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Postpartum depression has gotten a lot of press recently, in part due to Brooke Shields's book and Tom Cruise's misinformed comments about it. A certain mystery seems to surround this illness. Women fear it, understandably. Just at the time when they most need their strength and sense of wellbeing, after the birth of a baby, a dark mood can move in and take over.

Premenstrual cravings for carbohydrates have been known to women for years. While women with binge eating problems will really ratchet into high gear when they're premenstrual, even women whose eating patterns are usually normal will notice over-the-top cravings during the week or so before their periods.

Premenstrual cravings for carbohydrates have been known to women for years. While women with binge eating problems will really ratchet into high gear when they're premenstrual, even women whose eating patterns are usually normal will notice over-the-top cravings during the week or so before their periods.

At least once a week a client says to me “I really should…” or “Do you think I should...”

Every time I hear this I say, “Instead of what you think you should do, what do you want to do?” The client is almost always surprised by my response.

That’s because we have grown so accustomed to thinking about what we “should” say or do that we have lost sight of what we really want, of the things that make us happy. When making a decision, most of us respond with the automatic “should” so often that we don’t even consider our own needs.

Optimism means “to anticipate the best possible outcome.” It seems simple enough. However, so many of us struggle to be optimistic. When you observe adults discussing their day, their work, their lives, they seem to complain and focus on the negative more than the positive and certainly, you hear more pessimism than optimism. And based on the state of our country and the world, and the pains and disappointments that we all suffer in life, it is somewhat understandable that people do not feel optimistic.

Webster’s dictionary defines anger as a strong emotion of displeasure and belligerence. Anger often comes from the perception of being treated unfairly or being forced into accepting loss or change without our consent. Short term anger is transitory and can be a positive force if it pushes us to addressing the reality of our situation. Long term anger can be physically and mentally toxic; it clouds our judgment, reduces effective communication, increases stress and generally leads to a breakdown in relationships and our ability to maintain intimacy.

Symptoms of depression and/or anxiety can be overcome and reduced with intervention. If you think that you have a predisposition to a mood disorder, you will want to be evaluated by a medical doctor. If you experience symptoms of depression and/or anxiety, there are also ways to relieve symptoms by changing the way that you think and in turn changing the way that you feel. Feelings of depression and anxiety will lead to an unbalanced lifestyle. Negative thinking and fearful thinking lead to depression and anxiety.

Depression is like emotional quicksand. The more you struggle and fight to get out of it, the deeper you sink. One reason you may get stuck feeling depressed is that you do not realize there are two levels or layers of depression.

Layer One:

The initial feelings of depression everyone experiences from time to time. They last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. This level is like initially stepping into quicksand.

Layer Two:

October 7, 2005--The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health, is launching a new effort in the Real Men Real Depression campaign — Spanish-language materials to inform the Latino community about depression and to encourage men who are depressed to seek help.

Here you come with your signature limp and stifled grimace of pain. Your stark look of disappointment suggests that ice, anti-inflammatory drugs and electro stimulation therapy have collectively done little to alleviate your demoralizing leg pains. Your doctor, the reluctant magician, knows what’s coming next but, his Hippocratic Oath will not permit a surrender to the impulse to run and hide under his desk. The first imploring words out of your mouth are: "Doc, I’ve been training for six months to run/swim/bike a PR in this major race. I’m soooooo close.