With a huge spring snowstorm hitting the Northeast U.S., a reader asked me to write about “weather anxiety.” When we talk about “weather anxiety”, it’s not really the weather we’re anxious about. It’s our thoughts about the weather causing the … Continue reading
Some troubling statistics on the mental health of millennials: A 2016 UK survey found that, since 1990, rates of depression and anxiety among the young have increased by 70%, while the American Counseling Association has reported a “rising tide of … Continue reading
Newsmax reports that the use of social media has skyrocketed from 7 percent of American adults in 2005 to 65 percent in 2015. For those in the 18-29 age range, the increase is larger, from 12 percent to a whopping … Continue reading
Thomas Merton wrote, “Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone — we find it with another.” How you interpret this quote, if you agree, will determine whether love brings you joy … Continue reading
“Discussions are always better than arguments, because an argument is to find out WHO is right and a discussion is to find out WHAT is right.” I don’t know who said this. But it’s far more profound and accurate than … Continue reading
Q: Would you offer your observations and some action people can take to stay calm, rational and effective in stressful and emotional interpersonal situations? I think many people lack these tools. I consider myself very learned in this area and … Continue reading
The Obesity Action Coalition — yes, there is such a thing — states that fat jokes “remain a socially acceptable form of prejudice in American society.” This “weight stigma” is what leads to chronic obesity. So, in OAC’s assessment, what … Continue reading
“Too many people think of happiness as something over which they have no control, but that isn’t true. Ironically, it’s people’s definition of and expectations for happiness that undermine their own. The best shot anyone has of being happy—in any … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd: We are always encouraged to “be positive,” because it is bad to be negative. However, there are many things in life that are inherently negative, such as what has happened to America over the past 8 years … Continue reading
A therapist at Psychology Today online writes, People often ask me how I think human beings are changing as a result of our addiction to technology. The fact is we are changing in innumerable ways but perhaps none more profound … Continue reading
“Once we start lying, the extent of our dishonesty increases over time. And when that happens, our brain begins to tamp down its emotional response to our own immoral behavior, signaling in effect that lying is no big deal. That … Continue reading
A reader asks: “Trust your gut.” What the heck does that even mean? People seem to be saying this more and more. Does my gut have a brain? The way I think of this is your gut is an automated … Continue reading