How We Get Addicted

[By Michael D. Lemonick]

For a species wired for survival, we have an odd habit of getting hooked on things that can kill us. New research is revealing why-and opening the door to a long-dreamed-of cure....

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Depression Causes Rejection, and Rejection Causes Depression

Do you ever pretend to be happy, even when you are not?

It is not enough to pretend that you are happy. The people around you probably can see right through this lie. Maybe you’re acting the part but your heart is not truly in it. Your happiness and desire to be around others has to be authentic. Being authentically happy is the only way to get people view that you are not depressed.

In some ways, you may be caught in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Being depressed and emotionally unavailable, you fear that you cannot connect with others or that others will reject you. This thinking likely makes it difficult for others to connect with you, and you them, and this inability to connect fuels and reinforces your depression. The best way to break this cycle is to rid yourself of your depression. Once the depression is gone, you can be yourself and finally start connecting with others in a genuine way. Your depression stifles this process.

Overcoming depression is no easy task. This is especially true when you have endured a great amount of loss and pain. Despite your pains and losses, your depression is not insurmountable. Antidepressants are a good start but a medication regime alone will never be enough to help you work through your depression. A seasoned therapist can help you work through your depression and regain your life and your social ties.

Find a counselor to connect with and get help in ending your depression.

Alcoholism Study Shows High Stats

More than 30 percent of American adults have abused alcohol or suffered from alcoholism at some point in their lives, and few have received treatment, according to a new government study...

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How Do I Wean My baby?

You have a determined and strong child. He/she knows what he/she wants and goes for it. But he/she is in danger of hurting themselves Meanwhile, you are trying to take the next step in their independence but you are being frustrated in your efforts.

The best source of information I know for issues around nursing (and weaning) is the La Leche League. Go to http://www.lalecheleague.org/ and search “weaning.” You will find lots of information. See if there is a LLL chapter near you. If so, you may find that they have support groups and/or other women who can coach you through this important time in your baby’s life.

Women Increasingly Guilty of Domestic Violence

SEATTLE, June 27 (UPI) -- University of Washington researchers tracing the development of violent behavior have found a link between teenage violence and domestic violence. Adolescents who engaged in violent behavior at a relatively steady rate through their teenage years and those whose violence began in their mid-teens and increased over the years are significantly more likely to engage in domestic violence in their mid-20s than other young adults, according to lead author Todd Herrenkohl, an associate professor of social work at the University of Washington in Seattle. The study, published in the journal Violence and Victims, also found no independent link between an individual's use of alcohol or drugs and committing domestic violence. In addition it showed that nearly twice as many women as men said they perpetrated domestic violence in the past year, including kicking, biting or punching a partner, threatening to hit or throw something at a partner, and pushing, grabbing or shoving a partner, said Herrenkohl.