Postpartum Psychosis and Terri Moulton Horman
Kaine Horman and Desiree Young, Kyron Horman‘s parents, are now reporting they are concerned that Terri Horman may be suffering from postpartum depression or psychosis. They believe Terri’s emotional state changed after the birth of Kiara (who is now 19 months old). Terri’s behavior seemed to become more erratic, and even though she never expressed her depression to Kaine, it seems she was venting often to her girlfriends. Postpartum depression is a serious problem affecting one out of twenty new moms. The symptoms include...
read moreShould You Discuss Kidnapping With Your Kids?
In light of the recent stranger abduction of 4-year-old Alisa Maier, I think it’s important to discuss the topic of kidnapping with your children. Alisa’s story can be used to highlight the importance of being safe. It’s an opening to tell your kids what to do if somebody ever attempts to take them against their will. My children are 6 and 9, and both of them have been told Alisa’s story. I used it as a real-life example of why we go over safety issues in our family. I want my children to be scared to a certain extent....
read moreDina Lohan Should Send Judge Marsha Revel a Thank-You Note!
Finally, a serious response to Lindsay Lohan‘s irresponsible, reckless and immature behavior! She will serve 90 days in jail and then go into a 90-day drug rehabilitation facility. Judge Marsha Revel had given Lindsay as many chances as she could to clean up her act, but (as many people struggling with addiction issues know) that’s impossible to do when you’re still in denial about your own problems — and have entourage members enabling your erratic and self-destructive ways. Judge Revel was frustrated and angered by...
read moreTeen Pregnancy Is a Public Health Issue, Not a Political One!
The story about first graders possibly getting condoms in Massachusetts showed, yet again, how the issue of sex education in our country has become politicized in such a ridiculous way that we lose sight of the importance of informing our children about their sexuality and reproductive health. This issue should not be placed in the Liberal vs. Conservative category. Rather, it squarely falls within “public health.” Teen pregnancy is a public health issue that should cause us all a great deal of concern. The problem is that when we...
read moreThe Magazine Every Tween Girl Should Read
The story about Jamie Kieles and her 30-day trial of following Seventeen magazine was insightful and funny. It also got me thinking about alternatives to the teeny-bop magazines that do exist. As a psychologist and the mother of a 7-year-old girl (who at difficult times seems like a teenager already!), I am always looking for anything and everything that will help balance my daughter’s consumption of Hannah Montana, iCarly and, yes, her 15 Barbies under her bed. My daughter listens to Taylor Swift, owns American Girl dolls and loves to...
read moreReality TV, Kids, and Dangerous Endeavors
The Sunderland family has found themselves in a firestorm — or, more accurately, a big storm in the Indian Ocean that could have taken the life of their daughter, Abby. They have been criticized by many people for allowing and encouraging their 16-year-old daughter to try to break the record for being the youngest person to sail around the world. I believe that enabling a minor to voyage alone for months in hostile seas (especially considering the emotional impact of being isolated for that period of time) is simply...
read moreParental Alienation IS a Crime!
A Nassau County Supreme Court justice has sentenced a mother to six weekends in jail for civil contempt. Per the judge, the guilty mom — Lauren Lippe — engaged in a pattern of “alienating” behavior wherein she made false allegations of sexual abuse against her children’s father, Ted Rubin — allegations that were calculated to interfere with her ex-husband’s scheduled time and relationship with their children. “The extensive record is replete with instances of attempts to undermine the...
read moreDid Murderer Mom Suffer from Postpartum Psychosis?
Stephanie Rochester, who was charged with the June 1 suffocation death of her 6-month-old son, Rylan (whom she feared was autistic), may have been suffering from postpartum psychosis. This is a horrible tragedy, whether or not she was psychotic at the time of her son’s death. I am sure Stephanie Rochester is going through an extensive battery of tests to find out if in fact she is experiencing postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis. We should leave it in the hands of the professionals to make that determination. But I must say,...
read moreHeidi Klum and Seal Want to Fix Your Marriage
It has been announced that Heidi Klum and her husband, Seal, are working on a new Lifetime show about love and marriage, called “Love’s Divine.” As a relationship expert who works with distressed couples who are near divorce, I think this is a great idea. We hear so much in the news about celebrity marriages falling apart. From Tiger to Tipper, we hear about couples who have fallen out of love — or fallen into the arms of 20 other lovers in the course of their marriage. To hear a true Hollywood-marriage success story...
read moreAl and Tipper: Getting Divorced After 60
Tipper and Al Gore aren’t alone in choosing to end their 40-year-old union. The phenomenon of “The Gray Divorce” is growing. More and more 50-plus men and women are deciding to end their decades-old marriages. Some say it’s due to the economic freedom that many women now enjoy; others credit Viagra, because it has helped create vastly new sexual experiences for older adults. Sixty may be the new 40! A May 2004 survey conducted by the AARP found that women initiated 66 percent of these gray divorces — often...
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