LA GRANDE, Ore. — Speaking before a crowd of about 200 people Wednesday, the father of an Oregon teen who died Sunday after he hanged himself two weeks earlier, said that he loved his gay son, and accepted him for who he was.

“I think we need more of that,” said Joe Bell, whose 15-year-old son, Jadin, had been bullied before trying to take his life.

(Editor's note: UFC competitor Liz Carmouche, a lesbian, trained at the San Diego Combat Academy.)

Liz Carmouche is about to make sports history for two reasons. The mixed martial arts (MMA) star is about to become one of the first two women ever to participate in an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fight. She's also about to become one of the highest profile openly gay athletes in the world. And her fans, the "Lizbos," will be rooting for her all the way.

‘Tis the season to be jolly … except no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t seem to get cheerful. You made it through the holidays, but your depression hasn’t gone away. Better yet, you feel even more tired, lonely and hopeless.

Holiday music often sends this message that the season is full of happy times. But as a therapist, I see a different side of the holidays that the music doesn’t share. Holiday music doesn’t share how horribly painful it is for many people: It could be from relationships on the rocks to lonely nights, from deep sadness to money problems.

This is a crazy time of year, as Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s beckon. What’s one of the best things you can do for yourself at this time of year? Perhaps it’s time for a retreat.

You may protest, saying you don’t have the time or money, but check out these three different types of retreats.

The at-home retreat: this won’t cost you any money, and is the easiest type of retreat to pull off. Your only challenge is to actually do it. When you stay home, it’s easy to fall into your familiar routine. You don’t want to do that for your at-home retreat.