An unexpected break-up, past criticisms, the calorie intake in a meal, the amount of money sitting in a bank... These are all examples of everyday topics that often result in consuming, repetitive and persistent thoughts. Why do we develop obsessive thought patterns and how can we free ourselves from them?

Dysfunction doesn’t run, it gallops through my family tree! Growing up in a home with parents who were depressed, anxious and with various other emotional problems, tends to create children with the same issues. I am a testament to just that. I have never felt normal. I was always very reserved, withdrawn, cried easily and often I just wanted to sleep. I had few friends. I still shy away from people.

Your heart races, your body temperature rises, and you feel ready for an outburst that expresses how angry you really are. You may be tempted to hold back your anger, but this may not always be the best approach. It turns out anger has a beneficial side too. This emotion is often hidden or repressed, but anger can be helpful and even healthy.

Recently, I spent the afternoon making greeting cards. I’m not particularly crafty, but this is a hobby my mom got me into years ago and I enjoy the creativity of making up my own designs combined with the practicality of creating something I need anyway. I have a little spot in the basement where I have all my paper and ink and stamps and glue and I spent four glorious hours all by myself figuring out the design for this year’s family holiday card. And I felt guilty nearly the entire time.

Four years ago, I was diagnosed with rapid-cycling cyclothymia. It’s like a milder version of Bipolar Disorder, complete with hypomanic and depressive cycles, but I can cycle several times within a week, or even a day. (read: Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms, Treatment, Effects) No two days are alike. I realize that it’s difficult to understand. Things change so quickly that it confuses me, let alone an outside observer. There is so much misinformation “out there”, that it’s tough for people to piece together an accurate picture of this condition. So I thought I’d take the reader on a journey of what a day could be like when I’m especially rapid-cycling.

There's a lot of initial confusion that can exist for a caregiver during a mental health crisis situation. In my case, the lack of support received from the first responders in that situation was eye-opening and left me confounded. My name is Douglas Baker. I'm a former caregiver to a woman who suffers from schizoaffective disorder - my ex-wife. If you have been caring for a family member with a mental illness for a while, you probably can relate to my story. If you're just getting started, here's a heads-up.

I'm Sandy Rosenblatt. I have trichotillomania and I want to come clean about something. When I first decided to blog about trichotillomania, I was very clear with myself. I knew what I would write about and what I wouldn’t. I knew I had no problem being vulnerable, sharing my own story. I also had no issue writing blogs that were fact-based. I did, however, make a conscious decision of what I, 100%, would not include. I was not going to write a single sentence about one of the possible behaviors that one may have with trichotillomania. I was absolutely NOT going to include anything about eating hair. (trichotillomania symptoms)

Intimate partner violence has been called the “hidden variable” in the lives of older adult women (65 and older). In our youth-driven culture, it can be difficult to think of older women as the victims of domestic violence, spousal abuse, rape, or emotional abuse, chiefly because it is uncomfortable for us to consider the elderly as romantically and sexually active. These are younger women’s problems, goes the popular attitude, and media and social services directed at victims of IPV seem to concur. If you’ve ever thought this way, you’re not alone. Studies have shown even physicians are reluctant to ask older women about domestic violence, particularly sexual abuse.

A veteran with PTSD considers living in a van in New Hampshire with his wife, two small children, and two large dogs. He can't find housing that will accept the dogs he can't live without. A peer specialist fails to get a homeless woman with a psychiatric disability into a shelter because she won't be separated from her cat. A woman with bipolar disorder pays hundreds of dollars each year in illegal fees to keep the cat who helps her sleep. These people are real. Their needless suffering and expense occurred because few people understand our rights under the Fair Housing Act (FHA).

Homework is difficult for most children and it's even harder for children with ADHD. But there are ways to handle homework problems and keep the frustrations and hassles to a minimum. It's all about planning ahead and being organized. If you start out early and set the ground rules, your child doesn't need to endure the usual homework frustrations and problems.