Hope deferred makes the heart grow weary, but a desire fulfilled is like a tree of life.” (The Psalmist) How do you deal with disappointment? Do you retreat into a place of escape and isolate? Do you lash out at what or who disappointed you? Or do you fight back and try to regain what you lost? Disappointment can derail us, making it difficult to get back on our feet. I offer you a way to start coping with your losses and get back on the road to recovery. Join discussion...

Co-dependence is a learned behavior, rooted in shame, where the needs of others are chronically put before your own. The co-dependent lets others define who he is and sacrifices his own integrity to insure the emotional wellbeing of another. Co-dependents are caretakers and rescuers, controlling their outside world to obtain inner peace. Join discussion...

If I went to my doctor with a set of symptoms, no one would question the fact that I was sick. No one would impose a moral judgment on me for having those symptoms, and I wouldn't be viewed as a law breaker for being ill. But many people reject the idea of addiction as a disease and view the chemically dependent person as a social deviant. Join discussion...

Alcoholism is a disease shrouded in stigma and misunderstanding. Learn what it is and how to recover from it. This article is for alcoholics and the people who love them. Join discussion...

All of us struggle with managing anger. Here are some common ways that anger is expressed: 1. Some people let their anger build up until one day it explodes over a relatively minor event. Because it is suppressed, the anger becomes Mount Vesuvius ready to erupt, and when conditions are right, she blows her top! 2. Other people express their displeasure as an ongoing process; hence, the world's nitpickers. 3. The ones to worry about, though, are the people who are passive-aggressive in expressing anger. They are soft-spoken and smile a lot. They seem to be dripping with compliance. But when they "stick it to you," it catches you off guard because you don't see it coming. Join discussion...

There are two main types of depression: 1. Situational Depression; and 2. Clinical Depression. Situational depression is the kind that develops after something bad happens, say the death of a loved one or the loss of a job. Of course you're depressed! Who wouldn't be? Situational depression is short term and usually lasts from two weeks to three months. Sometimes it just goes away on its own, and other times counseling is needed. Join discussion...

"Hope deferred makes the heart grow weary, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life." (The Psalmist) How do you deal with disappointment? Do you retreat into a place of escape and isolate? Do you lash out at who or what disappointed you? Or do you fight back and try to regain what you lost? If you do any of those things, there is something I need to tell you: You are human. Join discussion...

When my father dumped my mother in his forties and married a woman three years older than me, I thought that he had lost his mind. My parents had been married for 21 years, everything seemed okay, and then, poof! It was over. I vowed that I would never do the same thing but, predictably, I did. Only my midlife crisis happened in my fifties. I dumped my husband of 23 years, moved into my own place and literally started my life over. What possesses a stable, rational person to make such a change? Is upheaval in our middle years something we can all expect to go through? This article will help you to gain insight into the phenomenon of midlife crisis. Join discussion...

Co-dependence is a learned behavior, rooted in shame, where the needs of others are chronically put before our own. The co-dependent lets others define who he is and sacrifices his own integrity to insure the emotional wellbeing of another. Co-dependents are caretakers and rescuers, controlling their outside world to obtain inner peace. Join discussion...

Psychologists have learned that most people experience similar thoughts and emotions when confronted with loss. These have been named the Stages of Grief. Whether a grieving person proceeds through these stages in a set order or not, the different stages help us to work through our loss in a way that will help us to accept it and heal. But we can't tuck messy emotions into neat little packages. The Stages of Grief are responses to loss that many people have. There is not a typical response to loss, as there is no typical loss. Our grieving is as individual as our lives. If you are trying to cope with a loss, these stages will help you to understand that, though painful and often confusing, what you are feeling is normal. When someone or something is wrested away from us forever, we suffer an acute emotional wound. Mentally, we must adjust to this trauma in stages because we cannot accommodate that much pain all at once. And so the process begins. Join discussion...