“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...
The self-defeating thoughts that accompany depression are among the most painful elements of the illness. When I’m in the thick of the darkness, I can’t see anything remotely positive about myself. I concentrate solely on my weaknesses. The other day I wrote down some affirmations to say when I’m in this place, to remind myself of my value even...
Had depression not killed my godmother — my mom’s sister — and had it not made a pretty good attempt at ending my life, I doubt I would admit to anyone that I pack my suitcase full of the old-people container of meds. It’s hard enough to list them all at the doctor’s office with a straight...
Picnics at the beach. Afternoons by the pool. Three months of summer bliss. Or not. For many people, the summer months are the most difficult. In fact, 10 percent of those diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder suffer symptoms at the brightest time of the year. The summer’s brutal heat, bright light, and long days can...
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...