Suppose you have a pebble in your shoe. Despite this nagging distraction, you try your best to make your life work. You get a massage, drink a margarita, fall in love, win the lottery. You do what you do, but still there is this pebble in your shoe. Now suppose you’ve always had a pebble […]
Does a Good Cry Really Help?
by James Robbins, M.A., LPC Crying is good for you–just not for your sex drive. Crying is a form of self-medicating. Not chopping-an-onion crying, but emotional crying. It seems to provide two main benefits. Stress relief. When you cry emotionally, you are detoxing. Your tears contain ACTH, a chemical that becomes cortisol. Cortisol is the […]
Irritability, Edginess and Depression
by James Robbins, M.A., LPC When you think of depression, you likely think of sadness. You may imagine someone struggling to get out of bed, or slumped teary-eyed in front of the TV. And yes, depression does manifest in such symptoms for many people. However, irritability, edginess and explosive anger are also common signs […]