Beyond Blue

I’ve been pursuing a better understanding mindfulness–and trying to practice it–for a good six months now. In the last few weeks, though, I think I’ve made some progress due to a CD I’ve been listening to by Dr. Elisha Goldstein called “Mindful Solutions for Stress, Anxiety, and Depression.” I have been listening to the CD…

I have always loved the verses of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, and throughout October and November I say them daily. The beautiful words are attributed to Solomon, which isn’t surprising since, according to the Bible, God granted him abundant wisdom.   Here is the full text. Try not to sing “turn, turn, turn” after each line. It’s…

I like to publish this story every October 1, since it is the feast day of St. Therese, my patron saint. I owe my life to St. Therese of Lisieux. A few times over. This Carmelite nun–dubbed the “greatest saint of modern times” by Pope Pius X–declared on her deathbed that she would spend her…

I have decided to dedicate a post on Thursday to therapy, and offer you the many tips I have learned on the couch. They will be a good reminder for me, as well, of something small I can concentrate on. Many of them are published in my book, “The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit.“…

how to build better personal boundaries

Johns Hopkins just published an interesting summary of the research out today on treating mood disorders with hallucinogens. In the most recent Depression and Anxiety Health Alert, the author chronicles the history of hallucinogens and how they affect the central nervous system to release the right kind of neurotransmitters. Per Hopkins:   Hallucinogens (also called…

“If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go in sane,” sings Jimmy Buffett. “Time spent laughing is time spent with the gods,” says a Japanese proverb. A sense of humor, for me, is by far the most useful weapon in my depression arsenal. Which is why Eric is panicked when I stop laughing, when my…

This is a piece from my archives. But it’s a good reminder of my brick walls today. “Brick walls are there for a reason,” said Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon University computer-science professor who so poignantly taught us how to die in the years after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. “They let us prove…

Awhile back Christina Gombar of Exhale interviewed me about pregnancy, medication, and motherhood. You can find the original interview by clicking here. Here’s what I had to say:   Christina: In your memoir, “Beyond Blue,” you attribute some of your relapse after a post-college, medicated recovery to a perfect storm of factors — moving, switching…

I have decided to dedicate a post on Thursday to therapy, and offer you the many tips I have learned on the couch. They will be a good reminder for me, as well, of something small I can concentrate on. Many of them are published in my book, “The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit.“…

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