The Firewall Between Psychosis and Depression
I’ll tell you what’s been keeping me up nights. And I know you’re going to say, “Edward, get a life.”It’s the firewall between mood disorders and psychosis. Emil Kraepelin, the great German psychiatric...
View ArticleAre There Books Just for Kids?
I recently discovered the following statement by W.H. Auden, “There are good books which are only for adults. There are no good books which are only for children.” He was said to have been talking...
View ArticleDo Learning Styles Matter for Learning?
A prevalent argument in the education research community is that learning styles hugely influence how well students will do in school. The learning styles theory argues that individuals learn best in...
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Obama as Wounded Healer
On July 19th, Barack Obama honored the life of Trayvon Martin by giving voice to the history of racial trauma in the African American community. “It could have been me,” Obama states in reference to...
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10 Questions to Live Your Life By
I have found the following questions to be useful as a way of checking myself. I ask one question a day and come back to each periodically to check on how I'm doing. They are a kind of pressure cuff...
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Hyperactive Dopamine Response Linked to Alcoholism
Does drinking alcohol make you more energized or sedated? Do you feel more talkative and social when you drink or does it make you sleepy? A study released on August 2, 2013 found that those who are...
View ArticleThe PG-13 Guide to Your Dreams
As any intro psychology student can tell you, Freud theorized that dreams represent the wishes that we fear admitting to others, and ourselves, because their content is so dangerous. However, at the...
View ArticleTwo Economies or One?
Obviously we are all part of one economic system, but to look at the news it seems as if there are at least two different constituencies out there – if not two realities or two classes. “MarketBeat,”...
View ArticleThe Inadvertent Introvert
We’ve been reading a lot about introverts recently. Susan Cain’s best-seller “Quiet: The Power of Introverts” makes anything but being an introvert sound downright shallow. Who wouldn’t want to be seen...
View ArticleThe Least Appreciated Perk of Living Alone
If you love your solitude and your own space, no one needs to persuade you of the joys of living alone. There is one particular perk of going solo, though, that seems to get less recognition than it...
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Mutual Acts of Kindness
In my last blog, I mentioned a book I’d written a few years ago called Cemetery Stories. Despite its grim title, some of the stories were amusing, even surprising. I recall one of my favorites from the...
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Lettting Go is Hard to Do
“He has this horrible temper and he loses it a lot.” Liz looked down.”“How long have you been with him?” I asked.Teary eyed, Liz responded, “It is four years now and I know Alex is abusive.”I inquired,...
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Coffee and Suicide
Do you ever wake up in the morning and think, hmmm, this would be a great week to try cutting out coffee? No? Well, I have some good news for you. A recent study done by the Harvard School of Public...
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Why Is a Camping Trip the Ultimate Insomnia Cure?
Do you suffer from insomnia? Are the pressures of modern living stressing you out? If so, new research suggests that a camping trip could be just what the doctor ordered.Researchers at University of...
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How to Stay Cool Under Pressure
Most of us experience some level of stress in life. How we handle stressful situations can make the difference between being assertive versus reactive, and poised versus frazzled. When under pressure,...
View ArticleTaking Charge of Your Career: Summer Reading
I’ve been away from blogging for a few weeks while making my own career transition from The University of Texas at Austin to my new role as the Executive Director of the Office of Personal and Career...
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Do fish and fish oils cause prostate cancer?
Since I work with many patients with mood challenges, I often recommend supplemental fish oils. Fish oil has known benefits in improving structure and function of our brain and nervous system. For...
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Why do shopping addicts keep spending their money?
Did you know that approximately 10 percent of adults in western countries are believed to have a compulsive spending disorder? Their spending habits lead them to lose control over their buying...
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Re-electing Rascals: Politicians, Sex, and Voters
My daughter said the ending of my last post, “Sexcapades at City Hall,” was too downbeat. In it I offered an evolutionary explanation for political sex scandals from the perspective of the leader, and...
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