Up until recently, “No” was dirty word to me. As a stage-four people-pleaser, my vocabulary was rich with affirmatives: “yeah,” “sure,” “okay,” “absolutely,” “no problem.” But my mouth just couldn’t seem to form the consonant-vowel combination required to say “No,” even when “Yes” was simply impossible due to time conficts or just an overdose of...

Insomnia is one of the diagnostic hallmarks of clinical depression. As many as 80 percent of persons who are depressed experience sleeplessness: interrupted sleep, difficulty falling asleep, and early morning waking. Not only does insomnia aggravate existing depression, it can also create risks for developing depression and other mood disorders. It is essential to treat...

Most persons recognize the classic symptoms of depression: sadness, fatigue, guilt, an inability to concentrate or make a decision. However, rarely does anyone associate a backache or migraine with depression. In a recent survey, 69 percent of persons who met the criteria of depression consulted a doctor for aches and pains. Physical symptoms are surprisingly...

Recent happiness studies indicate that popularity, influence, and money do not make people happiest – even as our culture suggests otherwise. Autonomy, life purpose, and relationships are found at the top of the list. In her new book, “The Happiness Choice: The Five Decisions that Take You From Where You Are to Where You Want...

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. However, today I focus on men’s depression, and in particular, on older men’s mood disorders. I have excerpted an interview published in the Fall 2007 issue of the “Johns Hopkins’s...