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Beyond Blue

In her introduction to “Touched With Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament,” psychologist and writer Kay Redfield Jamison writes this: “‘We of the craft are all crazy’ remarked Lord Byron about himself and his fellow poets. ‘Some are affected by gaiety, others by melancholy, but all are more or less touched….’ The fiery aspects…

I always knew that a person had to be without disabilities to work (I’m self-employed) or have health-insurance coverage (I’m on Eric’s company plan). But I was reminded today–while renewing my driver’s license–that you also need to be perfect in order to drive. “Do you have any physical or mental disabilities that could interfere with…

According to the Chinese calendar, 2007 is (quite fittingly) the Year of the Pig. This Communist country is getting quite picky with who is allowed to adopt their babies. All persons taking antidepressants are out. But don’t feel bad, fellow depressives, also ruled out are single folks, gay couples, high-school drop outs, people over 50…

I try not to worry too much about discriminations and uninformed labels here on earth because I know the Kingdom of God is stereotype-free. I was reminded of that as I sang the beautiful lyrics to “One Bread, One Body,” composed by John Foley, S. J., at Church on Sunday. He based the song on…

Thanks to a reader, Jennifer, for her comment on how Eric’s intolerance for clutter could be seen as controlling. It made me think of the correlation between abusive relationships and depression. While I’m happy to report that my marriage is relatively healthy (with some issues like every couple has), I have in the past been…

Yesterday a friend e-mailed me this: “On Wednesday, I will leave my husband of twelve years. He is a depressive. He uses prescribed medication and has available to him a phalanx of good therapists. But he also self-medicates with alcohol. He disdains therapy. He refuses to confront his disease.” She communicated this partly as a…

I found this interesting article on how depression affects couples: “Depression Fallout: The Impact of Depression on Couples.”

Clearing clutter has got to be the number one tool used by God’s watchdog of the pearly gates (St. Peter) to distinguish the advanced souls on earth–the Dalai Lamas with absolutely no attachment to material objects–from their infant brother and sister spirits, who clutch petals from their wedding bouquets and movie tickets from a first…

Even if I fail to effectively de-clutter my home, I’m good at reading about de-cluttering. Two books have been helpful in teaching me what this agonizing task has got to do with mental and spiritual health. In “Make Room for God: Clearing Out the Clutter,” author Susan K. Rowland claims that “clearing out the clutter,…

It doesn’t take much to get this mortal second-guessing herself. One harsh message on the comment board will do it. An African-American woman was offended that I used Martin Luther King, Jr.’s sentiments as a launching pad for my own dream–that mental illness would lose its stigma. As I read her remarks, I thought to…
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