My dear friend, poet Dessa Byrd Reed, often spends holidays alone as a widow. However, she doesn t see this, as many people often do, as a depressing circumstance. In a November 2000 POETIC VOICES interview, she said, Because I am single and live alone, I eat out a lot. I love to talk to strangers. That’s one of my favorite things. I go out for breakfast and talk to people.

Another talented writer, Leslie Lafayette, dealt with being a childless woman by choice in WHY DON T YOU HAVE KIDS?: Living a Full Life Without Parenthood. You can bet that because of her choice many people would pity her. She writes the

Alone Again, Naturally column for the outstanding magazine THE DESERT WOMAN. Observers might conclude she s miserable on the holidays.

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Everyone has heard of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). It may even seem like everyone else s children have it. Studies show that between 3 and 5% of all children have ADD. Putting that into perspective, in any given classroom there is probably at least one child that has ADD. Children with ADD appear to be out of control. They show signs of being unusually active. They tend to function by impulse and without thinking. They seem to not be able to pay attention for very long at all. Usually their lack of attention comes last in the sequence. It may take months for the child to demonstrate such abnormalities.

It is common for children with ADD to go undiagnosed because their behavior is written off as a discipline issue. It is easy to believe it is related to discipline because the development of the symptoms is generally gradual. A child that has historically been well behaved slowly becomes less in control, thus adults take the reasons in stride. As difficult as it is to notice potential ADD, the issues may very well be a disciplinary problem. One clue is if the child demonstrates all three traits; hyperactivity, inattentiveness and impulsiveness. It is essential a professional make the diagnosis, because it is very possible the symptoms are not ADD.

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Dealing with loss of family can be especially difficult for those who suffer from manic depression. Not only are they trying to cope with the traumatic experience, but they are also trying to remain stable and trying to avoid a depressive or manic episode as a result of the stress it caused. Some with manic depression may even need to seek extra support to cope with the grief or anxiety that the traumatic event causes.

Everyone handles grief or anxiety differently during a loss or trauma. Living with manic depression can be a delicate balancing act. If something creates a lot of stress or anxiety for them, they can easily become overwhelmed and slip into mania or depression. When

grieving, it is not unusual for someone to feel depressed. However, if someone with manic depression grieves and feels depressed, they have to make a conscious effort to try to avoid having a full-blown depressive episode. However sometimes, the looming depressive episode simply cannot be avoided.

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The 10 given panic attack tips are very simple to follow, but some people believe, and rightly, that the panic attacks might occur to them at any given time, even while sleeping. A few of the attacks of panic may be owing to a phobia and internal fear, but others do not possess any reason or rationale.

1. Proactive approach: The first step you should consider to stop or even reduce the number of times you experience these panic attacks is to take a proactive way out. Get yourself involved in how you are treated, how you deal with anxieties and the reaction of your body to given situations.

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There’s no doubt about it - if someone you love develops Alzheimer’s disease, your lives will be changed forever. It’s truly devastating to watch someone you love as they begin to lose their memory, and as the disease progresses, it also becomes a lot more difficult to care for that person. Let’s take a look at a few basic ways in which you can cope more effectively as your loved develops Alzheimer’s.

The first step is always to find out everything you can about Alzheimer’s disease, so that you know what it is, and how it’s likely to progress. The more you know, the better prepared you will be for all potential eventualities. It also

makes it easier to understand exactly what your loved one is going through, so that you can be more supportive. Knowledge helps you to cope. If there’s a support group in your area, you might want to join it, because shared experiences make it easier to cope with the situation. You may find that many of the other members can give you helpful advice and ideas about your situation, because they’ve already experienced similar things to what you’re now going through. If you can’t find a local group, try searching online, as there are support groups available on the Internet as well.

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