By BARTON GOLDSMITH, Scripps Howard News Service

If you are more prone to anxiety than those around you, it may be genetic.

Scientists have discovered a gene that creates an exaggerated "startle" reflex in the people who have it. This may explain why some of us are chronic worriers, jump out of our skins during a scary movie or find it difficult to heal from a traumatic experience.

We all relate to one another in different ways. Some people are very independent in relationships, others are dependent and a number of people are co-dependent (which means they put aside their own well-being to maintain a relationship with another).

Making the decision to give up an addiction may seem like a simple act to those who have never struggled with the issue. The truth is that sobriety is a process that, for those who follow the path, will last a lifetime. The great news is that by enduring and eventually embracing the process, you will also have a life. Here are 10 reasons to get started.

It is a myth that most suicides occur during the winter holidays. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more suicides occur in late July and August.

Seventeen-year-old Zac Sunderland completed his 13-month journey to become the youngest person ever to circumnavigate the globe on July 16. He made the voyage in a 36-foot boat, Intrepid, which he paid $6,000 for himself by working.

There is a scene at the end of "Saving Private Ryan" where the aged rescued soldier tearfully asks his wife if he has lived a good life. Knowing that we have left the world a little better than we found it is the essence of true happiness. Not the kind you get from a trip to Disney World, but from knowing deep inside that you've made a difference.
Don't underestimate it.

A lot of people are complaining about how much they have lost in this economy. Their houses are worth less, and some have lost them completely. Savings and retirement have all but disappeared, and millions are now jobless.
Any of those losses are very hard to deal with, but I think there is something more valuable that has also gone away: We've lost our sense of security.

I've been meaning to get around to this for a while, but it's so easy to find other things to do. That is the credo of the procrastinator.
If you are making yourself miserable because you can't bring yourself to do what you need to do, it's time to change that habit. Here are some tips to help you do just that.

My dad taught me that no one person has all the answers. In that light, I decided to ask some of my favorite authors and therapists what they learned from their dads. Here's what they told me.

A couple of years ago, while watering some plants, I accidentally hosed down a hummingbird's nest. I couldn't really tell if there were babies in it or not, but I felt just horrible, and that feeling lasted for several days. I even had to move the potted tree to a location where I could not see it from the house -- and thus avoid being reminded.