Used books for sale

We've begun a used book and CD "sale shelf" here at Lake House.

Buy a used book on topics of self help, recovery, wellness or another health-related topic for $3; the proceeds benefit a Lake House scholarship fund for those who do not have insurance to pay for psychotherapy. You may also bring in a book or tape for trade -- take one, leave one -- in good condition, please.

We've got classic self-help books and some current titles. Titles on the shelf at this moment include:

Codependent No More
Love Beyond Addiction
Laurel's Kitchen
What Kids Need Most in a Dad
8 Weeks To Optimum Health
Children of Alcoholism
How To Take Charge of Your Life
Loving Each Other

CDs and tapes on topics of self-help and for meditation also welcome. On the self is Kitaro's "Kojiki," great for relaxation and meditation. Catch us by appointment or by chance at 932 Lake Ave., Racine.

Wanted: Teen-age "Chicken Soup" stories

The editors of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul are searching for submissions.

Even better, they pay $200 for each published story. The general theme of the book focuses on difficulties associated with relationships, friendships, family matters and self-image. Editors are seeking first-person non-fiction narratives. Learn more at this Craigslist posting at

http://tinyurl.com/edjz3 or email mailto:chickensoupforteens@yahoo.com

Women's brains are different

Louann Brizendine is a neuropsychiatrist who says the differences between women's and men's brains are very different.

How different? You can find out in her new book, "The Female Brain." You also read this article in The San Francisco Chronicle:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/08/06/MNG3HKAMVO1.DTL

Here's a few teasers:

• Thoughts about sex enter women's brains once every couple of days; for men, thoughts about sex occur every minute.
• Women use 20,000 words per day; men use 7,000 per day.
• Women excel at knowing what people are feeling; men have difficultyspotting an emotion unless someone cries or threatens bodily harm.
• Women remember fights that a man insists never happened.
• Women over 50 are more likely to initiate divorce.

Anti-depressants -- or not?

One of the most frequently-asked-questions that I get concerns anti-depressants.

This is a real issue in our culture, which looks at a pill as the solution to all of our ills. Unless there is a crisis, I typically suggest alternate methods to my psychotherapy clients -- care for self, attention to diet, counseling to address issues relating to depression and sadness, a genuine support system, and a reduction in the use of alcohol which is in itself a depressant.

Here are some highly recommended books by Joseph Genmullen, M.D.:

The Antidepressant Solution: A Step-by-Step Guide to Safely Overcoming Antidepressant Withdrawal, Dependence, and "Addiction" by Joseph Glenmullen (2004)

Prozac Backlash: Overcoming the Dangers of Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Other Antidepressants with Safe, Effective Alternatives by Joseph Glenmullen (Paperback - April 17, 2001)

A new food pyramid!

There's a new food pyramid!

It's not the same-old same-old stuff pushed by the food industries to line their pockets with profits with questionable effects to your health. This one comes from the University of Michigan Integrative Medicine Clinic, and the Healing Foods Pyramid was conceived by Monica Myklebust, M.D., and Jenna Wunder, MPH, R.D., in their passion for food in all of its beauty, variety and healing benefits.

Remember that the foods we choose to eat are essential to how we care for ourselves. In choosing the healing foods on this pyramid, each one of us contributes to our own health. See this link to view the pyramid and learn more about how it works:
http://www.med.umich.edu/umim/clinical/pyramid/index.htm

Then plan dinner.