Ten years ago, when I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I was working with a psychiatrist who wanted me to alert him at the first hint of a creative thought, like an article idea or God forbid a concept for a book—any scribbling into a notebook–because that was surely an indication that I was...

Finding the right therapist can involve almost as much energy and time as finding the right spouse. Instead of meeting for coffee, or appetizers and drinks, you’re spilling your guts inside a bunch of psychotherapists’ offices, trying to gauge whether all that notebook scribbling is going to translate into help or not. If you don’t know...

Yesterday I published last year’s holiday blues piece. Here is this year’s …  For highly-sensitive folks and people predisposed to sadness, the holidays create a perfect storm for depression. There’s the added stress of holiday shopping, decorating, and parties — not to mention dealing with strained family relations; snowball and gingerbread cookies seem to stalk...

This was last year’s list of survival tips. I will publish this year’s shortly! I feel guilty writing that: “getting through the holidays.” I’ve done an excellent job this year of scheduling events that will force my brain to appreciate the magic of the holiday season: I actually participated in a cookie swap even though...

Difficult people are like the termites of the human spirit. They can be eating away at the tender parts of you for months on end before you notice, and then, suddenly, at a work meeting or a family dinner, you lose it. You might scream something unkind or have a temper tantrum much like the...