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 face, much...

As a manic-depressive, my postcard from the Caribbean would say, “Having a ball, wish I were dead.” (My guardian angel, Ann, came up with that one.) That’s how moody I am. And my moods definitely fluctuate according to the seasons.Thus, my love-hate relationship with October. Typically, in a non-global-warming world, this is the month when...

In his book, “How to Love,” bestselling author and psychiatrist Gordon Livingston offers 37 chapters of advice for a happy marriage. Having myself compiled stories, excerpts, and insights from hundreds of couples—famous and not—in my book with co-editor Mike Leach, “I Like Being Married,” I recognized the wisdom in his simple suggestions. I chose four...

From my archives … Many of you may have seen the Ted video by Jill Bolte Taylor, the neuroanatomist and spokesperson for the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center who survived a stroke in 1996, at age 37, to describe the shifts in her brain that took place as part of her recovery. Fascinating stuff. And...

Two bombs explode yesterday in the crowded streets near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Three people are killed, including an 8-year-old watching his father run, and more than 130 are injured. But there are thousands that will leave the race with posttraumatic stress symptoms. Although not all will develop what we define today...