• Eight Tips for Managing Stress
• Tom Cruise - Just Plain Wrong
• Low-Cost Summer Fun Activities
• Dear Dr. B.: Is My Son Depressed?
• Do You Suffer from Depression or an Eating Disorder?
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Tom Cruise recently made negative comments in front of a national television audience about people like Brooke Shields, who use antidepressants for postpartum depression. It is irresponsible for him to make these kinds of blanket statements about people who take medication, especially since his views are not based on any scientific data.

Mr. Cruise may not realize that depression after childbirth is one of the most serious mental health problems. Women who experience postpartum depression may find themselves totally unable to function. They may experience psychotic symptoms, such as hearing voices. Worst of all, they may be at risk to harm themselves and their children. Experts believe that hormonal changes following childbirth are typically responsible for postpartum depression. Consequently, medication is often necessary to help these women return to normal functioning. As a psychologist, I would hate to see any woman with a significant postpartum depression fail to get at least an evaluation for medication. To discourage someone from doing that, in my opinion, would be malpractice.

Read on..

Do summertime activities tend to drain your wallet? Here are some activities that provide hours of fun with family and friends at minimal cost.

• Go to a drive-in movie. With a carload of people, the expense is minimal, and the tailgating picnic is half the fun.
• Get passes at your local library. Most libraries give out free or discount passes to museums, science centers, and parks for nearby cities and towns.

Dear Dr. B.:
My son just finished his sophomore year in college. His grades are good, and he has plenty of friends. For some reason, he has been very irritable and angry most of the time since he came home. He has no patience with any of us, especially his two younger sisters, who really look up to him. I try to ignore his irritability most of the time, but I can't let him walk all over the girls without speaking up for them. As far as I can see, there are no signs of alcohol or drugs being used. My son used to run cross-country, and takes very good care of himself, but lately he also seems to be working out less. Do you think he could be depressed?
- Simone J.

Read on...

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Photo copyright 1998/02 © 1moviesearch.com

Tom Cruise recently made negative comments in front of a national television audience about people like Brooke Shields, who use antidepressants for postpartum depression. I think it is irresponsible for him to make these kinds of blanket statements about people who take medication, especially since his views are not based on any scientific data.

Mr. Cruise may not realize that depression after childbirth is one of the most serious mental health problems. Women who experience postpartum depression may find themselves totally unable to function. They may experience psychotic symptoms, such as hearing voices. Worst of all, they may be at risk to harm themselves and their children. Experts believe that hormonal changes following childbirth are typically responsible for postpartum depression. Consequently, medication is often necessary to help these women return to normal functioning. As a psychologist, I would hate to see any woman with a significant postpartum depression fail to get at least an evaluation for medication. To discourage someone from doing that, in my opinion, would be malpractice.

Medication is not the answer for everyone who is depressed, nor is it the solution to every difficulty in life. Taking medication can increase the risk of negative side effects and other medical problems. Medication creates additional complications for nursing mothers or women who are pregnant. For many problems, certain types of talking therapy can be every bit as effective as medication, and in some cases, more effective. All that being said, the data still show that medication can be extremely helpful, particularly for the most severe forms of mental illness. In some situations, including those involving women with postpartum depression, it may literally save lives. I wish Tom Cruise had the wisdom and life experience to realize this.

Richard Bedrosian, Ph.D.
President and Founder, MySelfHelp.com

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Do summertime activities tend to drain your wallet? Here are some fun activities that provide hours of fun with family and friends at minimal cost.

• Go to a drive-in movie. With a carload of people, the expense is minimal, and the tailgating picnic is half the fun.

• Get passes at your local library. Most libraries give out free or discount passes to museums, science centers, and parks for nearby cities and towns.

• Visit amusement parks on weekdays, when admission is cheaper and crowds are smaller.

• Have a picnic at a nearby park, beach, or lake.

• Look for last-minute vacation deals. Many hotels and vacation home renters will offer last-minute deals for unrented rooms or homes.

• Use 2-for-1 coupons for restaurants, amusement parks, etc.

• Team up for group rates. Call your friends to team up for group rates at amusement parks, shows, etc.

• Check with your local chamber of commerce for a schedule of activities at local parks, such as free concerts, shows, etc.

• Plan a camping trip. If sleeping in a tent is not your idea of fun, choose a site that rents cabins. You can still relax around a campfire under the stars.

• Go to the beach. Pack a cooler, blanket, and football or frisbee for hours of fun in the sun.

• Take a hike up a mountain or on a scenic nature trail.

• Visit your local zoo and bring a picnic lunch.

• Go to a “BYOB” restaurant. By bringing your own alcohol, you can significantly lower the bill.

• Gather friends for a cookout – make it pot-luck so there is minimal work.

- Caren Kenney

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Dear Dr. B.:

My son just finished his sophomore year in college. His grades are good, and he has plenty of friends. For some reason, he has been very irritable and angry most of the time since he came home. He has no patience with any of us, especially his two younger sisters, who really look up to him. I try to ignore his irritability most of the time, but I can’t let him walk all over the girls without speaking up for them. As far as I can see, there are no signs of alcohol or drugs being used. My son used to run cross-country, and takes very good care of himself, but lately he also seems to be working out less. Do you think he could be depressed?

- Simone J.

Dear Simone,

Certainly depression is a possibility. In the past, mental health professionals made the mistake of assuming that depression was typically a “female problem”. Depression may manifest itself differently among males than it does among females. Adolescent and adult males who suffer from depression may not show a great deal of sadness or melancholy. Instead they may appear to be irritable and angry much of the time, just like your son. As a result, they often find themselves in conflict with the significant people in their lives.

Over the past 28 years, I have treated many men for depression, but relatively few of them realized they were depressed prior to treatment. Many of them originally came to see me for couples therapy, often because their wives could no longer tolerate their irritability and anger. Others came to me for help with substance abuse or impulse control problems, such as compulsive gambling. Despite these different presenting symptoms, the underlying problem was depression.

I hope that you will be able to encourage your son to seek an evaluation with a qualified mental health professional. If he is reluctant to do so, perhaps exploring our programs might help him be more receptive, since we try to educate people about psychotherapy and dispel some of the misconceptions they may have about it. I also think it is important for your son to get a medical screening, to rule out medical problems or medication side effects that could be causing his mood problems.

Dr. Richard Bedrosian is a clinical psychologist, president and founder of MySelfHelp.com, Associate in Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and author of Treating Family of Origin Problems: A Cognitive Approach.

Send your questions for Dr. B. to info@myselfhelp.com. You will remain anonymous if your question is printed in an upcoming newsletter.

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