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Have you been watching the sad saga of Charlie Sheen splayed out in newspapers, on TV talk shows, and online recently? Like many of us, are you wondering how a person with such apparent abundance in his life could take such a negative turn? While I do feel it’s quite unfortunate that someone’s extensive battle with mind-altering addiction (and possible concurrent mental illness) can wind up becoming fodder for ridicule in the public arena, I am also very much hoping that it might increase some … [Read more...] about Addiction in the Family: Or… What’s Up with Charlie??

My father had a number of wonderful sayings.  One of my all-time favorites was this one:“Some days you eat the bear, some days the bear eats you.”With apologies to vegans and all animal lovers, I’ve always thought that’s a great analogy for life because sometimes it can feel like we’re getting everything we want, while at other times just the opposite is true and nothing seems to go right.  And there are times when that feeling of nothing going right seems to go on for quite a while.When my … [Read more...] about Handling Disappointment: Riding the Wave

Ah, Valentine's Day, the fantasy-filled holiday that comes right after we've managed to get ourselves through another year of Christmas and New Year's Eve! Have you ever wondered whose bright idea it was to have those three  holidays in a row? For many people, the 3-month period of December through February can be festive and fun-filled. But for others -- or for at least some of us, some years -- it can be like running a gauntlet of forced gaiety: an obstacle course full of mind-numbing … [Read more...] about My Rx for a Happy Valentine’s Day: Become Your Own True Love

In the immortal words of John Lennon, another year is over and a new one's just begun. Isn't it interesting how we, as a society, agree that this is the time to give ourselves and our lives a complete and total new makeover? We have decided that at this time of the year we will revisit the year we're leaving behind, dissecting it to see what worked for us and what didn't. And on top of that, we need to make sure that we meet all of our "resolutions" quickly and perfectly or else we have failed … [Read more...] about New Year’s Resolutions? Try Intentions Instead

Did this holiday season sneak up on you? For me, it was just September, and as I talked with someone about how fast time seemed to be flying, I remember saying “Christmas will be here in about 15 minutes.” How right I was – it’s only 5 minutes away now! Although people look forward to this time of year, there are many stresses that seem to almost be built into it. The holidays promise peace, love, and joy – but for a lot of us they can also bring a heightened risk of loneliness, depression, … [Read more...] about I’ll Be Sane For Christmas