profiled on major television shows and featured in numerous magazines and the international media. More information can be found at www.posttraumaticthriving.com.
Post-Traumatic Thriving: The Art, Science, & Stories of Resilience
THYMOX EXT botanical disinfectant kills the COVID-19 virus in only 1 minute
SHERBROOKE, QC, March 17, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Canadian company Laboratoire M2's THYMOX brand spray disinfectant is one of the only products made with a botanically derived active ingredient, officially approved by Health Canada for use against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Official tests prove that THYMOX EXT kills SARS-CoV-2 virus in 1 minutes on hard surfaces.
With the convincing results of THYMOX disinfecting and cleaning solution, Laboratoire M2 is among the first Canadian companies to manufacture and offer the industrial and institutional markets an alternative to traditional chemical products. "We've been working for many years to develop products with proven results that can rival those of leading brands. Our THYMOX disinfectant spray - made from botanically derived products - is as effective as other products on the market and can contribute to the fight against the novel coronavirus", underlines Geneviève Legault, Product Development and Marketing Manager.
Technology behind THYMOX
THYMOX technology is based on the proven efficacy of thymol, a botanically derived active ingredient. It is made with over 98% renewable ingredients, is biodegradable, has a low toxicity profile and demonstrated effectiveness against the COVID-19 virus. "Consumers appreciate its lower toxicity and its disinfecting power while being an excellent cleaner, in just one step", adds Mme Legault. The growing demand and sales of our disinfectants across North America prove this. "We're very proud to be cutting edge and to do our part in the fight against SARS-CoV-2 virus without affecting the environment."
About Laboratoire M2
Laboratoire M2 Inc, based in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, has an excellent reputation for innovation and expertise in environmentally responsible and sustainable disinfection and biosecurity technology products under the THYMOX® brand. The company markets a range of biodegradable, high-performance and safe antimicrobial products based on its technology platform in three business units. Animal health products, which include THYMOX HOOF®, which is used to control the spread of bacteria that cause digital dermatitis (DD). In the area of agricultural crop protection, LM2 products are sold in the United States and Canada under the THYMOX CONTROL® and THYMOX Gro® brands. For the commercial and retail markets, THYMOX® technology is used in surface disinfection and distributed through various global agreements.
For more information about Laboratoire M2, visit www.thymox.com.
SOURCE Thymox
8 Key Traits that Can Attract Others and Boost Your Self-Image
New York, NY, March 17, 2021 — Attraction, that mysteriously magnetic pull toward another human being, is notoriously difficult to quantify and qualify. What is it exactly that makes you want to be near someone and give them your time, your energy, your attention, your affection and even your respect? And how can you make others feel that way toward you?
Author Justin Clottey explores the complex concept of attraction and distills it into eight key “attractive” character traits in his new book, Improve Your Self-Image by Understanding What Makes Someone Attractive.
“Whether we wish to admit it or not, the image other people have of us greatly affects how we see ourselves,” Clottey says. “Why? It dictates how we are treated in the world. It’s like feedback. If it’s positive, we’re on the right track. If it’s negative, something about us might be off.”
Clottey isn’t referring to unfounded mistreatment related to culture, race, gender, age and other factors beyond our control. He’s talking about how others react to what we do and don’t do; what we say and don’t say; and how the way we present ourselves impacts every type of relationship we have, including with romantic partners, friends, bosses, coworkers, business partners and clients.
Improve Your Self-Image is a concise yet comprehensive guide that explores in detail Clottey’s eight key factors of attractiveness — Certainty, Ease, Balance, Brevity, Mastery, Lightheartedness, Reputation and Physical Appearance — and how we can apply this understanding of attraction to improve the way we communicate and associate with others to better navigate our relationships going forward.
Author Justin Clottey was born in the United States and has spent different periods of his life in various cities within Canada and around the world.
Clottey considers himself to be a lifelong learner. Having an interest in constantly improving every area of his life, he is always looking for the best ways to do just that. The world of writing books to help people improve their own lives is an outlet he uses to live out his passion for teaching. As an elementary school teacher, he enjoys sharpening his talent for breaking down complex concepts into small, digestible pieces for his learners.
He has passions for fitness, sports and language learning, and speaks fluent English, Spanish and French. He also enjoys spending time with friends and family as well as exploring different places.
Follow Justin Clottey on Instagram at @becomextraordinary.
Improve Your Self-Image by Understanding What Makes Someone Attractive
ISBN-10: 1777430518
ISBN-13: 978-1777430511
Available in print, eBook or audio format from Amazon.com, Apple Books, Google Play and other online outlets
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The Devil Thought He Had Me! Shares Remarkable Journey from Sinner to Servant of God
Milwaukee, WI, March 17, 2021 — At 18 years old, Wendell White lay trapped in the trunk of a car and assumed it would be his last ride. Battered from a beating during a drug deal gone-wrong, all he could think about was his 19-month-old son. White prayed. He asked God for forgiveness. He steeled himself to face the consequences of the sinful life he was living. And he wondered in angst, “How in the world did I get here?”
The Devil Thought He Had Me! is White’s raw, compelling story of resilience and survival, and a profound testimony to the power of God’s grace and mercy.
“After getting beaten and put into the trunk of a car, I knew then that I wanted to help the youth and adults all over the world to not make the same decisions that I had made,” he reflects.
The Devil Thought He Had Me! is the result of White’s genuine desire to use his own tragic story to connect with and help alter the trajectory of others who have veered off course. Whitecandidly walks readers through his early days in the poverty-stricken Englewood community on Chicago’s South Side, where his mother sold drugs to make ends meet and often left White and his siblings home alone as she worked the streets. He would later follow in his mother’s footsteps until that fateful day when a drug buyer paged him to purchase two and a half ounces of crack cocaine. And everything went wrong.
The Devil Thought He Had Me! is White’s profound journey from drug-dealing teenage father to well-grounded husband, father, friend, mentor and servant of God. It’s White’s hope that by openly sharing his experiences, he can help others facing difficult life circumstances realize that there’s a pathway out.
“This book was written to be a light in a dark world,” White says. “If I can change the way that you think, I can change the way that you live.”
Author and motivational speaker Wendell White has had to overcome obstacles most cannot even imagine. His difficult upbringing on the South Side of Chicago taught him many bad habits but also instilled in him the values of loyalty, toughness, respect and a strong work ethic.
Today, he is a powerful speaker who draws from his life experiences to address audiences. He is motivated by faith, changing lives, inspiring others and legacy. The Devil Thought He Had Me! is his first book.
Newport Beach, CA, March 17, 2021 — Traveling can open our eyes and minds to new cultures and experiences, and for licensed captain Gill Terry Causey, traveling by sailboat has also guided him toward profound personal discoveries through the self-realization and introspection that seafaring can inspire.
“It [sailing] is the most rewarding and fulfilling way to travel, and these experiences have been both transformational and even transcendental,” Causey says. “Sailing has taught me to unplug, discover and explore other awe-inspiring worlds, and I am thrilled to share my adventures with you.”
Let the Wind Carry Me: How Curiosity Can Open Doors of Perception and Learning is part autobiography, part detailed travelogue and part breathtaking pictorial of Causey’s worldwide sailing adventures. He shares vivid details (and more than 50 photos) from some of his most memorable excursions, and peppers his narrative with personal insights and reflections on the seeds planted early in his youth that inspired him to explore the world without boundaries.
Readers can experience the exact moment when he fell in love with blue water sailing and hop on board as he runs a successful charter boat in the Hawaiian Islands, explores South America and the Amazon forest, embarks on adventures in Central America, and sails the islands of French Polynesia. In all, Causey completed hundreds of interisland sails, including 12 sails to French Polynesia, 11 sails to the Line Islands, seven sails around New Zealand, three sails to Australia, five sails to Fiji, and one sail each to the Cook Islands and the Solomon Islands.
“Sailing has transformed my life because I have been able to travel to places that are best seen by sailboat,” Causey adds. “It is a way of life that I have always embraced.”
Let the Wind Carry Me is, at its core, Causey’s story, and one he hopes will inspire others to explore and embrace the transformational power of travel.
Author Gill Terry Causey is a lifelong ocean-cruising sailor and a patron of maritime causes and projects from Hawaii (where he lived for more than half his life) to California.
He is a licensed captain of a 50-foot sailing vessel that was built by the German navy in 1928. This vessel is iron riveted and does oceanographic work for the University of Hawaii, the University of Cambridge and the U.S. Department of the Interior. He also dedicates his time to many other projects, including the local Sea Cadets, and he continues to be a significant benefactor to Call of the Sea (https://callofthesea.org/).
He worked with the Polynesian Voyaging Society to revive their sailing culture, and funded and supported the building of the 135-foot Brigantine Matthew Turner in Sausalito, California. The ship was recently certified by the U.S. Coast Guard as a school ship, which will educate and inspire young people for generations to come.
Since family is the most important thing, he retired to take care of his mother and relocated the family home to Newport Beach, California. He will always love sailing and still takes every opportunity to be on the ocean, enjoying the wonders of its cosmic power.
Let the Wind Carry Me: How Curiosity Can Open Doors of Perception and Learning ISBN-13: 978-0960105700 (Retail $49.95)
Currently available directly from the author (limited supply). Available through traditional retail channels in June/July 2021.
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Logibec Expands into Virtual Care with Ontario-based Acquisition
QoC Health will accelerate the Healthcare IT leader's innovation strategy with patient-friendly cloud solutions
MONTREAL, March 16, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Logibec Inc. (Logibec) today announced that it has entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement to acquire QoC Health, an Ontario-based company. This transaction supports Logibec's growth in Canada and consolidates its innovative position in the healthcare sector by adding virtual care solutions to its offering.
"We are convinced that this acquisition will accelerate our potential for innovation in the healthcare network through new mobile and cloud solutions," said Marc Brunet, President and CEO of Logibec. "Our success in the future depends on our ability to integrate our solutions between care teams and their patients throughout the care trajectory in a way that's meaningful," he added.
QoC Health focuses on improving access to care by connecting patients at home with their care team through mobile and web solutions. The principal QoC product is Cloud Connect, a healthcare web services platform. This platform allows healthcare organizations to rapidly deploy patient-centered solutions across many different settings, from primary care and acute care to rehabilitation and chronic care. The QoC platform supports solutions such as post-discharge monitoring, educational tools and decision aids; it takes the complexity out of developing and deploying cloud-based compliant technology solutions and accelerates next-generation connected healthcare solutions by putting them into the hands of patients across Canada. QoC Health solutions are currently used at multiple customers in Canada and in the United States.
"We are very excited to join the Logibec team as we share the same vision in virtual and connected care. More specifically, by connecting patients living in their community with their healthcare team, so that they can receive the care they need," said Sarah Harvey, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of QoC Health.
The QoC Health team of experts are immediately joining the Logibec operations team to allow customers of both companies to reap the benefits of this transaction.
About Logibec
Headquartered in Montreal, Canada for nearly 40 years, Logibec deploys information systems that span the clinical, operational, and business needs of complex healthcare organizations. Logibec's clients are also empowered to improve and innovate by utilizing our industry-leading suite of actionable analytics solutions and advisory services. Earlier in 2020, Logibec also acquired AnalysisWorks, based in British Columbia, thus consolidating its position in Performance Management and Analytics for healthcare.
Since 2010, QoC Health has been helping organizations bring their virtual care solutions to life and connect patients with their care teams. The company's platform allows users to monitor patients, communicate, provide decision aids and integrate with existing medical records, thereby enabling the health care community to improve patient outcomes, increase patient satisfaction and reduce cost of care through virtual care technology.
SOURCE Logibec
Held in the Past, Pushed to the Future: A Young Woman’s Journey
Detroit, MI, March 16, 2021— Niran, a Muslim woman coming of age in Detroit after emigrating from Iraq, walks a fine line between ancestral norms and the freedoms of a new generation as the protagonist of award-winning author Weam Namou’s new book, Pomegranate.
Inspired by her idol Enheduanna of ancient Mesopotamia, Niran navigates societal challenges, fights against cultural stereotypes and most of all aims to make her voice heard by all around her.
Enheduanna, the first known poet in world history, was a woman who lived more than 4,300 years ago. The High Priestess was a genuine historical figure, whereas Niran’s story is a mixture of real and imagined stories. They focus on Muslim women who cope with many issues as they transition from old traditions to a modern, western society. Author Namou admits that some of the tales involving the fictional Niran mirror her own.
Moving from war-torn Iraq to the U.S. was not easy for Niran, especially since it meant living as a liberal Muslim immigrant in a neighborhood of well-to-do, conservative Christians during the 2016 presidential election. As a young adult, Niran chafes under the tight rein of her headstrong mother who, enforcing tradition and obedience, stifles her children's individuality.
About the Author
Weam Namou was born in Baghdad to an ancient lineage called the Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians who still speak Aramaic). She’s an award-winning author of 14 books, an international award-winning filmmaker, journalist, poet and Ambassador for the Authors Guild of America (Detroit Chapter). She hosts a half-hour weekly TV show and founded The Path of Consciousness, a spiritual and writing community. She created Unique Voices in Films, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, and Namou’s work has been published in many national and international publications. One of her best-known books, The Great American Family, won the Eric Hoffer Award, and she wrote, produced and directed an award-winning documentary based on the same book. Additionally, she has written and directed Pomegranate the movie, which you can learn more about at www.PomegranateMovie.com.
For over a decade, Namou has been giving talks, presentations and workshops at libraries, colleges and universities, and for special groups. She is currently available both nationally and internationally via virtual platforms.
Pomegranate Publisher: Hermiz Publishing, Inc. Release Date: February 14, 2021 ISBN-13: 978-1945371004 Available at Amazon.com
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The Home Stretch Poignantly Captures Midlife Moments of Reckoning
Seattle, WA, March 16, 2021 ― While no two journeys are ever exactly the same, many of us will one day retire from a career that defines us, become a caregiver to a parent and contemplate our own mortality. How we navigate these changes depends largely on our ability to make sense of life’s complicated path and to find forgiveness for others while we still have the chance.
From award-winning author Wayne M. Johnston comes The Home Stretch, a powerful coming-of-age story for grownups that poignantly captures the complex crises that often accompany middle age and the unresolved emotions that surface when our past and present selves collide.
The Home Stretch is presented through the voice of everyman Bill Smith (loosely based on Johnston himself) who, throughout his life, is confronted with extraordinary circumstances. Raised in a religious cult, Bill’s unconventional upbringing and strained relationship with his father inform his life experiences and underwrite his formidable urge, from a young age, to simply escape this life altogether.
Bill struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts, and embarks upon a career navigating the rough waters of the Pacific on a tugboat. His tales of weathering gale-force winds and violent storms at sea provide metaphorical undercurrents for Bill’s fraught relationship with his father, his failed early marriage, his father’s descent into Alzheimer’s and his own battle with leukemia, which he is told will kill him.
Just when Bill has come to believe he has put the worst of it to rest, he learns something more about his father that opens everything up again, except this time, Bill’s sister is the victim.
Johnston’s thoroughly absorbing, reality-based story offers candid glimpses into life-defining moments of reckoning that many of us will have to face head-on. The Home Stretch serves as a stark reminder that the peace we hope for as we age is often shoved aside to make room for another crisis, but it is also an ultimately inspiring tale woven with themes of forgiveness and survival.
Wayne M. Johnston taught English, Creative Writing and Publications at La Conner High School for 19 years. Prior to that, he worked on tugboats for 22 years, usually as chief engineer, towing freight barges between Canadian and West Coast American ports. In 2011, he won the Soundings Review First Publication Award for his essay, “Sailing,” and has published other essays locally. For his debut novel, North Fork, he drew from years of experience reading student journals to reproduce the way kids voice serious matters to a trusted adult. North Fork was released in 2016 as a YA novel. The story is told through the voices of three 17-year-olds as journal entries for their English class. Bill Smith, the protagonist in The Home Stretch, is their English teacher, and The Home Stretch (book two in a planned trilogy) is his back story.
Johnston lives with his wife, Sally, on Fidalgo Island in Washington State where he is working on another book.
