In a prior blog I listed seven ways to manage depression when you can’t get out of bed. The suggestions are different than the popular tips most depression experts give for boosting your mood, which are usually written for those with mild or moderate depression, or the really lucky people who just want to feel better. I thought it...

Up until recently, psychiatrists and pharmacologists have concentrated on the biochemical approach to treating depression: targeting the imbalance of neurotransmitters that can be addressed with the use of antidepressants and other medications. However, some depression experts today are embracing a neurological perspective, using brain-imaging studies to target specific areas in the brain to regulate mood....

“You have to decide … Are you a Tippper or an Eeyore?” That’s one of the questions Randy Pausch, famous deceased Carnegie Mellon professor whose presentation, “The Last Lecture” went viral landing him on Oprah and a host of other afternoon and late night shows. I loved every other part of his lecture but that....

From the earliest days of civilization, music has been used to heal the body and soul, and to express what is difficult to articulate in words. Victor Hugo once said, “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” Therapists have tapped into the healing power of creative...

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 contribute to...