There is nothing worse than feeling like a complete utter failure, crying your eyes out, and then a well-intentioned person comes along and says something that, to your ears, sounds like: “You were right! You are, in fact, a loser.” Good intentions or not, the wrong words hurt. Awhile back, I published a piece,  “10 Things Not...

Someone recently said to me, “Your tips are fine for those who struggle with mild to moderate depression. But what about if you can’t get out of bed you’re so depressed? What would you say to those who are really ill? She’s absolutely right. Suggestions to improve one’s mood and to pursue healthy living should...

Approximately 10 percent of depressed persons are treatment resistant. These folks have not responded to antidepressants or any kind of medication. Their efforts at cognitive-behavioral therapy and other types of therapy have failed. Even sessions of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) have proven unsuccessful. These people are the sickest of the sick, and spend their days in...

Depression has long been associated with imbalances of neurotransmitters, chemical messengers in the brain that bridge the synaptic clefts and pass messages from one neuron to the next. Particularly the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, have been said to be responsible for depression and symptoms of mood disorders. However, a wave of research point to...

I’ve long been interested in the connection between mental health and addiction because the worlds of recovery are so similar and yet so different. One of my biggest frustrations in addiction recovery circles is the lack of awareness of mental health–especially the physiological nature that threatens lives. And many depressed folks don’t take seriously enough the addictive...