I recently heard a psychiatrist affiliated with the American Psychiatric Association (APA) complain that the insurance industry, motivated by profit, has pushed the APA to narrow the diagnosis for Bipolar Disorder — so there may be fewer insurance claims approved. This may … Continue reading
Q: Dr. Hurd, I have few real friends and feel that people usually respond to me in a negative way, no matter how nice or reasonable I try to be. Any thoughts or advice? A: You say people seem to … Continue reading
Democracy isn’t supposed to be about the mob ruling over the individual. It also isn’t supposed to be about a political pressure group overriding the will of the majority — or the rights of a minority, either. The point of … Continue reading
Be original.
Sometimes, depression is what happens when you go too long without a sense of purpose. It’s like the engine light going on in the car when it hasn’t obtained proper maintenance. This is why depression/anxiety and other psychological problems can, … Continue reading
People insist that government must interfere in the free market economy in order to prevent — or correct — “market failure.” Let’s think about this term “market failure.” A market refers to millions of different business transactions going on at … Continue reading
If you fail to focus on, engage in and otherwise appreciate THIS moment — because of your thoughts about the next hour, the next day or the next year — then you’re cheating yourself in two respects. You’re diminishing your … Continue reading
What does the term “cognitive distortions” mean? It refers to the fact that our initial reactions are not always reliable and trustworthy. Don’t be ashamed of those initial reactions. Don’t moralize about them or ‘be ashamed.’ Simply see them for … Continue reading
Look back, to better understand what to do — and not to do — now. Look ahead, to gauge where to go from here, and why. Think of the past and future, but relate everything to here and now. If … Continue reading
Premise: “Everybody is the same. No one individual is better than another.” Premise held by the same person, with the same intensity: “The little guy matters most. I like the little guy.” Premise: “What people do in their own homes, … Continue reading
I love the saying: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, while still expecting different results.” It’s not error itself that defines insanity. It’s denial. It’s evasion. It’s a willful refusal to introspect and look at one’s … Continue reading
I want to know people I can respect, and I want to know people with whom I agree. Ultimately, the first matters more to me than the second. If I agree with people but cannot respect them — then who cares? … Continue reading