Many people worry they have psychological ‘baggage.’ For example, they go through a bad marriage or other prolonged, emotionally traumatic experience. They fear this baggage will harm them in future relationships. Or they think it might otherwise impair their future … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd, They say you should never do business with friends, and I guess it’s true. We (my wife and I) did business with a friend in our hometown, and now there are problems with the items we purchased. … Continue reading
A reader asks: ‘How do you approach religious issues with depressed or troubled people, since you’re not religious yourself, and since therapists don’t usually address religion anyway?’ I find a lot of people non-committal about religion. ‘I believe in God, … Continue reading
“Since the inception of Alcoholics Anonymous — the progenitor of 12-step programs — science has sometimes been at odds with the notion that laypeople can cure themselves because the numerous spiritual references that go with the 12-step program puts AA … Continue reading
We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow And it works both ways! If you underestimate your potential, or if you ignore your prior … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd, My husband and I (no children) have been very happy for the last four years. Up until now. He has become Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He’s fine one minute, then, in response to the slightest thing, … Continue reading
Which is more important: Mental health or personal responsibility? I say both—equally. Why? Because the two are intertwined. A mentally healthy person understands that emotions result from thoughts. In other words, it isn’t possible to say or think, ‘You made … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd: I’ve learned to ride a bike. I cannot unlearn this, unless through a physical event such as a stroke or accident. I cannot replace this learning by learning to ride a motorcycle or any other vehicle. I … Continue reading
I’ll start with a question from several readers of this column: Is it possible to be a ‘rush-a-holic?’ The term implies an ‘addiction’ to rushing. Is it possible that someone would actually enjoy rushing? It’s probably not rushing itself that … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd, My husband and I have been together for ten years. We enjoy socializing with our coupled friends, but we find that we often like one member of the pair more than the other. To make it worse, … Continue reading
Conclusion of yesterday’s column. Hitler’s Nazism belongs to the history of 1930s and 1940s Europe. But the premises underlying Nazism are alive and well in the United States as of the early twenty-first century. Last year’s tragedy in Connecticut brought … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd, My long-time friend from high school has been married for about ten years. I’m also good friends with the husband. Several weeks ago I saw her husband in a restaurant with another woman. It was obviously an … Continue reading