Visiting the Past
One of my best friends and I met in a medical facility, where we both had been admitted due to complications of anorexia nervosa. We became close despite our six-year age gap, and though we fell out of...
View ArticleA Few Thoughts on Human Evolution
‘Evolution’: the word itself comes from the Latin ‘e’ (‘out’) and ‘volvere’ (‘to roll’)– thus signifying the ‘moving on’ in life from one biological stage to the next: a process which, is generally...
View ArticleDepression and Loneliness Are More Contagious Than You Think
Depression is known as the ‘common cold’ of mental illnesses and 40% of adults will experience loneliness in their lifetimes. Consequently, the likelihood of you being in close contact with a person...
View ArticleWhy Lonely Leaders Are Bad For Business
It’s common knowledge that the job of a leader--particularly CEOs-- has never been more challenging, as well as under increasing scrutiny. Confidence in business and political leaders is at an all time...
View ArticleI've Got Issues, You've Got Issues...
Sometime in the late 1990s, I noticed that many of my Master's-level clinical social work students were describing their clients as having "issues" of one kind or another. I was familiar enough with...
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It's Not Exactly Better Living Through Chemistry
The slogan, “Better Living Through Chemistry,” was a popular variant of an advertising slogan by the DuPont Company that was used from the mid 1930s until the early 1980s. (Apparently now it is also...
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Five Awkward First Dates You Probably Want to Avoid
Five months ago, at the height of my New York City dating orbit, I found myself locked in the equivalent of the Star Wars cantina closet. I couldn’t get out. I checked the door. It wouldn't open....
View ArticleLeave it on the Plate
Like many people my age, especially those with parents who grew up in post-war Europe, I was raised to feel that it is a sin—albeit a minor one—to leave food on my plate. I didn’t serve myself, but was...
View ArticleBrain in a Box
Is this reality? Or is my brain shoved in a box somewhere being fooled by an evil computer? Is this the real world or is it the Matrix? Scientists are finally getting closer to creating a false reality...
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Buddha Begging (the Question)
What could I say to you that would be of value, except that perhaps you seek too much, that as a result of your seeking you cannot find.~ Hermann Hesse (in Siddharta)An early psychologist – I forget...
View ArticleIf You’re Depressed, Are You “Crazy”?
Here’s what I’ve been working with, the idea that people with serious depression are also “crazy.”Crazy has a technical meaning in psychiatry. If you hear that Mr Jones is “still crazy,” it doesn’t...
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Are you afraid to dance?
Have you ever said or overheard someone say, “oh no! I don’t dance” or do you watch people at a party tear up the dance floor while others don't even dare to tap their toes to the beat of the music?...
View ArticleAnxiety Treatments Work On The Ground But Not In The Air
In systematic desensitization, the client is exposed to an anxiety-producing situation at a level of intensity too low to trigger the release of stress hormones. As treatment continues, exposure is...
View ArticleAre You Too Old To Go To A Health Club?
Worried that a weight lifting routine he had been following for years may no longer be appropriate for his present 8th decade of life, a relative enlisted the services of a personal trainer. The...
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Do People Try To Dishonestly Signal Fairness?
“My five-year old, the other day, one of her toys broke, and she demanded I break her sister’s toy to make it fair. And I did.” – Louis CKThis quote appeared in a post of mine around the middle of last...
View ArticleYou Must TALK BACK To Your Doctor!
Women have a special relationship with their Obstetricians. The reason may be apparent to many, but once you can talk to someone about your vagina, not to mention, surrender to the medical necessity of...
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The Red Dog
I got back from my niece’s wedding a few days ago, battered by airlines, a staph infection and a harsh look at how much I suffer from anxiety and how I do – and don’t – deal with it.Before starting...
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Starting in the Middle
Amy wrote in and said she was struggling with writing her book. “I know I have something good to share with people!” she said. “But I’m having a hard time just getting started.”I’ve written about...
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Lust for the Dead
In the news this week, two medical experts stated to a judge that they see evidence that Jessica Ridgeway, the Colorado 10-year-old slain by Austin Sigg last October, was sexually assaulted...
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Moderation in addiction treatment - A change is gonna come
Not that long ago the mere mention that responsible drinking was an option for people who have struggled with alcohol or drugs was a non-starter. It could get you thrown our of parties, yelled at, and...
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