A recent study found that about  one woman in three who went to a doctor’s office walked out with a prescription for an antidepressant, most without even a follow-up appointment to see how it would work. Today some 11% of American women and 5% of men are taking antidepressant medication. The main reason these meds are […]

GROWING YOUNGER ON THE INSIDE AS YOUR BODY AGES ON THE OUTSIDE At seventy-two, I am less and less interested in the exterior of people’s lives – what their bodies, clothes, houses, vacations, or social media images look like.  I pay more attention now to how their eyes twinkle, how their voice dances, how their […]

  Fight off Depression from Winter Cold, Long Nights, and Holiday Stress The winter crud that climbed into me last year sat into my sinuses and didn't leave for two months.  So this Friday I'm getting my flu shot.  And to prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and  the holiday burn-out blues,  I'm going to give […]

MOODINESS, MOOD SWINGS, AND BIPOLAR DISORDER Most of us get called moody once in awhile, and the term bipolar gets thrown around an awful lot these days. When we discuss someone’s moods, we need to define our terms very carefully. Bipolar Disorder is a major psychological disorder, requiring counseling, periodic or long-term regimens of medicine, […]

The following article is offered in an effort to prevent someone's suicide: If someone you know is talking about helplessness or suicide, you would do well to write them a letter.  And if it's you, write yourself a letter, and ask someone else to write you one too, saying something along these lines: "Please keep this […]

The following article is offered in an effort to prevent someone's suicide: There's a man I have admired and wanted to meet for some time.  He has helped lots of my clients, he's written a book, and he has had widespread exposure in the media.  He's in my field, and takes a very similar approach to his […]

You can feed your depression these body-building nutrients, or you can starve it to death.  Can you see how self-defeating and avoidable these behaviors and attitudes are?  1.  Shame:  Hurt somebody, and don’t ask them or God for forgiveness.  Don’t make amends either, or learn from it--just forget about it.  That way you can’t forgive yourself either. 2.  Resentment:  Expressing anger is […]

How can a person tell if she is clinically depressed or just down? Depression is the most common mental/emotional disorder, costing American business untold billions of dollars in productivity each year.  That’s because most depressed people go to work anyway, and only 1/3 seek treatment, and because most folks believe they can and should bring themselves […]