Parents' relationship goes to the puppy
Dear Obsessed: My take on your dynamic is that the mechanism of Facebook is both a trigger and a release for you. You are "triggered" by the ease with which you can look at someone's page. Looking at the page then provides a release for your anxiety, curiosity, and compulsion.
Because Facebook is always there, you cycle through this dynamic whenever an ex's post floats by in your newsfeed. But even seeing the FB logo might trick your mind and bring on this behavior.
This is stealing potentially valuable time from you. The way to stop is to remove the app from your phone, "hide" or block an ex's posts, or to go on a Facebook "fast."
Dear Amy: Having struggled with depression for many years, I empathize with "Desperate and Depressed," whose mother denies that depression is "real."
I've found that stating that I have a shortage of serotonin in my brain moves depression into a "real" disorder for many people.
-- Been There
Dear Been There: Great suggestion. Thank you!
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(You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@amydickinson.com. Readers may send postal mail to Amy Dickinson, c/o Tribune Content Agency, 16650 Westgrove Drive, Suite 175, Addison, Texas, 75001. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or "like" her on Facebook.)
