Loss and Grief in an Increasingly Secular World

Elaine Pagels, 75, has lived through the best and the worst of times. She is the highly acclaimed author of a long list of scholarly, yet accessible, bestselling books, most notably The Gnostic Gospels; a renowned professor of religious history at Prin… Continue reading

Our Most Popular Stories of 2018

Next Avenue published nearly 1,000 stories in 2018. Below are the 10 our visitors read the most. Discover something you might have missed or enjoy a previous favorite. Thank you for reading and supporting Next Avenue in 2018. We hope you’ll join us in … Continue reading

Why Family Estrangement Is Roughest at the Holidays

(This story was originally published on Next Avenue in 2017.) When you’re about to ask a friend or a colleague whether they’re going home for the holidays this week, think twice. The holidays — so often tied to family and tangled in questions of going … Continue reading

When You’re Depressed During the Holidays

(This article originally appeared in 2017.) In the midst of frenetic advertising, pressure to shop for gifts and the ubiquitous seasonal music, the holidays can be an especially hard time if you’re depressed or missing a lost loved one. The contrast be… Continue reading

Finding Wisdom in the Arts

I didn’t set out to write another book. I began by pondering, as psychologists do, my current life stage at 60-plus chronological years. Time passes swiftly and change is inevitable. Perhaps it was simply a matter of shifting priorities or interests, b… Continue reading

Should We Bring Back Public Psychiatric Hospitals?

Consider for a moment this situation: Your adult daughter suffers from a serious mental illness. You have tried to get help for her, but it has not worked out, and you were told that unless she’s a danger to herself or someone else, she can’t be hospit… Continue reading

In Midlife, Take a Second Bite of the Cherry

There’s an expression in the United Kingdom that can be especially apt for Americans in their 50s and 60s: “Take a second bite of the cherry.” Basically, it means to take a second chance at something. Tim Drake, a 74-year-old British motivational speak… Continue reading

The Relationship Between Delirium and Dementia

(Advances in science and public health are increasing longevity and enhancing the quality of life for people around the world. In this series of interviews with the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging, 14 visionaries are revealing exciting … Continue reading

The Nuance of Death With Dignity

(Editor’s note: This story is part of a special report for The John A. Hartford Foundation.) Death with dignity is a movement gaining steam. A June 2017 Gallup poll found that 73 percent of Americans supported medical aid in dying at a patient’s reques… Continue reading

It’s Quality, Not Quantity, of Life That Matters

(Advances in science and public health are increasing longevity and enhancing the quality of life for people around the world. In this series of interviews with the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging, 14 visionaries are revealing exciting … Continue reading