Tears of Joy, Tears of Sorrow
Many of us watched the Olympic Bronze medal winner, Bode Miller, as he became the oldest Olympic skier to medal in the super G. That was a reason for his tears of joy, which he shared with his Olympic...
View ArticleDesire for Spirit: Can depression have value?
Desire for spirit. Do we have one? Is it really a desire? If so, why lump it together with desires for such material, physical things like food or sex? Are they at all comparable? Readers of What a...
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The Sticking Point: Why Men Still Outnumber Women in Science
Back in 2005, you might have been forgiven for thinking that the gender wars were largely a thing of the past. The extreme blank slate view of earlier decades was losing its foothold as evolutionary...
View ArticleWhat Do Lovers Really Want?
Lovers want to be with each other, but in what kind of relationship do they aspire to be? Would they prefer to be in one profound loving relationship all their lives or would they prefer many short...
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Is Polyamory a Form of Sex Addiction?
While some people see sexual addiction as an uncontrollable compulsion, or a pernicious threat to mental health and the wellbeing of relationships, others doubt the existence of sex addition and see it...
View ArticleA Secret to Longer Life: Throw Away Your Camera
A little-known secret to staying healthy and living longer involves discarding your camera. A side benefit is that this action also increases your happiness and general sense of well-being. If your...
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Why it's Okay to Take Things for Granted (Sometimes)
Most of the time, we take life for granted. We don't stop to consider what a miracle it is that we were even born in the first place, or recognize that each moment could be our last. Taken to an...
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On Sexual Omnivorousness
A mere 50 weeks after I gave it, my TED talk has finally seen the light of day. So far, over 400k people have seen it in less than a week. Here's the link. Hope you enjoy it.
View ArticleWhat You Know About Marriage That the NY Times Does Not
A New York Times blogger recently wrote about a study of blood pressure, particularly the dip that, apparently, often occurs at night and is good for your health. I don’t know much about blood...
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The Problem of Free Will … And a Possible Solution
In philosophy, libertarians defend the kind of free will that the vast majority of people take for granted, that is, the kind of free will that makes us responsible for our actions—and thus for our...
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When Your Parent Starts Dating
Occasionally I get questions from teens trying to figure out life's complications. I like to share some of these inquiries with you so you too can see the dilemmas that many teens are faced with....
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The Puzzling Condition of Prediabetes
Susan Sontag, in her essay, Illness as Metaphor, writes that we all hold “dual citizenship in the kingdom of the well and in the kingdom of the sick.” Eventually, says Sontag, we will, “sooner or...
View ArticleReviewing Crunchies 2013 and Playing Defense
Written by Chester Spell and Katerina Bezrukova “I don’t know what’s going on here!” said The Daily Show’s John Oliver, as he hosted (and roasted) the 7th annual Tech Crunchies award event in San...
View ArticleKeeping Valentines Day Alive
Keeping Valentine’s Day Alive Now that Valentine’s Day has passed, you may already be taking your partner and your relationship for granted. Unless there is a special occasion, we tend not to express...
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Treasuring Memories: The Table Where Mangia Spelled Love
As my sister and I talked about the pastry shop that Grandpa owned, she reminded me that it was his sister Zia Agatha who taught her how to knit and crochet. She would make little scarves and crochet...
View ArticleFive Anxiety Lowering Strategies for Children
The worst part of anxiety is having anxiety about the anxiety, itself. The metaphor a snowball being rolled down a hill of is one I use to illustrate how unchecked anxiety rapidly grows. Children can...
View Article3 Techniques to Read People
As a psychiatrist my job is to read people, not just what they say, but who they are. Interpreting verbal and nonverbal cues, I want to see past their masks into the real person. Logic alone won’t tell...
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3 Views of Relationships As a Spiritual Path
Many of us are weary of outward-looking religion and don't feel nourished by psychotherapies that neglect our spiritual potential. We may linger in an inexplicable emptiness until we attend to...
View ArticleFibrofog: Harbinger of Early Alzheimer's Disease?
It is not infrequent that a fibromyalgia patient will ask me whether her (or his) “fibrofog”—that cognitive dysfunction experienced by up to 80% of fibromyalgia patients—is a disturbing harbinger of...
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Well Hung
Ironically, erotic asphyxiation began in the 17th century as a medical treatment for erectile dysfunction when doctors observed that male hanging victims often developed erections.Now we have Viagra,...
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