Living with Active Addiction: Staying Healthy Amid Chaos

Living with addiction in any form-- alcohol, religious, rage, money, sex, overeating, smoking--is miserable. I've played codependent to many. Addiction is cunning, baffling and powerful. I've made every mistake in the book (and invented some). Most of my dysfunctional coping mechanisms were learned in childhood and I'm working to recover from them. Here's what to expect in codependent recovery.  Living with Active Addiction: Staying Healthy Amid Chaos

How Crash Diets Damage Psychological Health

One of the biggest diet mistakes is food deprivation. That sounds like an oxymoron. Obviously, to lose weight, you have to cut back. But the key is how, where and how much. Excessive deprivation is dangerous, physically, psychologically and emotionally. Here's how it's affected me. How Crash Diets Damage Psychological Health

Attachment Parenting School Age Kids and Tweens

When people speak of attachment parenting, they're usually referring to infants or preschool kids. But the commitment to this type of parenting carries over to older kids too. Speaking as a mom who's in her 25th year attachment parenting, here's how it worked for us with school-age kids and tweens (preteen kids under 13).   Attachment Parenting School Age Kids and Tweens 

Soul-Soothing Music for Valentine's Day

Like no other stimulus, music touches our deepest soul responses. Music is sensual and provocative. Music spurs strong emotions and reactions. I'm a realist in practice but a romantic at heart. I'm often moved to tears by a particular piece of music. Love songs soothe my spirit, perfect for Valentine's Day. Whether you're in a committed, relationship, just broken up, looking of love or comfortably single, this music will salve your soul. If you're grieving, these songs can help you access angst. If depression plagues you, use as music therapy. I've included songs from different genres and countries. I've also included my favorite versions of the songs. Romantic Love Songs for Valentine's Day 

Diet Dangers--Things to Avoid to Lose Weight

Dieting is one of the most challenging behavior modification acts to perform. Unlike quitting smoking, where the smoker can give up cigarettes altogether, the dieter has to eat to live. I can't give up food but I can avoid certain pitfalls. Here's my diet danger watchlist. What to Avoid in Weight Loss

Beat Parenting Exhaustion in Healthy, Drug-free Ways

To say parenting is exhausting is a colossal understatement. Caring for rambunctious, demanding children is not like any go-to job. Work is at home and home is at work. Parenting is 24-7-365 with no built-in breaks, vacations or quitting time. It's a constant drain on a parent's mind, body and emotions. Here are tips to recharge your parenting batteries.  Refresh, Sleep Better without Drugs

How to Sleep Well without Drugs

"I didn't sleep well. I'm exhausted!' How often do you say or hear those words? It seems everyone is tired, even children. Here are simple tips to help you fall asleep, stay asleep, sleep well and awake refreshed. And best of all, these methods require no drugs. Read more

Beat Holiday Blues by Controlling Holiday Spending

Is your holiday spending growing like Santa's waistline? Overspending is a sure route to holiday depression. And if you struggle with post-holiday letdown or even just seasonal affective disorder, getting in debt won't make these conditions any easier to manage. Take it from a lifelong depression sufferer--spending more than you can afford will send depression through the roof with each incoming bill. And I don't know how your depression manifests itself, but I'm so miserable I can't stand myself. I'm horrible to live with. It's not a merry Christmas, that's for sure.

That's why I'm posting tips to keep the Christmas spending monster at bay. There are a lot of reasons for and ways to overspend. Sometimes I spend to compensate for feelings of guilt. Sometimes it's because I'm feeling deprived in other areas. Whatever the reason, no good and lots of harm comes from overdoing it at the holidays. Every year, I struggle to keep within a budget during the Christmas spending blitz. Here's how this Christmas elf keeps financially solvent through the spending season. Using these strategies takes me steps further in my quest to live in joy with medication. read more

Parenting tips to survive teen depression

Clinical teen depression is relatively uncommon, but most teens are subject to bouts of depression however. Tedious as they may be for parents, blue periods in teens are normal and even healthy. Teen depression is particularly challenging to deal for parents who are struggling with their own emotional issues. Here are drug-free coping strategies to help parents help teens. Parenting tips to survive teen depression 

My Emotional Health Self-Help Books Bibliography

Whenever I need guidance, comfort, help or advice, I look to the book. The Bible is my guide for life, but it's  worlds beyond the ordinary book. I've found comfort and healing and emotional from ordinary authors, too. Are you struggling with emotional issues: fear, anger, shame, low self esteem, panic, depression, death, loss, grief, compulsive behavior, abuse, addiction, betrayal? Here's my recommended reading list for survival. Each of these has helped me at some point in my life. In my journey to quit antidepressants, self-help reading was vital. I've written this list chronologically according where I was when I discovered each book. 10 Emotional Health Self-Help Books