tschram

Dear Doctors: I know I’m less depressed when I get to be in daylight. Is there any science behind that? Dear Reader: Yes.

“Paradais,” by Fernanda Melchor (New Directions) The fantasies that distort reality slither through Paradais, the gated community that sets Fernanda Melchor’s garden of Eden and gives her latest novel its name. Macabre characters drive the plot and slithering syntax the prose, guiding Melchor’s tale into the shadows of a society locked by chains.

Two years in and we're still struggling. • The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has taken another step toward normalcy as children and adults in schools recently could opt to ditch the face mask. While some families welcomed the change, others grew more anxious. • But for some, to feel overwhelmed is like admitting defeat. In turn, many people brush off or ignore signs that something may feel off. • Bottom line, that simply does not work, said Bill Pearson, a program manager for Rochester Regional Health's Community Youth Behavioral Program, a program that brings therapy and other services to children at their schools throughout the region, giving kids access to mental health care without missing full days of class. • "The best thing you can do is to acknowledge when you are struggling," he said. "Talk about it." •Then you can start working toward how to improve the circumstances. • These past two years have impacted us all with prolonged stress and uncertainty.