Growing Bolder Community

My husband, Dick, suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), so when the days get shorter, his anxiety mounts. Until we figured out what was going on, the emotional toll was so crippling that Dick was unable to function normally. It took his doctor several annual cycles to figure out that the cause of Dick’s anxiety, depression and general malaise had no basis in his relationships,...

Someone recently wrote me and mentioned her sewing room. It was in the context of maintaining her sanity. She said she had a stressful day at work and when it was over she retreated to her sewing room in order to maintain her sanity. That’s all it took for me to start on another musing journey. I certainly can’t argue with her about her work being very stressful. It probably is...

It’s that time of the year again when the list of things to be done grows by the minute, plans are changed again and again until the last minute, and stress over finances, family, and friends is at an all time high. There is too much to do, too much to see, too many places to be, and far too many expectations to be met. The demands of work, family, friends, and even church push us to a panic...

A recent USA Today poll asked this question, “Which best fits your holiday emotional state?” · Relaxed - 18% · Joyful - 31% · Stressed - 27% · Depressed - 24% Why do people feel so overloaded with additional problems during the holidays? I believe the majority of the pressure they feel is from...

When I quit the seven-day-a-week job that I had held for 21 years as manager of a retail operation, I decided to lose weight and get fit. In retrospect, I wonder if the stress of that unrelenting schedule contributed significantly to my obesity. Perhaps so, because look at this article about a report that Zofia Zukowska of Georgetown University and her colleagues recently published in the Journal...

How to get really M.A.D. to make a difference? by Dwight Bain Are you facing an incredibly difficult time in your life right now? If so, know that you are not alone, even though it may feel like it. During the painful times of life it is easy to get mad at what is going on around you, and it is normal when you feel hurt to lash out in anger, literally to pass on the pain to others....

Do you have Post Election Stress Syndrome? By Dwight Bain, Nationally Certified Counselor A major election always leads to major change- psychological change that is. No matter who wins an election, the unexpected emotional letdown or explosive reaction after the ballots are counted can be overwhelming to many, especially the aged or over-involved who can be set up for crushing amounts of what I...