I have tried to write another blog post, several times, but can't get anywhere. This happens when I'm trying to avoid something: I stumble over it anyway. There is no avoiding it: I went to a funeral this weekend of a young woman killed by anorexia and I'm sad and I'm mad and I'm sad again and I don't see how to think about anything else.

If you have ADHD, then you are probably well aware of your mind's ability to hyperfocus on absolute wastes of time. You may even specialize in it, wasting time with such flare that your unemployed friends marvel at you. Video games are my weakness. I usually avoid them, but occasionally I get sucked in and have to turn to drastic measures to pull myself out.

I have to admit that I completely failed to stay upbeat and positive. All I could think was "When will this end‽" It always ends, like a passing storm in the night. Terrible while overhead, but soon forgotten in the beautiful morning that follows. My "morning" started at 7:15pm Thursday night.

Adventures in Bipolar Diagnosis continued from part one... Lamictal was indeed a miracle for me. It allowed me to finish my bachelor’s degree, get a job in my field, and even become a skydiver. In retrospect, it was an amazing time to be me, to be in remission. Everything was good, until it wasn’t. I felt myself slipping about two years into the Lamictal treatment. For no known reason, the medication simply stopped working. This is a common problem with psychotropic meds and something else no one likes to mention.

PTSD is an extremely challenging condition and people with post-traumatic stress disorder face the added stress of PTSD symptoms such as nightmares, insomnia, flashbacks, rage, intrusive thoughts and more on a regular basis.  This week, on the HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show, we'll explore the causes and impact of PTSD and how you can deal with trauma in your life with Drs. Rosemary Lichtman and Phyllis Goldberg. You can read more about them at the bottom of this post.

I'm an optimistic person and an activist by nature. I'd rather talk about what we, as parents, CAN do than what NOT to do. But sometimes doing less is not only best, it is lifesaving.

This past weekend, I attended a 2 day photography workshop. I picked this particular workshop because it wasn't too far away from where I lived.  I paid for it over a month in advance and I was really looking forward to it. I knew when I paid, I would cross my fingers that my hubby would be in town to watch the little one, but that he could possibly be gone as well. Sure enough, the day before the workshop, he had to fly out of town at the last minute for the entire weekend.  It made things complicated; which was what I wanted to avoid.

What happens when a clinician tells our child to do something we don't agree with? This is confusing for children, at times, and for us! The reality is that when we take our child to consult with a professional, we are engaging in co-parenting at some level. Another adult is telling our child what to do. But, at times, these instructions are in opposition to our guidance, and that great friend of eating disorders -- triangulation -- gets a boost.

In late 1998, I knew that something was wrong with me. My life was going well; I was in university, on my way to a computer science degree, in the co-op program and had completed an eight-month job in Calgary. I had been contented and grateful since leaving my mother’s house and moving to a new town. I was more happy than I had been in years. But little by little, I found myself increasingly sad and life became peppered with bouts of meaningless, spontaneously crying. I was unreasonably moved by the foretold unfolding of TV plots and commercials. In November 1998, I found myself in a pitch-black room, unable to get out of bed for an entire day. I was in the south of Spain, a ten minute walk from white sandy beaches and half-naked women. That was the moment I truly realized I was broken: I was in heaven and yet crushed with sadness.

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It should never be skipped, even if you are feeling nauseous from morning anxiety (Morning Anxiety 101: 5 Useful Tips). Eating right away when you wake up gets your metabolism going which will help you lose weight, and can regulate blood sugar levels which can relieve morning anxiety.