35 children have been left at hospitals by parents in the last month under Nebraska's safe haven law. The law was made for parents of infants who were too overwhelmed to care for their baby, or young mothers who really did not want a baby and did not know where to turn. But what has been unearthed is that many parents who feel completely overwhelmed in caring for and supporting a child--even a teen--are leaving their kids at the hospitals.

An important fact is that 30 of these kids had a mental health diagnosis. This is the vast majority of the kids abandoned, even by some parents driving across state lines to leave their child. What it reminds us is that the services available for mental health care in general and particularly low-fee treatments are truly insufficient.

Part of the problem is that parents often don't know that their child has a mental health issue. Then, if they do know, the ability to find a psychiatrist that can be afforded, or the support network to help them manage are seriously lacking. Hence, it is not shocking that some parents who are feeling hopelessly overwhelmed are looking for ANY way out.

The plan is to repeal the law and make it applicable to infants only, but this will not solve the problem which has been uncovered. Many children suffer from mental health issues and many are very treatable.  We need to work as a nation to expand both the information available and the services accessible to parents many of whom will have kids with a mental health issue of some sort.

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Are you wondering what is going to fill the void of passion-filled talks about candidates, nights riveted by cable news, days of having really good stuff to laugh or cry about at the water cooler? Then you may be suffering from "election withdrawal." This is, of course, a term I am making up to describe the let down and emptiness that many Americans are going to experience after what has been one of the most hyped up, exciting and engaging elections ever.

This election has given many people a way to cope with our nation's current difficulties: the economic crisis and concerns over what the future will bring. At times, it has provided someone to blame and also someone to put hope in. It gave many Americans the feeling that they can do something to improve the national situation, as well as their own lot in life.

So, what can you do if you are struggling with a void now? Find a new passion... in fact, find a few. Passion is good for the psyche and good for the soul. Find other things to get revved about, other ways to take action and, perhaps most of all, to creatively give back. By helping others and following a cause, you will find your own peace and joy. Share your beliefs and vision. Talk to friends and family - sharing those intimate thoughts and aspirations brings you closer and is very satisfying.

Continue to stay engaged in world news. Many Americans awoke from a state of apathy to learn what is going on in this country. Don't let that go! Continue to read the paper and watch the news. Stay abreast of current events and participate in your community's issues. When times are tough, feeling like an agent of change and really helping makes you feel connected to others and powerful in your own right.

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A recent issue of The Boston Globe included an article about Mahzarin Banaji, a Harvard professor who studies the psychology of bias.  For two decades, Banaji has been a leading researcher into the nature of our implicit, unconscious biases.

To divide up the world by the preferences that you have is utterly human. We all have unconscious biases that often dictate who we like and who we don't. The bias may not be about race. It might be a preference between men and women, religions, community, even how people dress.

In experiments designed to test our unconscious biases, the psychologist found that 80 percent of whites show a preference for the company of whites, while 40 percent of blacks show a preference for the company of other blacks. But blacks, much more so than whites, are more vocal in saying so. At this point in time, Obama is ahead in the polls. How meaningful is this? It's hard to say because bias may cause many people to vote differently from what they told a pollster. Not because they wanted to be deceptive, but because they stayed unaware of their own bias until they got in the voting booth.

The best way to deal with bigotry and bias is to acknowledge it. By accepting your own biases you have the best chance at countering them and working to correct them. Unconscious motivations have the power to control our behaviors and the more conscious the thought you have, the better the chances that you can control it. Everyone has some amount of bias about something. We can all work toward a more equitable and accepting world by knowing our own human minds and helping each other to keep the playing field fair and level.

Will race affect the final outcome of the election?

• Yes, it's inevitable that race will be a factor.
• Don't know--it's impossible to predict how people will really vote.
• No, people will vote on the issues.

Join the discussion >>

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People are feeling especially intensely about this election, not surprising given the sorry state of the nation at this point. I have been hearing from some couples that each member of the couple wants a different candidate to win this election....badly. Fear and anxiety drive a passion for a fix, so believing that your candidate possesses the cure makes you quite intent.

What happens when you feel intently for Obama and your mate feels intently for McCain? Fireworks! These couples are fighting about everything, not just national issues but it spills over into how you parent, how you clean, how you spend and of course how and IF you will have sex. Sometimes a heated argument can lead to great make-up sex, especially if it was actually a passionate exchange of intellectual ideas that neither of you take all that personally. But for a number of couples today, it is very very personal. In fact, personally, they are shutting their partner out in the non-sexual cold as punishment for supporting the "enemy".

You need to keep in mind that after November one person will be president, and you won't be married to him. You will be married to the same spouse and you will have to make that work.

Political debate is fun and exciting, a war of the Roses is not.

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• Voice Your Choice: Vent, Vet and Vote

I have certainly blogged about infidelity before and, sadly, it is all too common in a marriage. However, we certainly have seen a number of politicians cheat recently and many of us are left wondering, "What is up with this?"

Power is intoxicating and power can corrupt. It intoxicates both the powerful and those looking to “get power” by being associated with it. People around a politician often say "yes" to them so much and praise them to the point that the politician starts to buy into the idea that they are so powerful the rules no longer apply to them. In addition, many politicians are high risk takers to begin with; it is what drew them to politics.  It makes them good at the game but it also makes them likely to take a self-destructive risk.

The spouse and any children involved suffer terribly when such a scandal erupts. But what I find especially disturbing at this point is that the national psyche is suffering. We as a nation are watching politician after politician lie, cheat, cover up and break the very rules that they portend to uphold the most. This level of hypocrisy is chipping away at our national trust. Much like a betrayed spouse, I think the country is trying to figure out if they can trust any politician. We are caught feeling everyone is suspect and we don’t have any great method of telling who is being truthful in what they say. If you want to run for President, or any other leadership position, you need to remember that it hasn’t been called “the father of our country” for nothing.  The father figure must uphold honesty and integrity for people to place their faith in him as the leader. It is true that marriage is suffering as an institution in many ways in this country, but politicians need to acknowledge that we have psychic reasons to believe they need to be held to a higher standard.

What are your thoughts?

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More from Dr. Gail Saltz:

• Why do men cheat?
• Dangers signs and myths of infidelity
• Wandering eyes