Emotional Health + Original Articles

You have the power to change your attitude for the better. It's not easy to be around people who are downers. But if you're the type who sees the bad in everything, you might be hurting more than just your social life. Several studies have revealed that those who think positive actually live better and longer than those whose glass is perpetually half empty.

Lying isn't always a bad thing. Q: I've always been taught that lying is wrong. When is it okay, or even beneficial, to lie? A: When we were young, we were taught not to lie.  Yet, as it turns out, there are benefits of lying--and sometimes it's even a necessity. The "white lies" we tell to others serve as the social glue that allows us to sustain and enrich our relationships.

Recent research has shown that those with a sunnier disposition may live longer. We all have that one co-worker, friend, or neighbor who is constantly (and maybe even annoyingly) happy.  And while some believe that people are just born optimists, recent exciting studies have shown that happiness is learned-much like crocheting or table tennis.

From causes to treatments, learn more about this common problem. If you've got a "grumpy old man or lady" in your life, he or she may be depressed. According to the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation (GMHF), depression affects 15 percent of Americans seniors. Depression is a serious illness characterized by a combination of symptoms that disrupt normal living.

Friendships come and go. Learn how to regain the meaningful ones. A difficult truth to cope with is the fact that friendships fade. Distance takes its toll, disagreements happens, priorities shift and change. Life adjusts course. As we grow, friendships are gained and lost, and although it may seem easy, maintaining healthy, lasting friendships take a lot of commitment and energy.

Not feeling yourself? Your eating habits could be the reason. We all have them at times-days when life really tests us. Your car gets a flat on the way to work, you flub an important report, you can't help your child with his math homework, and to top it all off, you burn dinner. Your mood? Lower than this week's stock market, and understandably so.

Eight Celebrities Who've Turned Flaws Into Trademarks Hollywood has always had its quirky-looking stars. And although their ranks may be thinning in this age of nose jobs and Photoshop, we've rounded up eight celebs who've stuck to their guns — and refuse to shy away from their individuality. Tyra Banks.

Follow these tips on how to actually keep your New Year's Resolutions. Everyone makes them, few keep them. That's right, it's the New Year Resolution, so popular that it has its own Wikipedia entry and a page on the government's Web site. Come January 1, everyone wants to lose weight, pay off debts, and quit smoking. But we're not interested in which resolution you're making or which one is most popular.

Here, we explore some of the most common misconceptions surrounding the season. Are the holidays really the happiest time of the year? Does everyone really gain at least five pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's? During a season ripe with fantasy, it can be hard to separate myths from reality. Here, we dispel four bogus holiday health myths.

There is currently no cure for epilepsy, but with the right treatment, most people with the condition can lead normal, fulfilling lives. More than 2 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with epilepsy, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). But as common as epilepsy is, stigmas about the condition have only recently begun to be dispelled.

Learn about the symptoms of alcoholism and what kinds of treatment are available for this disease. Most Americans can't go a whole day without viewing a beer ad on the television, passing the neon signs of a bar, or glimpsing a billboard promoting the newest brand of vodka. Alcohol permeates American culture, and it's unlikely to change anytime soon.

Ending a relationship can be a painful. Follow these tips to bounce back from a broken heart. It's often said that breaking up is hard to do--and anyone who's been through a split, separation, or divorce knows exactly how hard it can be. You might feel hurt, lonely, resentful, angry, confused, or jealous. And what's worse, you may experience all of these emotions at the same time.

Feelings of depression are significantly more common in people with chronic back pain. Find out more about how to manage your pain and your emotions. Chronic pain and depression are two of the most common health problems Americans face. What's more, studies have found that these two conditions are often linked, afflicting the same sufferers. Close to 6 million American adults report suffering from back pain, and studies have shown that depression is four times greater in people with chronic back pain than in those without.

When you've been wronged, can you forgive and forget, or do you need to exact revenge? Many of us love good revenge stories--tales in which victims ultimately become victors by wielding vengeance on all who've wronged them. But in real life, retribution isn't always all it's cracked up to be. In fact, according to experts, letting go of revenge fantasies may be one of the best things you can do for your health.

These important tips could help you get out of a dangerous situation. It's late and it's dark, and you're finally leaving the office for the night. You're tired, frustrated, and just want to get home. As you're walking to your car in the deserted parking lot, you think you hear a noise behind you. You whip around, only to be forcibly grabbed.

Find out how to control your excessive spending. Americans just love to spend money. The average American has about five credit cards. Our national debt is more than $10 trillion. A political campaign spent a reported $150,000 on a vice presidential candidate's wardrobe. Because of our culture, it can be easy to laugh off or ignore excessive spending habits.

Don't let these toxic types bring you down. There are probably a few people you wish you could avoid--your mother-in-law, your nosy neighbor, or the woman at church who always asks you for a favor. Although you may not always enjoy their company, you know in your heart they mean well and that you shouldn't stay away from them entirely.

Here, some of the most unbelievable reasons people have found themselves searching for new employment. If there was ever a time when simply being qualified for a position was enough to prevent you from being fired, this most certainly is not it. In fact, there are entire websites devoted to people telling their most ridiculous stories of being let go. From posting a comic strip to talking behind a coworker's back, here are six of the craziest reasons people have ended up on the unemployment line: 1.

Although the holidays are supposed to be a time of joy, they can also be a time of stress and depression. Find out how you can avoid the holiday blues. Many of us will attend or host a winter holiday party this season. We have to balance normal work and home demands with special holiday events and shopping for gifts. Festive lights, warm fires, and family gatherings are common during the holidays, but unfortunately so are stress, anxiety, and sometimes, depression.

Don't worry, be happy. And you can be—if you follow these helpful tips. With the cost of living skyrocketing, the stock market plummeting, and a recession looming, it can be pretty hard to stay optimistic these days.  Yet according to ongoing research, a positive point of view will not only help you cope with adversity, it can also keep you healthier than your pessimistic peers.

We all feel a little bummed from time to time, but could your diet be the cause? Find out here. In our modern American society, anxiety, stress, and depression can play a large role with respect to work, relationships, and money. In fact, 33.9 percent of adults report having poor mental health, according to the Kaiser Family Health Foundation. Many people eat when they're depressed, but few realize that what they eat may be at the cause of their woes.

Do you find yourself speeding, honking, or constantly changing lanes? If so, you may have road rage. Read on to spot the top 10 signs. Consider this: Americans spend 100 hours a year commuting but take only 80 hours of vacation annually, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Is it any wonder that many of us have road rage? Even so, road rage isn't acceptable. Aggressive driving, which includes speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, and not paying full attention to the road, puts many people at risk.

Could you have cause for concern? What ever happened to the notion of "'Til death do us part"? With America's divorce rate sitting at sky-high levels, "'Til divorce do us part" is perhaps a more realistic wedding day exchange. But amid the startling statistics, it's important to remember that marriages rarely die overnight.

Some shades are calming, others inspire conversation. Find out how colors can improve your surroundings and your mood. Have you ever wondered why a clear blue sky puts you in a good mood? Or how the off white walls of your office seem to put you to sleep? Studies show that colors have a profound affect on our emotions. Marketing companies and advertisement campaigns have long used color schemes to sway our mood in one direction or another.

By giving thanks for what you have and not dwelling on what you don't, you'll be happier this holiday season. Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time to reflect on people and events you are grateful for, but this year, with so much bad news about home mortgages, increased heating prices, and the reality of job cuts, it may seem hard to find reasons to be thankful.

Genetics plays a role in many of our health matters and actions, including learning from out mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time. But the way people deal with their errors is often vastly different. While some people dwell on their missteps or simply refuse to acknowledge them, others view their blunders as unique opportunities for self-improvement and personal growth.

A sense of humor and perspective can help you maintain your dignity—even in the most humiliating circumstances. You mistakenly sent a scandalous email about your love life to your entire company. Your mother-in-law accidentally walked in on you in the bathroom. You received an award, then tripped and fell on your way to the podium. Some embarrassing scenarios are unavoidable, while others can be prevented.

For years, researchers had been debunking the age-old notion of a midlife crisis. But a new global study may prove them wrong. Do you feel confused about who you are and where you're going? Do you feel trapped by your career, lifestyle, family, and friends? Do you find yourself second-guessing decisions you made years ago or even questioning the meaning of life? Not long ago, if you answered yes to these questions and were between the ages of 30 and 60, most experts probably would have chalked your feelings up to a midlife crisis.

Nearly 7 percent of Americans suffer from depression, but the disease is often misunderstood. Here, we separate fact from fiction. Persistent feelings of hopelessness, mood disturbances, sleep problems, weight gain or loss these are just some of the symptoms that characterize clinical depression. Also known as major-depressive disorder, the condition affects approximately 14 million Americans each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

An ever-growing topic among psychologists, emotional intelligence can play a significant role in your job, your relationships, and your own self-worth. Emotional intelligence (EI) is a hot topic these days. But what exactly is emotional intelligence, and why is it so important? According to Daniel Goleman's groundbreaking book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, while intelligence quotient (IQ) is a measurement of cognitive abilities, emotional intelligence is more difficult to quantify.

Parkinson's disease doesn't have to keep patients from living full and active lives. Follow these seven tips to help manage your symptoms. Parkinson's patients spend more than $5 billion on treatment each year. Drug treatments have improved so much that doctors are now less likely to recommend surgery to people with Parkinson's. These tips can help you manage your symptoms and maintain an active lifestyle, but it's important to consult with your doctor, too.

For many, the holidays are a time to celebrate... For many, the holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends. But for some, the season can bring on feelings of intense stress and sadness. In fact, an estimated 10 million Americans, or about 6 percent of the U.S. population, experience these feelings in their most extreme form--a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Get the real story on America's most prevalent mental illness, from symptoms and diagnosis to treatment. Depression has been called the "common cold of mental health"--and is it any wonder? Approximately 18.8 million American adults, or 9.5 percent of the U.S. adult population, suffer from a depressive disorder each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Learn how to spot the warning signs--and break the vicious cycle. Controlling spouses, unstable siblings, friends you just can't trust. Does any of this sound familiar? If so, you may be in a toxic relationship--and you're not alone. According to experts, most Americans have struggled with at least one unhealthy social bond by the time they're in their late teens, and sadly, many continue to endure these connections throughout their lives.

It's often said that you can never be too rich or too thin--but can you be too nice? According to a recent University of Iowa study, excessively nice people often feel as if they have no control over their decisions, thoughts, or opinions. As a result, they can become resentful, frustrated, even depressed. Are you too nice for your own good? 10 Telltale Signs That You're Too Nice 1.

These strategies can help you cope with the most common caregiver emotions. When you're caring for an elderly loved one, it's normal to feel sad or discouraged from time to time. Ignoring your feelings won't make them go away; in fact, it may even make them grow stronger. Instead, try these six suggestions from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.