Hiya, Sharon. That's a wonderful story. It's amazing how many times our kids can embarrass the heck out of us, but at the same time we are so proud of them for the skill and knowledge they display. I love the way you are obviously encouraging him. The ability to stand up before so many of his peers ...

Hiya. There are a lot of people out there who have various reasons for mocking conditions other people might have. Perhaps the psychological reasons are complex and varied - maybe linked in with racism, sexism, religious hatreds and so on - the fear of difference, ignorance generated fear and so on....

Hey, Kathy. preemiern's suggestion is a great one. There might be a great market for them through this and other forums. You've got some real rippers there, I laughed myself silly (well, sillier, actually!!!!). Here's a couple of much less successful suggestions: Roses are Red Violets Are Blue Eleph...

I can't add to anyone else's comments, but it is GREAT!!!!! And good on yer Den. One thing I find great about this forum is not only the almost consistently wonderful advice we get from people like Den, but the fantastic support you all offer to people you otherwise don't know. Fantastic!!!! Grizzly...

Colin, I like to think that we are here to help, albeit in a very limited way. Anyway, as the consequences of this awful business could involve depression, it is undoubtedly within the scope of this thread - not, in such circumstances, that it would worry me if it wasn't. If you are able, or if you ...

Spot on, TnT. We need to be encouraging people to have their feelings diagnosed. Of course there's a problem with over or faulty diagnosis. This occurs in many fields, particularly when diagnosis requires a judgement to be made by a medical person. But this is simply cause for care, NOT cause for di...

Colin, I'm unsure of the age of your daughters. However, they will find out the truth soon anyway - so you have to tell them. I'm no expert, but if this happened to a friend of my sons (aged 7 and 10) I would tell them, share their sorrow and tears, and talk to them about how some people are sick in...

Carol, I very humbly (an unusual state for me, as my friends would attest!) thank you for sharing your experience. I know it can be hurtful, and indeed sharing my own experience has increased my fragility somewhat. But one of the ways I keep myself together is by trying to bear in mind that others h...

In my experience, if I get honest with myself, what I call depression is usually self-pity. When I make an effort to get off my pity pot, I feel better. Of course, this is JeffH's assessment of his own condition. I don't want to get into a constantly and unedifyingly negative argument over this - b...

Wow, Carol. Like I said, some stories are much worse than mine. I am extremely glad to hear that your son is feeling much better these days, although he has to deal with both the physical and emotional scars. And, of course, so do you and all his other loved ones and friends. One of the things that ...

Hiya. I've managed to get some computer access while my sons have their breakfast!!! I need to emphasise a couple of things that perhaps I rushed over before. First, if anyone suspects that they may have depression, even if their experience differs from my own, please seek help. The impacts can be e...

Hiya. I tell my story in comparative brief - and I only do this because kteague asked - not because I think I or my story is in any way special or different. One of the things to note about depression is that it does not always follow the same path for everyone, and the causative factors can vary qu...

Oh, poo, poo, poo, poo, poo, poo.

I forgot to log in again. Silly old bugger.

Hiya. My own experience was that I found out I had sleep apnea after I told my doctor in passing (as a joke!) that I sometimes fell asleep at the traffic lights when driving home from work. I thought it was pretty normal, if funny, but he told me that he didn't think it was either normal or funny. M...

Hey, Moby. Feel good at every opportunity - don't fuss too much over the naysayers (and after all, you deserve to feel good - your posts show you to be a kind and generous person). They may be right, but who wants to put right ahead of good? After all, vegetables are 'right', chocolate is 'good'. I ...