The ...

I have no way of knowing, obviously, but I would imagine going from roles such as an insignificant character who doesn't even make an appearance until the end of the movie to playing opposite one of Hollywood's newest and hottest heartthrobs in the movie adaptation of one of the world's, well, hottest book series would be enough to overwhelm any actress. This is one of two reasons why I wasn't surprised or offended when Twilight star Kristen Stewart (who plays the insecure and accident-prone Bella Swan to Robert Pattinson's dazzling and crookedly smiling Edward Cullen) described some of her experiences with the movie fans as "psychotic situations" during a recent NYLON interview. "Anywhere we’d go for Twilight was a psychotic situation. The sound was deafening, and it’s thoughtless, as well… "

Dear George ...

Friday, as I was standing in line at the grocery store and scanning the magazine rack for something to distract me from how grossly I was breaking my budget, I realized six of the eight magazines on the rack were splashed (“blasted” is probably a better word) with pictures and an assortment of exclamations about the current “Chrianna” situation. Whether they were reporting rumors of marriage or Rihanna’s family’s reactions to the situation, six out of eight magazines had dedicated significant portions of their covers to Rihanna and Chris Brown. It’s no secret the public has been shocked and outraged since news of Chris Brown’s abuse first hit the media, but Friday night, I couldn’t help but wonder why the public is so shocked and outraged. Why do we care about how Rihanna handles the situation? What does it matter to us how her family and friends have reacted? Common sense and basic human compassion tells me we care about Rihanna’s well being; Americans as a whole are not cool with domestic violence and most people care about what happens to their fellow humans. We want to protect the abused and punish the abusers and we want to help stop situations like this from happening in the future. But our outrage over the Chrianna situation suggests more than just concern about a fellow human being’s welfare and a need for justice – it also suggests fear. What are we afraid of?

From Elizabeth Hurley and Jasmine Guinness donating photos for ...

Well, it's not all eyebrow-raising news on the ...

If you could become part of any band’s "inner circle" – travel with them, party with them, witness their creative processes - which band would you choose? For me, it’s Dave Matthews Band – hands down. (No surprise there though, right?) I’ve pretty much idolized DMB - and their music - since ’94. Under the Table and Dreaming opened up a whole new world of music for me, and a few years later “Crash Into Me” became – and remains – my all-time favorite song. Although I’d probably pass out if given the chance to hang out with such musical genius, I don’t think it’d be detrimental to my mental health. Bill German, however, can’t say the same about his time spent with the Rolling Stones.

"When a patient tells me his mother thinks something's wrong or his buddy thinks he's 'crazy,' I tend to pay attention to that. These people have insight that I don't." That quote came from a therapist friend of mine a few years ago when I was first becoming active in mental health advocacy, and the idea has since stuck with me. It just makes sense. When your mother notices your moods have become alarmingly erratic, or your husband becomes concerned because you no longer want to do anything that involves getting out of the bed and showering, or your best friend can't get you to do any of the things you used to love doing - these are all situations in which the people who spend the most time with you might be picking up on a problem. These are all situations in which these people can actually help you - even if they're just helping you recognize the possibility of a problem. Sure, it may tick you off ("You're overreacting!", "You don't know what you're talking about!", "You're not even a doctor!"), but you trust these people. Chances are they have your best interests in mind and they're not going to broadcast your business or use your troubles for their own personal gain (as opposed to the media). Bottom line: When it comes to your mental health, sometimes an unsolicited diagnosis from people who are close to you (as opposed to an unsolicited diagnosis from the media) can be pretty helpful. But what happens when you get an unsolicited diagnosis from a professional via the media?

Baffled, skeptical, and outraged are just a few of the words to describe how many fans reacted to the reported reconciliation (or, attempted reconciliation - I have no idea how it's going) between Rihanna and Chris Brown this weekend, so I can't help but wonder how the public will feel about what the rumor mills are currently churning out regarding Amy Winehouse and her estranged husband, Blake Fielder. Winehouse returned to the UK yesterday after a much needed vacation in St. Lucia (during which time she signed control of her finances over to her parents, Mitch and Janis - a wise move, in my opinion), but there are some conflicting reports regarding what Winehouse plans to do now that she's back home. While some entertainment websites are reporting that Winehouse's upcoming album will include a few not-so-flattering digs at Fielder, others are reporting that Winehouse is looking to save her marriage.