What to say when a loved one shares intrusive thoughts

Plus: Can vaping help you quit smoking?  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Mandy Oaklander | October 28, 2026     What should you say when someone confides in you that they’ve been having intrusive thoughts? It can be a tricky situation to navigate, but my colleague Angela Haupt shares what experts advise, below. Also in today’s edition: the CDC now considers Candida auris one of the nation’s most urgent drug-resistant threats, and researchers publish some encouraging evidence about vaping for smoking-cessation. TODAY’S TOPICS A drug-resistant threat Can vaping help you quit smoking? When your insurer just says no to drugs How to talk about intrusive thoughts Changing organ-donor rules         QUICK CHAT The CDC recognizes a growing fungal threat In my new story published yesterday on the rise of dangerous fungal diseases, I write about Candida auris—a nasty yeast with mysterious origins that has been spreading rapidly in the U.S. and around the world. And yesterday, coincidentally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) listed Candida auris as one of four top-priority drug-resistant pathogens that require "urgent and aggressive action.”  Dr. Andrej Spec, a fungal-disease specialist at Washington University in St. Louis, says we should be very worried about Candida auris. He spoke with me recently about why. —Dominique Mosbergen This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Candida auris fungus, illustration Science Photo Library—Reuters Why are you so concerned about this fungus?  It spreads easily from person to person. It’s gone from being an emerging threat in a few places to being pretty much everywhere. We just haven’t found a way to limit its spread.  What kinds of diseases can it cause?  It can cause devastating bloodstream infections, and that’s mostly limited to people who are already very sick—people in hospitals, nursing homes, and people who are immunocompromised. But we are also seeing more cases of people who have more superficial diseases, like vaginal yeast infections and skin infections. These don’t carry the same mortality risk, but they’re still bad. They’re hard to treat. It can be awful for people who suffer from them.  What are you doing to address the threat of Candida auris and other dangerous fungal diseases?  Some of my research focuses on how we get more physicians to test for more fungal infections, because a lot of these infections get misdiagnosed. The other thing that we have started to try to develop is a pan-fungal test—a tool that can help busy doctors who aren’t mycology specialists determine whether an infection is fungal in the first place.  A few years ago, I also cofounded MyCARE, a patient-advocacy organization that focuses on fungal diseases. Every field of medicine does better when patients have a bigger voice. MyCARE recently created a cooperative agreement with the CDC to strengthen education and readiness efforts for serious fungal diseases. Read the full story here.         SPONSORED BY ROKU The holiday streaming season is almost here Are you ready? As revealed in our holiday playbook, Roku Ads Manager lets you easily set up, measure and optimize your self-serve holiday ad campaign. You can even create a shoppable ad unit that lets streamers buy directly from their remote. Set up your campaign today.         INSIGHT OF THE DAY Vaping might help smokers quit cigarettes SolStock—Getty Images Vaping isn’t harmless, but e-cigarette advocates have long argued that the devices can help people quit smoking traditional cigarettes, which are more dangerous. Now, a new study published in NEJM Evidence adds to that evidence. Cigarette smokers who were given a starter pack of e-cigs significantly improved their chance of quitting even without ongoing smoking-cessation counseling. For the study, conducted in the U.K., researchers gave smokers e-cigarettes and found that 11% of them successfully quit smoking for at least six months. This was almost twice as effective as another strategy: sending smokers e-mails about how to quit cigarettes.  The takeaway: If you neither smoke nor vape, don’t start. But if you do smoke cigarettes, switching to vaping instead may at least be a good step. —Jeffrey Kluger         SPONSORED BY WISPR FLOW Stop typing what you could say in 10 seconds. Wispr Flow turns your voice into clean, professional text inside any app. Emails, Slack, client updates: speak once, send without editing. 4x faster than typing. Works on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android. Try Wispr Flow free         CAN THEY DO THAT? Can your insurer refuse to cover a doctor’s prescription? Yes, they can. Most insurers have something called a formulary, which is a list of drugs they cover and what the patient’s responsibility is. But those formularies can be limiting, especially for GLP-1s and other expensive brand-name drugs. One recent paper analyzed more than 1 million people attempting to fill prescriptions for brand-name drugs and found that 32% were rejected or required prior authorization.  Patients can appeal those denials, and the paper found that 39% of people whose drugs were rejected did eventually get their prescriptions filled. But many others didn’t; they either paid cash, switched to a different drug, or went without. “It’s not the case that private insurers are legally bound to provide coverage for every single drug,” says Joe Levy, an assistant professor of health policy and management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and lead author of the study.  The study also found that rejections increased by 67% from 2018 to 2024. —Alana Semuels         TIME TO TALK How to respond when someone opens up about intrusive thoughts Photo-Illustration by TIME (Source Image: Deagreez/Getty Images) Sharing a disturbing intrusive thought can feel like confessing something terrible—even though the thought is unwanted. If you’re on the receiving end of this kind of confession, a calm response can keep shame from shutting down an important conversation. Start with gratitude Try: “I’m so glad you shared this with me. This doesn’t change how I think about you.” Then ask: “Do you want me to listen, or help you figure out what to do next?” Don’t feed a reassurance loop If they repeatedly ask what the thought means, say: “I’m not going to help you go down the rabbit hole, but I’ll sit with you while this feels hard.” If you’re unsure whether it’s an unwanted thought or an intention, ask calmly and directly. Read the full story here.         SPONSORED TIME100 Most Influential Companies is expanding TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2027 entries are now open. With new Exceptional Workplaces categories, the TIME100 Companies publication is expanding to recognize businesses pioneering new approaches to how people work, from flexible and hybrid work to technology integration and career development.  Because it’s no longer just what you do, but how you do it.  Submit your company.         WHAT WE’RE READING New Mexico is training more bilingual health care apprentices in an effort to combat a workforce shortage, Cecilia Nowell reports for the Guardian. The rules around organ donation are changing—and not everyone is happy about it. Rob Stein at NPR explains what to know.  Would you break your ribs for an hourglass figure? Emma Russell at the Guardian investigates the rise of rib-remodeling surgery.       More Newsletters from Click to sign up. THE BRIEF +FUTURE PROOF +INSIDE TIME +IN THE LOOP +WORTH YOUR TIME + Subscribe to TIME Email us: healthmatters@time.com Received this from a friend? 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Why dangerous fungi are on the rise

Plus: A day to remember the pets we’ve lost  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Mandy Oaklander | October 27, 2026     If you’re in the mood for a scary read, may I suggest my colleague Dominique Mosbergen's new feature about how dangerous fungi are on the rise? Dominique talked to experts who are alarmed at how quickly fungi are gaining ground in the U.S. and around the world. Human activity and climate change are spurring them on, she found out. Dominique takes you behind the scenes of her new story, below. TODAY’S TOPICS Bracing for bad news The $400 million warning Life beyond the scroll Honoring departed pets When fungi fight back Meet the moss brick         PLEASE ADVISE Here’s a great question we received from a reader: When I’m happy, I have this feeling that something bad must happen. How do you explain that psychologically? alvarez—Getty Images Being on guard can feel more familiar than being happy, especially if you’ve experienced a lot of stress or unpredictability, says Rachel Dash-Dougherty, a licensed clinical social worker in East Lyme, Conn. Anxiety can send you looking for the catch—even when there’s no evidence of one. Bracing for disappointment might feel protective, but it can eat up the very thing you’re afraid of losing: time enjoying your life. When dread interrupts a good moment, ask yourself whether there’s anything useful you need to do right now. Making a backup plan for a flight is preparation; mentally rehearsing every possible vacation disaster is worry working overtime. If there’s no action to take, let the thought pass without trying to solve it. Dash-Dougherty suggests reminding yourself: “I don’t need to solve a future problem to enjoy what’s happening right now.” Then tune back into the conversation or laughter around you. If worry regularly interferes with your sleep, relationships, or ability to have fun, consider talking to a therapist. “The goal isn’t to never worry,” Dash-Dougherty says. “It’s to enjoy your life even when your brain has other ideas.” –Angela Haupt Got a dilemma of your own? Send it our way to healthmatters@time.com, and we might tackle it in a future edition.         SPONSORED BY ATLASSIAN State of Product reveals what AI still hasn’t solved 80% of product professionals say AI helps them ship faster, but customers aren’t seeing value any sooner. Atlassian’s State of Product 2027 explores the gains AI is delivering and the challenges that remain, from decision-making that hasn’t kept pace to gut instinct overriding customer evidence. Read the report         BIG NUMBER $400 million The amount of money that HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s largest for-profit health care operators, lost in the most recent quarter—in part because it saw more uninsured patients coming into its hospitals. The company reported earnings on Oct. 27 and said profits were slightly lower because of a rise in the uninsured. —Alana Semuels         SPONSORED BY WISPR FLOW Stop typing what you could say in 10 seconds. Wispr Flow turns your voice into clean, professional text inside any app. Emails, Slack, client updates: speak once, send without editing. 4x faster than typing. Works on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and Android. Try Wispr Flow free         THE QUOTE THAT STUCK ❝   We live in a skim, scan, scroll world.   Cheryl Fisher Therapist Cheryl Fisher told me this while we were talking about color walks, which involve picking a color and looking for it along your route. It made me think about how often I take a break from my computer only to spend my time “offline” looking at my phone. —A.H.         TODAY I LEARNED It’s a day to remember departed pets Mumford and Peppers. Today, Oct. 27, is an increasingly popular day to remember pets who have died as part of Día de los Muertos celebrations. Some families create colorful altars with their animals' photos, favorite toys, and treats—a way of honoring relationships that don't end when a pet's life does. I love the idea of setting aside a day for a kind of grief that isn't always taken seriously. Over the past few years, I've lost several beloved animals, including two cats whose deaths shattered me. I keep them close in little ways: My home is filled with reminders of Peppers, a once-feral cat who became my soulmate, and Mumford, a sickly, abandoned orange cat who found his way to my doorstep. I gravitate toward anything with peppers or oranges on it, like keeping a chili pepper ornament on my desk. Maybe that's part of what makes rituals like today's so meaningful: They give us a way to keep expressing love, even when the ones we miss aren't here to receive it. —A.H.         SPONSORED TIME100 Most Influential Companies is expanding TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2027 entries are now open. With new Exceptional Workplaces categories, the TIME100 Companies publication is expanding to recognize businesses pioneering new approaches to how people work, from flexible and hybrid work to technology integration and career development.  Because it’s no longer just what you do, but how you do it.  Submit your company.         A GOOD READ Dangerous fungi are on the rise Fungi are ubiquitous. They live in the soil we walk on and in the air we breathe, and are all over our bodies, too. There are an estimated 6 million species of fungi on the planet, but remarkably, only a fraction—about 300 of them—cause diseases in people.  The human body is too hot for most fungi to thrive, and our immune systems are usually robust enough to keep them at bay. “We are protected by our temperature and our immunity,” Dr. Arturo Casadevall, chair of microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, told me. We are, however, creating conditions that are making it easier for fungi to attack us, I write about in my new feature for TIME. Rising global temperatures and an increasing population of immunocompromised people are spurring an increase in serious, often life-threatening fungal infections. – D.M.  Read the full story here.         WHAT WE’RE READING Forget houseplants. Young adults in China are raising “moss bricks” to relieve stress. Amy Hawkins at the Guardian investigates the wonderfully bizarre trend.  Daylight Saving Time ends this week. Here's how to best prepare yourself for the time change, Chantelle Lee reports for TIME. B.R.A.I.N. is an acronym that birth doulas and other professionals use to help make medical decisions on tight timelines, Blake Farmer, Cara Anthony, and Emily Siner report for Nashville Public Radio and KFF Health News.       More Newsletters from Click to sign up. THE BRIEF +FUTURE PROOF +INSIDE TIME +IN THE LOOP +WORTH YOUR TIME + Subscribe to TIME Email us: healthmatters@time.com Received this from a friend? Sign up here Connect with TIME PRIVACY POLICY   © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States Unsubscribe