A paper shredder is great, but you may not need one.

I mean, how many times do you throw away private documents at home? Occasionally. Certainly not enough to invest in a shredder.

If you are still shredding your private information by hand like me, then this solution might work for you. When you are ready to dispose of your private documents...

(1) Fill your sink up with water.

(2) Soak private documents (that you are planning to throw away) in water for at least 20-30 seconds. You may have to do this in groups--several times if you have a large pile.

(3) When they are completely wet, ring excess water out of documents (as if you were ringing a wash cloth dry). Be certain to leave them damp. Do not ring them completely dry.

(4) Head to a trash can and break documents apart. You should be able to ACTUALLY break/pull pieces of paper apart. Rather than rip them up. They should be extremely easy to break apart. So break them apart in reasonably small pieces with same precaution you take when you rip up your private documents. Small enough so that one individual piece of pulp does not contain private information on it that could be used against you by a thief.

(Note: Due to different grains of paper out there this solution may not be affective in all instances.)

Title: DO YOU LOVE SOMEONE WHO SUFFERS FROM DEPRESSION? Author: Dave Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSW Email: mailto:editor@overcoming-depression.com Copyright: by Dave Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSW Web Address: http://www.Overcoming-Depression.com Word Count: 978 Category: DEPRESSION - FAMILY - HOME LIFE

DO YOU LOVE SOMEONE WHO SUFFERS FROM DEPRESSION?

Relationships in which one individual is depressed are nine times more likely to divorce. Wow, normal divorce rate is already over 60% nationally! But, it's not always a spouse who is depressed, sometimes it is a child or an extended family member.

In this article, however, we'll be focusing on depressed partners. Most people agree that marriage should be 50/50. We all know this is an ideal, and, with ebb-and-flow of marriage, percentages slide up and down but should do so in both directions. For instance, one week wife gives 70% and husband 30% and another week husband give 80% and wife 20%. This is way "ideal" marriages work.

Unfortunately, this is not case when chronic depression enters marriage. Let's say that husband has chronic depression. The wife may pick up many of tasks that would customarily fall to husband. Depending on how long this goes on, an avalanche of negative momentum begins.

The longer this process goes on, more wife begins to feel resentful, hence, there is less compassion for one struggling with depression. Yet, for wife, it's like being a single mother while married. I've been told by many spouses that it would be easier to be a single parent than to live with a spouse struggling with depression, because it's like having a special-needs child in addition to all other responsibilities.

I do not make any of these remarks to assign blame or heighten anyones sense of being victimized. It's very important to understand that EVERYONE suffers when depression attacks a loved one. Blame only functions to create animosity and distance between two loved ones.

Sometimes spouse of a depressed partner becomes depressed as a result of living within a "depressed lifestyle" for too long. Depression is said to be contagious and can become a shroud over spouse or family. It's also vital to consider that depression may not only be genetic, but it can also be taught. You heard me right. For instance, our children's most powerful classroom is home. Both "Nature and Nurture" contribute to depression.

Depression works its way into your moods, attitudes, behaviors, tone of voice, posture, life outlook, personal hygiene, work ethic, spiritual beliefs and so on. If you live in a "depression atmosphere" you are constantly modeling and teaching how to be depressed. I hope this serves as inspiration for change, not shame. Shame only feeds power of depression.