I think we would all have fewer toxic friends if we knew how to control our drawbridge. In “The Inner Voice of Love,” spiritual author Henri Nouwen writes this: You must decide for yourself to whom and when you give access to your interior life. For years you have permitted others to walk in and...

What if your friend, mother, sibling, or father-in-law is severely depressed but refuses to recognize it? Most of us have been there at least once in our life: the awkward spot where you know a loved one has a mood disorder or drinking problem, but is too stubborn to admit it and to proud to...

Depression never happens in a vacuum. Like a ripple in the water, a parent’s illness can’t help but affect her offspring. Different studies have documented how depression in a new mother clearly affects her interactions with her baby or toddler. Depressed mothers are more withdrawn, less responsive to their infant’s signals. “Their facial expressions and...

The research is in. Loneliness isn’t just a case of the sniffles that can be cured by a singing Hallmark card. It’s associated with increased risk of heart disease, higher rates of inflammatory disease, and diminished immune function. According to a team of psychological researchers out of the University of Michigan, loneliness has a stronger...

I’m reading, and rereading this archive post this week. Today would have been a good day for me to wear the t-shirt that says, “I can only please one person a day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow doesn’t look good either.” As I progress in my recovery, I am a choosier shopper when it...