Spirituality is simply the willingness to be open to the concept that there are forces at work in this world that are beyond our comprehension. Some people refer to those forces as Nature, The Universe, or G-d. It doesn't matter what you call it, as long as you know it isn't you, because it's when you think that you are running your own life, and that it's up to you to make everything work out perfectly, you are setting yourself up for stress-related illness and Depression.

As it pertains to divorce, which is one of the most stressful things a person … Read More

If a woman's sexual fantasies involve degradation, domination—rape, even—is she anti-feminist, disturbed or worse? When does sex become "dirty," and does writing erotic fiction involving humiliation mean the author is a sex-crazed, pain-loving looney? From Best Sex Writing 2009 (Cleis Press, edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel), Kristina Lloyd's essay "The Pleasure of Unpleasure" explores the delicate relationship between fantasy and reality, the risk of bringing private thoughts public and gives a glimpse into the life of an erotica writer.

All writers get bad reviews. If you write erotica, your sexuality gets reviewed as well. Trust … Read More

The worst part of the end of a relationship can be the lack of one. The open-endedness and plaguing questions of why and how it all went downhill can keep you up at night. We've all been there, waiting for answers that never came and wasting precious time trying to get that closure from an ex who just wasn't willing to give it.

There are tons of books and magazines on how to get him, please him and make him happy, but missing from much of that literature is practical advice on how to get what you need, whether it's … Read More

This is the saddest story ever: a 27-year-old man threw acid on the face of Iranian woman Ameneh Bahrami, blinding both her eyes, after she refused repeated marriage proposals from him.

According to CNN, her attacker, who is known only as "Majid," fell for Bahrami at college and his mother attempted several times to arrange a marriage between them. Bahrami refused and even lied to Majid, telling him she was already married. Despite her refusal, he stalked her at her workplace to harass her. She even reported him to police, but the cops said there was nothing they could … Read More

Everybody knows the tricks for a better tomorrow after too much fun tonight: Gulp water, grab a couple aspirin, maybe pop a vitamin, and sleep it off.

But what's the prescription for the lingering gray cloud that can last for days—or even longer—after scenes that stir up feelings of fear, sadness, anger, anxiety, or jealousy?

The first step is recognizing what's happening to our bodies. Immediately after spats with bosses, friends, family, or lovers, we're probably aware that we feel wretched, and why. But we often overlook the aftershocks of intense negative emotions: the physical, biochemical changes.

Rashes, sleep disturbances, … Read More