Emotional Health and Well-Being

In March of 2006, I received the following letter from someone who consulted with me for a skin condition:

Dear Dr. Kim,

I wondered if you would have any advice because I'm having a very hard time emotionally. I'm having a problem with low self esteem and self confidence, mainly because of my (health condition).

I don't have any friends or acquaintances (in my local area), and I've had a huge problem with loneliness over the past year.

I feel too embarrassed to meet other young people because of the (health condition), and I feel my emotional state has taken a large toll on me. It seems like a catch 22 situation.

I would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions you have on this.

Best wishes,
Jessica

Because I have received letters like Jessica's over the years from people of both genders, all ages, and a variety of ethnic backgrounds, I thought it might be helpful to share some of the thoughts that I included in my reply to Jessica.

A few days ago, I was flipping through an Oprah magazine that my wife borrowed from our public library when I came across a short piece by a playwright and actor named Tyler Perry.

It's about how Tyler turned his whole life around by finding a way to overcome fury that burned in him from the time that he was a young child.

If you are finding it difficult to overcome tendencies to experience fear and anxiety about a health condition or any other aspect of your life, I hope that you realize that you are not alone.

A short time ago, a visiting relative asked my wife and me what we thought about the idea that the cure for cancer was already established, but was being hidden from the general public for various reasons. Being a pharmaceutical sales representative, her idea of the cure for cancer was a drug or procedural treatment that could be received from a doctor, and used right away to experience a complete recovery from cancer.

Several years ago, I was fortunate to meet a lady named Deborah at a fasting clinic in northern California. I had several conversations with Deborah over the course of a year, and what I remember most about her is that her kindness was amazingly genuine; the feeling for me was that she had spent a lifetime enduring great sadness and suffering, and had done much inner work to identify and strive to live according to her ideals.

Have you ever considered the possibility that if you are depressed, you should be?

Popular media and our society in general tend to teach us that it is normal to be perpetually happy. But is it normal to be happy all of the time?

What’s In A Diagnosis?

How do you know that you are depressed? Is it just plain obvious to yourself and those who are closest to you? Did a doctor diagnose you with depression?

Nutritional Considerations for Chronic Depression

What follows are a series of questions and exercises that are intended to strengthen your capacity to deal with life circumstances that can cause chronic depression.

Don't Overlook the Importance of Being Physically Active