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Beyond Blue

So often in life the grass seems greener on the other side of the septic tank (that was Erma Bombeck’s line, not mine). I’m sitting here right now totally envious of my single girlfriend who just jetted off to the Caribbean to go scuba diving. She can do that stuff—she’s not tied down by miniature…

Since I can’t totally empathize with Suzanne—having two little blessings in my life that I scream at too often—I sent her comment to my guardian angel, Ann, because I know that not being able to conceive and bear children of her own was a big source of her depression. As always, she blew me away…

Even women who have conceived, bore, and raised kids of their own experience depression when they are no longer in an active mothering role. I have to be honest, I can’t really relate to that right now from where I’m sitting, at the beginning of flu season trying not to think about what kinds of…

Dear God, In Luke 19:10-14, Jesus told this parable of the healthcare insurance representative, I mean tax collector and the Pharisee, who we already know is going to be the bad guy based on all of Jesus’ other stories: Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the…

In keeping with the theme of being a tad messed up, but using the mess toward some holy end, here’s a lovely Buddhist story about the purpose of a cracked pot that reader Lisa shared on the message board of my “The Return of Enjoyment” post back in August, and reader BGG contributed to the…

I also loved this comment from reader Lynn on the message board of my “You Are Not Your Disease: You Are Not Your Pot” post. My schizophrenic partner for many years has lived in his pot, or I should say stayed in his pot for at least 30 years. I somewhat understand why this happens…

I often focus on women’s issues with regard to depression–hormonal triggers, people-pleasing, guilt, motherhood, and so forth—because, statistically speaking, more women than men suffer from depression. But, as you can read from the message boards, Beyond Blue has many male readers. So today I focus on men’s depression, and in particular, on older men’s mood…

Also in the Fall 2007 issue of the “Johns Hopkins Depression and Anxiety Bulletin,” a closer look at the symptoms of depression in men, and how they differ to classical symptoms most often found in women: It is difficult to make definitive statements about differences in how men and women FEEL when they’re depressed. However,…

Here are some classic symptoms of depression: • Persistent sadness or anxiety • Difficulty concentrating and remembering things • Fatigue and diminished energy • Changes in sleep and appetite • Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, and/or worthlessness • Thoughts of death and/or suicide And here are atypical, or less obvious symptoms, which may often occur in…

I’m really excited about Beliefnet Community, which launched two weeks ago, because it gives the community of Beyond Blue all kinds of possibilities to grow and deepen. When I wrote in my last post that many of my supportive friendships have been born online, I was referring to lots of Beyond Blue readers that I…
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