MSI Press Blog

  In one Star Trek episode, the crew cannot enter REM sleep -- and as a result, violence emergences. That episode is based on scientific research. And it explains a lot about caregiver burnout  and anger . When a spouse or other family member suffers from cancer, needs for care do not occur only during waking hours. Often, it feels like 24/7, and a family member who serves as caregiver can find himself or herself unable to react calmly in the face of chaos and immense stress . Sleep provides a time to renew emotional balance. Sleep deprivation leads to deprivation of balance, calm, perspective--and ultimately, emotional control. Here are some details about the relationship between sleep deprivation and anger  from the National Institute of Health. Here are some details about the relationship between sleep and mood from Harvard University research. And here is some evidence of the relationship between anger, aggression, hostility, and sleep deprivation , also from NIH....

  Probably, most people would not connect sleep deprivation and cancer, but some new research indicates there might be a connection. There appears to be as well a connection between sleep deprivation and obesity and between obesity and certain kinds of cancer.  According to various research projects, long-term sleep deprivation can affect the body's biological clock, which controls sleep and other functions, potentially raising the odds of cancers such as breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate. Night owls can be particularly at risk. Exposure to light during overnight shifts for several years can reduce levels of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep and may also have a role in preventing cancer growth. Here are a couple of the websites:  Does Sleep Affect Cancer Risk? | American Cancer Society  and  How does being a night owl impact quality of life and why? . For other Cancer Diary posts, click  HERE . Blog editor's note: As a memorial to Carl, and ...

  (diagram and contents of diagram from Beth Frates via Twitter) Literature gives suggestions for caregiver as if life is calm and caregivers are never angry or stressed out (implying that it is wrong to be so). The reality is that even in the best of circumstances, i.e. the existence of good support systems, caregivers do burn out . Thinking that other caregivers do not and that it is wrong to be angry or somehow even to instinctively respond with an unkind word or behavior is somehow is unique and makes one a bad person creates quite a guilt trip later.  In normal, circumstances, caregivers become sleep-deprived. Sleep deprivation leads NATURALLY to short tempers, frequent frustration, and, yes, bad decisions. Individuals' decisions that are made while sleep deprived cannot be thought of as intentional or well considered. At one point, I was so sleep-deprived that I fell asleep and drove off the road and into a field of cabbage (fortunately, I was not on a major highway), w...

  Firefighters are trained to face flames, chaos, and collapse—but what happens when the fire is internal? Depression is a silent crisis in the fire service. The culture of stoicism, long shifts, traumatic exposure, and disrupted sleep all contribute to a mental health landscape that’s often overlooked. While the public sees heroes, many firefighters quietly battle invisible wounds. 📊 What the Numbers Say 12% of firefighters experience clinical depression, according to a meta-analysis of 40 studies. In disaster zones, that number spikes to 24% . 16% screened positive for major depressive disorder in a 2022 IAFF survey of over 8,000 firefighters. Depression often coexists with PTSD— 50% of those with PTSD also meet criteria for major depressive disorder. Suicide risk is alarmingly high: 28% of firefighters report suicidal thoughts, and 15.5% have attempted suicide—more than triple the general population. These aren’t just numbers. They’re lives. They’re colleagues. They’r...

  Introduction Parenting is hard.  It’s not “I would rather be hiding state secrets in a POW camp” hard, but it’s definitely “my most cherished fantasy is about taking an uninterrupted shower by myself” hard. It’s hard because you are a parent 24/7 without coffee breaks or vacations. It’s hard because it isolates you away from your friends, sometimes your family, and occasionally any semblance of adult human companionship whatsoever. It’s hard because you always put the needs of others above your own, often without thanks or even acknowledgement. (If all three of these statements are true at the same time, it’s called “having an infant.”) Even worse, not only is parenting diabolically challenging, but it also has the outside appearance of being easy, fun, and less challenging than a “real” job.  Yes, many non-parents attempt to compare the act of childrearing to any other job. However, until they find a job where it is impossible to quit, you aren’t paid, and your boss is...

  Small businesses are often co-owned by spouses. The partnership blends life and work, weaving together shared goals, hopes, and sacrifices. But what happens when one of those partners becomes terminally ill—and not gradually, but suddenly, with a diagnosis that leaves little time to prepare? That was the reality I faced when Carl, my husband of over 51 years, was diagnosed with multiple late-stage cancers. His health declined rapidly, and he pushed hard to close our business—something we had built together—because he could no longer do the work he had always managed. On the surface, his wish was simple: “I’m dying, and I want everything to stop with me.” But for those left behind, nothing stops. Life keeps demanding care, attention, and difficult decisions. I was caring not only for Carl, but also for our disabled son and a daughter who needed support. And the business—our livelihood—still needed running. Carl saw one piece of the picture: his need for full-time care and atten...

  I never imagined that the end of such relentless days could feel like both a surrender and a liberation. For months, my world had been a blur of urgent calls, sleepless nights, and a relentless schedule—caring for adult disabled children living at home and independently but in need of support, running a business, and tending to Carl’s ever-growing needs as he battled cancer of unknown primary (CUP). Each day was a race against time: rushing to change his diapers, lifting him from his chair to the bed in the hoyer, and dashing to the pharmacy at a minute’s notice when a new symptom flared up. The demands were ceaseless, and the emotional toll was immeasurable. When Carl finally passed, I expected to grieve. Instead, I found myself caught in an unexpected and painful paradox: relief. There was an undeniable sense of release, a pause to the endless treadmill of caregiving that had consumed every waking moment of my life and more often than not, half of my night, with sleep deprivati...