Two Takes on Depression

Treating the very condition you live with––A clinician's dual perspective

by Deborah Serani, Psy.D.

Broken Heart Syndrome AKA Stress Cardiomyopathy

Valentine’s Day is not always a candy coated day of love and romance. For many who've lost a loved one, suffered a break up or are on the brink of separation or divorce, this day is anything but sweet. Learning about Broken Heart Syndrome can help you heal from your love trauma and make it through emotional calendar events like Read More

What to Expect in Psychotherapy

There are many forms of talk therapy, each with the same goal of reducing symptoms and develop well-being. Before you start your journey of self-awareness, there are some fundamentals you need to know. Read More

New Year Resolutions and Depression

Here are some ways to foster well-being in the New Year while making resolutions - that even if you fail, you win. Read More

How to Keep the YOU in Yuletide

The holiday season is not just a time for merry making, good will and celebrating with loved ones. For some, it's the loneliest time of the year. For others, a worsening of depressive symptoms occurs. Here are tips to help move through the holidays when you live with depression. Read More

How Gratitude Combats Depression

Studies show that counting your blessings, particularly ones that involve gratitude, increase happiness and decrease levels of depression. Read More

Depression and Natural Disasters: Hurricane Sandy

Natural disasters cause significant loss and damage emotionally as well as physically. If you're someone living with depression, learn what Disaster Reactions are so you can help minimize their effect on your mood state. Read More

Why I Feel Sympathy for the Devil

When gun violence strikes and mental illness cross paths, I prepare myself for what comes next, for it’s not the temperature the collective majority will be feeling. It’s not a fevered pitch for gun control, the death penalty, for laws to be changed or names to be blamed. I feel empathy for the gunman. Read More

7 Depression Myths

October is National Depression Awareness Month. Read the most common myths surrounding this serious, but treatable disorder. Read More

10 Tips for Making Sense of Evil

Trauma is an unexpected, derailing experience. For those who are in direct line of it, it crushes the mind, body and soul. For those of us who witness it, we reel in waves of horror – helpless and saddened by it all. Read more about how to move through the recent Colorado shooting tragedy. Read More

Facebook and Depression

Facebook is the millennium’s new water cooler. Though virtual in its design, it serves as a way for us to catch up on the latest trends, share milestones, learn about juicy gossip, or live vicariously through the experience of others. Is this social media a good thing to use if you're depressed? Research says, it depends. Read more.... Read More

Suicide in the NFL

The recent suicide of NFL linebacker Junior Seau brings light to the serious consequences of brain injury and mental well-being. Seau’s death is NOT just an alert to those in the NFL, but to every single parent that has a child playing contact sports. Read More

PTSD and Depression

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious anxiety disorder that results after a significant traumatic event. Depression can coincide with PTSD, making recovery all the more difficult. Read more on how to deal with trauma and learn tips from my interview with PTSD specialist, Michele Rosenthal. Read More

The Do's and Don'ts of Co-Parenting Well

Living with a chronic condition, like depression, requires you to focus on creating balance and well-being on a daily basis. For those who are separated, divorced or sharing custody of a child, the struggles of co-parenting can produce enormous stressors. Read on for the Do's and Dont's for better co-parenting. Read More

Depression and Non-Suicidal Self Injury

The cutting, carving and scratching involved in self-injury is an attempt to control overwhelming emotions, feelings of helplessness, and for some is a way to manage anger or shame. Read more about Non-Suicidal Self Injury (NSSI) and learn how to offset this behavioral style of coping. Read More

Broken Heart Syndrome: It's Real and It's Rough

Valentine's Day is not always a candy-coated day of love and romance. For many who've lost a loved one, suffered a break up or are on the brink of separation or divorce, this day is anything but sweet. Learning about Broken Heart Syndrome can help you heal from your love trauma and make it through emotional calendar events like this. Read More

On the "Celebrity Coming Out" of Mental Illness

When a celebrity discloses about his or her mental illness, the shadow of stigma fades. Read More

Discontinuation Syndrome

Discontinuation Syndrome with SSRI medications differs from the classical withdrawal syndrome associated with CNS depressant drugs. Learn what to look for and how to come safely off your medication with these tips. Read More

Depression and New Year Resolutions

Feeling depressed at the turn of the year? Here are some ways to foster well-being while making resolutions - that even if you fail, you win. Read More

Living with Depression Through the Holidays

The holiday season is not just a time for traditional festivities, merry making, good will and celebrating with loved ones. For some, it's the loneliest time of the year. Living with depression can make it even tougher. Read More

Out of Bounds: Sexual Abuse in Sports

Research shows that sexual abuse happens in all sports and at all levels. Learn about what to look for and tips for keeping your child safe. Read More

Caregivers and Depression

November is National Family Caregiver Awareness Month. Read more about why certain caregivers are prone to depression and what you can do to offset these trends. Read More

Seasonal Affective Disorder: Trends and Tips

It’s that time of year again – when the days become shorter and darkness punches in earlier at the time clock. And just like clockwork, a great number of children and adults fall into a predictable set of symptoms, commonly called "Seasonal Affective Disorder". Read More

On the Couch...with Cliff Richey

Tennis champion, Cliff Richey, talks with Dr. Deborah Serani on how to defeat depression. In his autobiography, "Acing Depression," Richey's story of depression and redemption is sure to inspire anyone whose life is touched by mental illness. Read More

How to Fight Mental Illness Stigma

Learning how to deal with stigma can be easier when you know the different kinds of stigmatizing experiences. There are five levels of stigma that can affect your daily living experiences if you have depression. Stigmatizing beliefs occur on a personal level, in the general public, within professions, via labels and by associative connections. Read More

On the Couch...with Delta Burke

When I asked Delta Burke to read my book on depression, I never thought a meaningful friendship would develop. But it did. Lesson learned is that depression doesn't care who you are, where you've been or what you've done in your life. Talking openly about your experiences, though, can help you heal and help others find their way as well. Read More

Relapse Prevention: It's the "How" That Counts

"How" you process sad experiences determines if you are prone to depressive relapse. A recent University of Toronto study sheds light on this fascinating discovery. Read More

If It Bleeds, It Leads: Understanding Fear-Based Media

News programming uses a hierarchy "if it bleeds, it leads". If you live with depression, read on for why fear-based media may not be good for your mental health. Read More

The Anniversary Effect

Living with depression requires you to understand that you have two calendars. One that keeps the time and date, and the other that holds the emotional experiences of those events. Being mindful about what lies ahead on your time calendar can help you avoid mood swings and relapses. Read More

"Here One Day" - A Narrative of Loss and Understanding

"Here One Day" is a documentary by filmmaker Kathy Leichter about the suicide of her mother. Filmed by the winner of the 2010 Excellence in Cinematography Award at The Sundance Film Festival, this touching documentary shows what happens to those left behind after a loved ones dies by suicide. Read More

On the Couch... with Dick Cavett

The first celebrity I ever heard talk openly about depression was Dick Cavett. Learning of Cavett's depression was extraordinarily meaningful for me, because it offered a sense of relief from the shame I was experiencing from my own major depressive episode. Read More