The six weeks encompassing Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s—collectively called “the holidays”—are for most, a magically unique time of year. But for many, the holidays bring hurt. Caused by factors including the weather, separation, death, stress, unrealistic expectations, hyper-sentimentality, guilt, or overspending, holiday depression—also called the “holiday blues”—can zap the merriment out of even the...Continue reading
Pop quiz: Who’s taken a selfie? A better question: who hasn’t taken a selfie? A recent estimate says we take 93 million selfies worldwide every day. Narcissism? Perhaps. But the real danger seems to lie in selfie-induced injuries, and even death. People (mostly young adults) have fallen off bridges and cliffs, slipped down stairs, been...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: I’m a new dad, and a month or so after our son was born, my wife started acting strangely. Thanks to an article you wrote a while back, I recognized the signs of postpartum depression—she was sleeping more than usual, putting on weight, crying a lot, losing interest in things she loved...Continue reading
Most people don’t know I’m bipolar. After years of loving kindness shown to me by my wife, therapy with a caring and skilled therapist, and medications to help keep me in balance, my illness is in remission. Even if you had known me when I was the most out-of-control and crazy you probably wouldn’t have...Continue reading
Most people don’t think too much about daylight savings time. Sure, when it kicks in (usually in March), we grouse about losing an hour of precious sleep. But within a day or two, life goes back to normal. And when it ends (usually in November), we love the extra hour of sleep. But after a...Continue reading
I recently read an article, “Why Bruce Springsteen’s Depression Revelation Matters” and it reminded me how important it is for well-known people to talk about their own mental illness and mental health. In Springsteen’s recently released book, Born to Run, the rock legend talks about his long history of depression and how he has dealt...Continue reading
In an interview with Anna Kendrick, Stephen Colbert joked, you ask a guy when the last time he saw his best friend and his answer is two and a half years ago. Cue the laughs at the distinction often made between male and female friendships, but the reality isn’t as funny. The disturbing truth is...Continue reading
The elusive cause of Alzheimer’s disease continues to frustrate researchers but they are getting better at discovering earlier indicators of it. A new report from researchers at the University of Calgary in Canada presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2016 (AAIC 2016), have developed a 38-point checklist that could be beneficial to doctors in...Continue reading
Feeling a little blue? If nothing negative is going on in your life, it could be because of your environmental surroundings. The good news is that with a few simple changes you should be able to cheer up quickly. Here are some factors that may be affecting your mood along with some tips on how...Continue reading
We often hear the clinical terms used by doctors and other professionals to identify the symptoms of mental illnesses…but if someone hasn’t gone through it, would they know how to recognize it? So often, clinical terms don’t do justice to what life with a mental illness feels like. We know that two people with the...Continue reading