Why are some people sooooo draining?

We all have at least a couple of those super high-maintenance types in our lives, and because the energy-sucking vampires tend to be either relatives or co-workers or in-laws, simply cutting ties usually isn't an option.

So how do we deal with these people on a regular basis without losing our minds? Is it even possible?

Apparently, yes -- there are a few methods for staying sane when the crazy train comes crashing into town.

Of course I'm not naming any names, but let's say you know one or more of these (completely fictitious) people ...

When I was younger and had fewer than 8 million things on my mind at any given moment, I used to give my mom a hard time because she talked to herself. Like, all the time. (So did my grandmother, now that I think about it.) Footloose and un-frazzled as I was, it used to drive me nuts when I heard her voice coming from another room and thought she was talking to me:

"What, Mom?" Silence. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Silence. "MOOOOM!"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing, I was just talking to myself."

Aargh!

Of course, now that I'm a mom and karma tends to bite us all in the arse at some point, I find myself having similar solo conversations:

"Now, what did I come in this room for? Oh yeah, the laundry basket. Now where did that soap go ... ?"

Does this mean I'm as crazy as my mother?!

Not neccessarily! Check this out: According to a new study, talking to yourself can actually speed up your thought process.

The concept of "alone time" takes on such a radically different meaning once you're a mom. Before baby, taking time to yourself meant spending the night at home with a book instead of on the town with your girlfriends or going on a weekend yoga retreat without your spouse. After baby, alone time can mean anything from a 10-minute shower to a quick diaper run (without the wee one strapped to your chest).

When my kids were babies, anytime I left the house without them, I felt like like I was missing something. Did I forget my wallet? My phone? Walking down the street without a kid in a sling and/or stroller was nothing short of bizarre. I felt so ... light.

But not always in a good way. At first, those rare child-free moments were both disorienting and guilt-inducing. Not only had I forgotten how to function as an individual, I felt like I'd abandoned the tiny creature who, until recently, actually lived inside my body.

We are HUGE fans of Jenny Lawson, AKA The Bloggess, here at The Stir. And it's not just because we are lucky enough to have her as one of our columnists, but because ... what's not to love? The 38-year-old mom is charming (when not hiding in the bathroom), is off-the-charts hysterical, likes to use the word "motherfucker" as often as possible, and talks quite openly about her vagina. And if all that isn't awesome enough, Lawson's new memoir, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, packed with as many arm condoms and cougar vampires as you could possibly stand, hits the world Monday.

You really can dance the blues away, something actress Angela Trimbur definitely believes: In her "Dance Like Nobody's Watching" YouTube videos, Trimbur films herself unabashedly busting a move in a series of public places -- the mall, a laundromat. And she looks pretty dang happy (as do many of the surprised onlookers).

Dance as a mood-booster isn't just a theory, though:

Studies have shown that dancing can significantly lower levels of stress hormones and depression.

When it comes to sex addiction, I'm guilty ... of rolling my eyes every time another celebrity uses it as a defense when he gets caught having an affair:

Boo-hoo, woe is me, I couldn't stop myself! I'm ... a sex addict!

Sure y'are, buddy. Everybody totally buys that excuse.

But it's not really fair for me (or anybody) to dismiss sex addiction as a made-up adultery Get Out of Jail Free card.

Especially considering that the condition is usually caused by an underlying disorder -- and it's tough to treat one without treating the other.

These are just a few of the mental illnesses linked to sex addiction:

Leave it to Oprah: Transcendental Meditation has been around for decades, attracting such famous followers as The Beatles and David Lynch, but now that Winfrey practices TM ... well, people are really paying attention.

Hey, after hearing Winfrey talk about her own experience with TM on last night's episode of Oprah's Next Chapter -- she even visited a town in Iowa where an estimated third of the population practices -- I'm paying attention, too. Transcendental Meditation has been known to reduce anxiety and even blood-pressure (which makes sense, considering the link between stress and cardiovascular disease), promote feelings of well-being, and improve self-image.

None of this is news. But now that Oprah says it's true ... well, I'm sold. (Come on, how often is the woman wrong?)

Here are the basics of Transcendental Meditation ...

Filmmaker Jason Russell with actress Kristen BellLast week, the country stopped and stood there in shock with our jaws gaping wide open when we heard that Jason Russell, the documentary filmmaker behind the incredibly successful Invisible Children campaign, and more recently, the viral phenomenon KONY 2012, lost it. Big time. In public. He was taped pacing around naked on a street corner in San Diego, slapping the ground with his hands, swearing up a storm, referring to the Devil, etc., etc.; it just got worse and worse. It landed him in a local medical facility for evaluation and treatment.

Given Russell's tremendous following and sweet family, his breakdown was disturbing in the least. It also begged a lot of questions ... Namely, what the hell? At first, his wife, Danica Russell, attributed the ordeal to "exhaustion, dehydration," blah blah. Seemed a bit of a stretch. Thankfully, now, his family has revealed his official diagnosis ...