There seems to be a distinct correlation between arthritis pain and depression. It is quite normal to feel a little blue and downhearted at times. However, for some people the stress of having to deal with the pain of arthritis can lead to full-blown depression. It seems to act like a vicious cycle. Your thoughts become negative when you think of the way your lifestyle has changed due to arthritis pain. This eventually makes you feel depressed. The more depressed ...

"Do you know the fine for using someone else’s handicapped parking permit is $300?" "That parking spot is saved for the disabled! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Nearly everyone with an invisible illness has been told, "You don’t look disabled to me!" One of my friends replied, "Well, you don’t look stupid to me." I just bite my lip to try to prevent the tears from forming, broken-hearted that I appear to be deceptive, when I would do anything ...

Breaking the chain of low self-esteem need not be an exercise in futility. Despite the fact that it seems like a Herculean task, because the state of self-loathing and insecurity colors one's world in bleak shades of gray, breaking the chain of low self-esteem is actually an easy endeavor that starts with one step. No matter how difficult that first step is, once it’s done, you would be on your road to a better you. Self-worth is ...