I need a new wardrobe with my medication

Aside from sexual dysfunction, weight gain is another side effect that becomes problematic for patients who need long-term antidepressant therapy.

Courage to Hang On and Live

The haunting images of bipolar disorder as captured by the Jessica’s brother is more telling of the suffering endured by patients than any amount of scientific papers. Some time ago, writings told of Jessica doing well. When I read the update this time, I learned that she had taken her own life in May 2003.

My Creativity Comes Through Me and From Me, NOT Depression

I want to re-open this post to bring attention to a comment that James has sent (April 18, 2008), where he talks about his concept of having “caves” in our mind that constitute our “persona”. I found this metaphor intriguing, and I want to share this with you.
Article History: Originally Published November 22, 2007
In a [...]

Chemical Imbalance and Depression: Cause or Effect?

A couple of months ago, Dr. Jonathan Leo contacted me about an article he had published that asks a very important question on the relationship that we (including myself) have come to take for granted: chemical balance and depression.
The journal article is called, “The Media and the Chemical Imbalance Theory of Depression.” It is [...]

Dealing with Manipulation, Guilt, and Self-Pity

Ever since I reported on the high suicide rate of Asian American students, I’ve been thinking of writing something for them that addresses cultural conditioning.

Here is what I have observed from my own experience and coming from a first-generation asian immigrant family:

Many asian parents are amazing at using manipulation, guilt, and self-pity to get their kids to do whatever they want, or at least make them most miserable if the kids disobey. They aren’t necessarily being malicious on purpose, they just learned it from their parents.

I need to live the life I want to live, NOW, or I’ll die living the expectations of my parents, and be crappy job at it because I’d be miserable.

More About Our Society Than About Britney

Sure, I know about Britney Spears‘ fast track down the self-destruction path. It’s hard not to know. When I turn on the TV, she makes the evening news (that’s in addition to tabloid “news” magazines littering our stations). When I wait to checkout at the grocers, her image graces the tabloid magazine decking the “impulse-buy” [...]

Dealing with Fear of Success

An updated version of this article may be found on my main website:
Are You Afraid of Success?
http://janechin.com/?p=6

A reader wrote me after reading my post, “Fear of Success and How Kids Become Bullies”. How does one deal with this fear of success and continual self-sabotage?
I think our fear of success may come from a deeply ingrained [...]

Compassion, Happiness, Medication, and Genetics

Albert writes about self esteem and three stages of cultivating compassion towards yourself. When you consider the concept that “depression is anger turned inward”, cultivating compassion becomes a critical component of healing the self. For Albert,
“When I found out I was a Highly Sensitive Person – reading the psychological research on the character and [...]