DEAR ABBY: I have recently begun using Internet dating sites to meet guys in my community. With my busy work and home schedules, I have found this to be a good alternative. The problem I'm having is that some of these sites allow matches to ask if you are emotionally and mentally healthy.
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In my case, I have suffered from depression in the past. I have been hospitalized for this issue and have received medication. At this point in my life, I manage my depression with non-drug-related therapies. I no longer need a counselor or a therapist, and have in place strategies for when I feel I'm cycling downward.
How should I respond to gentlemen who are looking for an "emotionally healthy" match? I consider myself "recovering" and do not take my mental health for granted. Your advice would be much appreciated. -- NOT SO BLUE IN EVERETT, WASH.
DEAR NOT SO BLUE: The men asking about an "emotionally healthy match" should be told that very few people today come without some sort of emotional baggage -- them included. And, unlike some people who are carrying steamer trunks of baggage on their backs, yours is manageable. If a man gives you any argument on that, remind him that someone who has recognized he or she had a problem -- and dealt with it -- is healthier than a person who has a problem, is afraid to own up to it and lets it fester.