Depression

The Joy of Sadness

Upon exploring my psychological issues rather late in life I discovered something entirely unforeseen: that while I had been unconsciously avoiding feeling “sad” my entire life this emotion was not only satisfying but a key to who I really am. I had until then said my goal in life was to be “happy”. After this… Read more »

A Parent’s Shorthand Guide to the College Transition

High school graduation is a culmination of emotions, a push-and-pull of opposing feelings on the human psyche. There’s a mixture of anxiety and excitement, happiness and sadness, regret and expectation, and relief and concern. And this doesn’t just apply to the grad either; parents are equally if not oftentimes more immersed in this emotional tug-of-war…. Read more »

The Gifts of Depression

The term depression tends to be slung about carelessly these days. We wake up in a funk, things didn’t go well at work today or we missed the most recent episode of Mad Men and we’re “depressed.” Technically, we’re not depressed. If we want to be nit-picky, we would clarify that we feel disappointed or… Read more »

Is Happiness Really Normal?

Most people would say they want to be happy. They want their children to be happy. They want their spouse to be happy. There is almost a reaction of fear if we ourselves, or someone close to us, is feeling “down.” The world-view prevalent in today’s culture seems to be that happiness is the “normal” that people… Read more »

The Critical Inner Voice That Causes Depression

Fighting depression is a matter of taking real action, but when feeling depressed, forcing ourselves to engage in even enjoyable activities can feel like dragging ourselves through quicksand. Depression is one of the most devious disorders, as the symptoms it induces make it all the more difficult to take the actions that fight it. But… Read more »

Is Your Child Depressed?

Early on, many of a child’s emotions are chalked up to physical stages of growth; Tempers are attributed to teething and the “terrible twos,” whining is associated with tiredness or tummy aches, irritability is associated with learning disabilities or adolescent hormonal shifts. While biological phases do have a great impact on a child’s development, how… Read more »

Having an Allergy to a Person – Part 1

Having a relationship with a toxic person In her routine clinical practice, this author often comes across young men and women who have everything — good looks, intelligence, lots of clothes, sound bank balance, loving husband or wife — and yet, they have nervous breakdown or bouts of depression and anxiety. In most of the… Read more »

How Can You Tell if Your Child or Teen is Depressed?

Having a child who is hurting or depressed is one of the toughest struggles a parent can face. Overlooking our kids’ mood swings or listening to the advice “It’s just a phase” are never the right reactions to warning signs of depression. Instead, we must learn how to recognize these signs and understand how to… Read more »

Busting the Myths About Suicide

There are many commonly held beliefs about suicide that keep us from trying to help people at risk. Here are some of the typical misconceptions about suicide that are NOT true: Most suicides are caused by one particular trigger event. A person who attempts suicide has to feel bad about themselves for a long period… Read more »

What To Do When a Loved One is Depressed

It’s tough when a friend or family member is going through a depression. No matter how much you love the people in your life who are struggling, appreciate their company or value their friendship, it can feel impossible to get through to them at times when they are depressed. While you may feel like telling… Read more »