I've spent my entire career teaching about the fallacy of over-consumption. It makes you feel good initially, but then plunges you into mental, emotional or physical pain. When eating, drinking, shopping, working, etc. distract us from feeling emotion or taking right action we are avoiding - right?

What if distracting ourselves from pain has its place? Is it possible that a carefully placed distraction could be the difference between skating through a bout of melancholy and a downward spiral into clinical depression?

Here's the thing, sometimes going to the mall to buy a new shirt, or meeting friends for a drink is the most healthy thing you can do for yourself. Maybe a nice, big bowl of Haagen-Dazs vanilla bean ice cream is just what the doctor ordered.

A carefully placed distraction can do a person the world of good. Over-consumption gets sticky (and I do mean sticky) when it is used compulsively or addictively to cope with, or avoid, what's in front of you.

Let's be good at coping and use life's little pleasures to pull ourselves out of the ditch of despair when needed, but if the rope your using is getting a little too comfortable, perhaps it's time to flex your muscles and climb out the old fashion way.