Living

The days of my parents' deaths came about a month apart, years apart. The grief I feel on the anniversaries of my parents' deaths takes on different forms. My mother...

Recently, I was thinking about the question: How much do you say about your depression? If you are like me, the answer is "not much" or maybe "it depends." Yes...

My psychiatric diagnoses are anorexia and borderline personality disorder, which are currently resolved, and major depressive disorder, which in the past was been recurrent, severe, with psychotic features, but now...

Living with major depressive disorder (MDD) is a constant daily battle. One method of coping with MDD is to find your joy. While it is not an easy assignment, it...

We all know someone like depression. She resembles a person you might meet at a party who follows you around the room, latches on and sticks with you until the...

My parents raised their kids on music from a very young age. Mom sang old washing songs for us as she rinsed shampoo out of our hair. My dad made...

Major depressive disorder (MDD) can be challenging to manage, but there are a variety of coping strategies that can make management easier. This article considers 3 coping strategies that make...

I'm a licensed clinical social worker practicing in the New York City area for almost 24 years. I also have lived experience with severe mental illness. Social work is my...

The question of how I'm doing is usually met with one of the following quippy sayings, "I'm hanging in there," or "livin' the dream," or "one foot in front of...

Do you remember the commercials featuring a depressed drawn figure with a cloud and rain depicted overhead? I sometimes feel like I'm trying to outrun or outwalk my depression and...

My healthcare providers have been all over the place through the years. I have seen a host of different physicians for my depression and comorbid anxiety. If you are starting...

Several dates cluster together over a few months of the year that I anticipate bringing up difficult thoughts and feelings. I know I'll get through them. The question is, will...

While relationships are complicated, major depressive disorder (MDD) can multiply the complications of acquiring and maintaining relationships. MDD can affect a variety of relationships, such as friendships and romantic associations...

Following my diagnosis of depression and generalized anxiety disorder, I began seeing a counselor for treatment about 12 years ago. Despite being diagnosed several months earlier, I started counseling only...

Major depressive disorder (MDD) forced me to reshape the way I think about the world in so many different ways. If I'm too tired to make food? Then I have...

Over the years, I have seen a variety of therapists in hopes of treating my major depressive disorder. Through this trial and error, I have found a variety of qualities...

What constitutes a difficult day? Everyone has their definition of a difficult day but I'm referring to days you can anticipate by the calendar's date – anniversaries of a sort...

Here's the thing about tattoos – once you get one, you'll want another, and so on, and so on. Several years ago I felt that itch (not literally, that happens...

When depression strikes and rears its ugly head, anxiety is not far behind. At least that has been my experience. Depression and anxiety go hand in hand like peanut butter...

Over the years, I've had many a difficult conversations about my mental health and assorted mental illnesses. Sometimes these conversations were to reassure my family that I wasn't actively suicidal...