Fighting the Loneliness
I haven’t always had to fight loneliness and isolation. When I was younger I loved going out to listen to live music. Dancing was a fun way for me to…
Antidepressants
Facing Major Life Changes with Bipolar Disorder
Major life changes. They say for those of us with mental illness that major life changes can be more difficult. Things like making a move to a new home, a…
Depression Treatment: Where We Are Missing the Mark
Depression affects 450 million people worldwide and 15 million adults in the United States (U.S.) alone. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, claiming over…
Don’t Tell Me to Shut Up: The “Et Tu, Brute” Stigma of Mental Illness
After sharing my eccentric journey to recovery in a new book, I’ve been accused of being anti-psychiatry. I’m not anti-psychiatry. I’m only anti-psychiatry if it means questioning the long-term efficacy…
How Genetic Testing Saved My Life from Debilitating Clinical Depression
The psychologist’s qualifications are proudly displayed in frames on his wall: a doctorate in clinical psychology, board certifications in clinical psychology and clinical neuropsychology. Maybe this means he can help…
A Few Metaphors to Better Understand Depression
Depression is a difficult illness to understand. It’s hard to understand for the people suffering from it, but it’s downright impossible to know everything that a person who deals with…
Which Antidepressants Cause the Least Sexual Side Effects?
Sexual side effects and one’s libido are an important issue when it comes to antidepressant medications and depression itself. All too often, this issue is ignored when antidepressants are prescribed…
Not Just for Attention: Stop Teen Suicide
The subject of depression and suicide, especially in the case of children and teens, is a tremendous concern. Unfortunately, many cases go missed not necessarily because those surrounding these young…
Increase in Suicide Rates and Teen Depression
Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report on January 11, 2017, detailing our country’s progress in twenty-six public health categories. The report is based on…
Preventive Therapy for OCD?
The postpartum period is sometimes accompanied by anxiety, depression, and even obsessive-compulsive disorder. Studies on preventive therapy for postpartum OCD have shown promising results. What a great idea! Stop OCD in its…
Medications for OCD and Activation Syndrome
It seems to me that there are more commercials than ever before on television for all kinds of medications, including SSRI’s (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) which are antidepressants also used…
Depression in Children and Adolescents
Depression in children and adolescents is a major health problem in the United States. Unfortunately, it is often ignored or misdiagnosed. It is not uncommon for parents to attribute moodiness…
Shame: The Quintessential Emotion
It’s the quintessential human emotion, says New Brunswick, N.J., psychologist Michael Lewis, Ph.D., in his writings. All extravagant behaviors are reactions to it, says Philadelphia psychiatrist Donald I. Nathanson, M.D….
Coping with Antidepressant Side Effects
All types of antidepressants can cause some side effects. The most common problems are sleepiness, dry mouth, constipation, nausea and sexual problems. Some people react badly to antidepressants; in others…
Managing the Painful Side Effects of Antidepressants
For better or worse, one of the primary treatments of clinical depression — antidepressants — come with a host of negative side effects. For some people, these side effects will…
