Cabin fever is a claustrophobic reaction to being stuck indoors for prolonged periods of time.  It results in some mood problems. Some of them include irritability and lack of patience.  Patience? Yes patience.  Now I get it… I just self diagnosed my lack of patience without a psychology degree. But in all seriousness we have just come through a spell of rain and flooding in our area, so that can make you feel isolated and a little guilty for the kids being indoors so much.   Today the rain has started again.  If your feel the need to get out and experience some sunshine, so do your kids.  But what if there is no sunshine? For some people, depression, frequent napping and food cravings raise their heads as symptoms of cabin fever.  Reading can assist.  In fact, using your brain, is a known remedy for easing some symptoms of cabin fever.  That is the reason that we love books that create imagery and build ...

Are you a slave to debt? The old cliche that money can't buy happiness is a dreadful over simplification of facts. There is no joy to be found in not paying bills.  A study of 33,720 U.S. households published in the January 2016 edition of Psychology Science found that those with higher levels of unemployment were more likely to purchase over-the-counter painkillers. Debt has very real effects on the body. In medieval times, life was very cruel when it came to debts.  In medieval times, there was debt bondage.  This is what people did when they borrowed money and then offered their labour as security for the loan.They could pass this onto their children.   Debt slavery was when a creditor made you a slave in lieu of payment towards your debt. In some countries like Greece, there was a time limit for how long a person could be in debt slavery. There were beatings and Floggings that sometimes came with debt. But you could be put into the stocks ...

I was 15 when I felt afraid.  I knew beyond a doubt that someone had spiked the drink that I had just had.  I had a neighbour who I had popped in to say hello to. He was not there, but a group of friends were. I knew most of them. They were chatting and laughing, and I accepted the refreshment they offered. I did not know about spiked drinks then. But to go from a sober, nervous girl to someone so drunk that I was throwing up made me know something was wrong. It was when I felt fear.  I did not want my parents to know that I was drunk. I went to one bathroom and washed off the mess from my blouse. I thought if I could just let it dry on the balcony, I could go home and not have to answer questions about where I had been and with whom.  That is when he came,  To check if I was all right. He used words to tell me I would have to accept what was coming after all; I was the one without a blouse on.  Many of you will scream, “Foolish girl....