I think denial's fascinating. It's a jokey word, but it really happens, and sometimes in enormous ways.
Nothing sinister. Just getting exercise. Although some might consider that sinister.
For feel-good fiction to work, there has to be an element of darkness.
The best anyone can do is breathe in, breathe out and wait for it to pass.
Medically speaking, there is no such thing as a nervous breakdown. Which is very annoying to discover when you're right in the middle of one.
I knew it, I just knew it! The person who had the job of writing my life's dialogue used to work on a very low budget soap opera.