Is there a predictor of failure in relationships? According to marriage expert John M. Gottman, PhD, there is. We are often blind to the obvious, and keep hoping for things to get better when our relationship holds all the signs of heading south. Of course, there is no perfect relationship, but there are many things […]
I was 13 when that life-changing moment occurred. I was at the cinema, watching “Superman.” I got my first period right there in the theater! My Spanish stepmother hugged me and congratulated me. What for? I wondered, for growing up? I didn’t want to become a woman! I was a tomboy, with an awful fear […]
The National Institute of Mental Health claims that living with an obsessive compulsive mind can be debilitating in its most extreme forms. But in milder forms, you can actually make OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) work in your favor. My OCD is not so great that I cannot function. And once I understood it is part […]
I read often that social media is killing relationships and genuine social interactions. I disagree. For me, social media has opened doors to a whole new world of friendships with like-minded people. You see, I used to suffer from social anxiety, and the mere idea of face to face interactions was debilitating and paralyzing to […]
As much as aging is not something anyone looks forward to, it’s an inevitable process we have to either suffer through or learn to accept. At a young age, we seem to be convinced that wrinkled, older people belong to a different species or social class. Then, those wrinkles start surfacing on our own faces […]
I dislike labeling people, especially regarding their sexual orientation. I don’t introduce people by saying: “This is my gay friend, Jay,” the same way I don’t say: “This is my straight friend Mary,” or “This is my sex-toy-loving, single friend Anne.” I allow people to come to their own conclusions, unless someone expresses a romantic […]
I never wanted children. My biological clock never seemed to start ticking. Even when my friends and family started having kids, all I could think was: Why would anyone want to go through so much suffering, all just to have their brood grow up and one day yell at them: “It’s all your fault!” However, […]
Depression can be life-changing. It’s not your average case of the Mondays, or a bad hair day. It’s not sadness, or short bouts of typical depression brought on by life’s circumstances. It’s feeling like your body is made of lead, not wanting to get out of bed and shower, thinking your existence is meaningless and […]
Cigarettes seduced me slowly. At first, they helped me to lose weight, keeping my mouth busy between meals. Then I began to depend on them when I was anxious, angry, sad, and in social situations. Cigarettes became my constant companion, in sickness and in health. May 31 is the WHO’s World No Tobacco Day, and […]