Each year, 35,000 people are listed as missing in Australia and, sadly, many of their stories never make news. But the case of 25-year-old Daniel O’Keeffe is unusual. On paper, Dan had the perfect life; a loving family, devoted girlfriend and privileged upbringing in an upmarket area of Geelong. He was well educated, well liked […]

When Simon realised two years ago he didn’t have any close male friends in his life, it hit him like a hammer blow. “I was in my office at home one Friday night and out of the blue it struck me that I’d really love to have a beer with a mate, just a chat […]

Dust bunnies on the floor? Smears on the mirrors and soap scum in the shower? Don’t worry about it — it could make you depressed. A study published in Molecular Psychiatry found that living in a spotlessly-clean environment could increase your risk of depression. Related: Could allergies protect against cancer? We’ve been told for some […]

Falling pregnant should have been the most fantastic thing that had ever happened to us. I was happily married and we had been planning this baby for two years, however I was still recovering emotionally from a devastating second trimester miscarriage, when we discovered that I was six weeks pregnant. Because I had only recently […]

I am a housewife with three kids and a husband. I love my husband and my kids, but they don’t appreciate me at all. I’m an unpaid servant who serves up meals, tidies the house and washes the clothes. I don’t have a life of my own at all – I’m just a wife and […]

Many people grow up with a label they acquired in early childhood and by adulthood it’s become a self-fulfilling prophecy. How often are you referred to as “The Quiet One”, “The Shy One” or “The Worrier” before you believe that is who you are and behave accordingly? Parents and teachers sometimes sum up an entire […]

I have been married for 17 months and I am now wondering if I have made a mistake and if I should stay or go. This is mine and my husband’s second marriage. We get along very well, but recently have had several incidences that have left me wondering if I have done the right […]

Children as young as two are being prescribed anti-depressants. Elizabeth Burke looks at the arguments for and against medicating sad children. When anti-depressant drugs like Prozac and Zoloft became mainstream in the late 90s there was outcry against the desensitisation of people, a loss of dealing with human issues without drugging and sedating, and of […]

A couple of years ago I split from my husband of seven years and then I got into another relationship soon after which has recently ended, coinciding with my divorce being finalised. I feel like I’ve hit rock bottom. I cry all the time and I’m so desperately sad. I don’t see the point in […]

When I first met Rob, I thought my older sister, Clare, was so lucky to be with a guy like him; he was handsome, kind and so sweet to her. Being the baby sister, I was only 19 when I first met him and he was 27 just like Clare. I idolised him but I […]