Psychological Matters

I am changing gears this year by beginning a long series of articles on Affective Mood Disorders. This psychiatric category covers a lot of ground and includes all types of depression and bipolar disorders. This topic touches close to home for me since several members of my extended family have struggled with depression, particularly my father. My father and grandmother Dad was a hard-working farmer. He had a strong work ethic and put in long hours in the fields and barn. Dad, however, struggled with Major Depression, or possibly a type of Bipolar Disorder. Periodically he became moody. His outlook seemed dark, and he would made comments that indicated he entertained the idea of suicide. These bouts often lasted for months. I remember tentatively checking out what frame of mind he was in when he came in from working outside. Would he be warm and friendly? Or, emotionally remote and irritable? My quick assessment would shift how I approached him. Sometimes it seemed easier...