Dear Dr. Hurd, Everything seemed perfect when we first met 8 months ago. Now, my girlfriend is starting to get bossy and controlling. She interrupts me, finishes my sentences, and always seems to have a better way of doing everything. … Continue reading
Category: Psychology & Self-Improvement
Can Anxiety Stop Your Breathing?
A reader writes, “Thanks for your article on talking too much. You leave out one major thing: the nervous system. I talk too much sometimes because I am jumpy and nervous because of anxiety in certain social situations. It’s an … Continue reading
Nobody Makes You Feel Guilty Without Your Consent
Dear Dr. Hurd, I’ll get to the point. I can’t get past my anger toward my mother. My husband and I decided never to have children. Though I’ve long since informed her of this, she never misses a chance to … Continue reading
Sensitivity: A Good or Bad Thing?
A reader writes: Although sensitivity is usually considered a desirable trait, I find it a hindrance. It’s very embarrassing when in a professional setting my normally stoical exterior is temporarily interrupted by a critical remark that reveals my sensitivity. I … Continue reading
Neurologist Calls ADHD a Phony Medical Illness
For two decades now, I’ve been hammering away at and questioning the very concept of the alleged disease of “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.” Now there’s a neurologist with over 50 years of experience asking some of the very same questions. … Continue reading
“My face hurts … from pretending to like you.”
Like most people where I live, I am a mid-life transplant from a big city / metropolitan area to a small town, three hours from any major city. Most of my peers have made the comment, “People in this small … Continue reading
“Victim-Think” Can Afflict Anyone
A lot of people assume, “I don’t think like a victim. I’m rational, self-responsible and don’t think anyone owes me a living. Victim-think only afflicts those who feel entitled, or who are otherwise irrational.” Not so. Victim-think is a psychological … Continue reading
Living With a Neat Freak
Dear Dr. Hurd, My husband and I have been together for over 25 years. He has always been finicky about cleanliness and “everything being in its place.” But recently he seems to be getting worse. After a 12-hour day at … Continue reading
An Expiration Date for Young People Living at Home?
Dear Dr. Hurd: I’m hoping you can help out with my twenty-seven-year-old son. He doesn’t have a drug problem or anything, and I don’t think he’s especially depressed. He was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) back in high … Continue reading
The Problem With Geographic Solutions
Dr. Hurd, there are house hunting TV shows that feature people buying houses outside the US. They’re interesting, but something I hear frequently from the buyers puzzles me and I thought you might want to comment. The buyers frequently comment … Continue reading
Happiness is Not Cheap
When people are anxious, depressed or otherwise emotionally troubled, they seek to control their feelings. Unfortunately, the goal of controlling your feelings is at odds with one very important fact. Your emotions are the output — not the input. They’re … Continue reading
The Benefits and Hazards of Anger
What is anger? Rationally and objectively defined, anger is an emotional response to a perceived or actual injustice. When you’re truly angry, you believe someone has done something wrong. “Wrong” is the standard to which you consciously (or subconsciously) subscribe. … Continue reading