Dear Dr. Hurd: There are those among us who think that it is perfectly fine to blurt out whatever “truth” that they feel/think at the moment and simply disregard the impact, effect or relevance of their unfiltered utterance. When they … Continue reading
Conclusion of Wednesday’s column. Dr .Phil.: ‘If you want confidence, you have to take on a confident posture. This can be as simple as putting more confidence in your walk and in your demeanor.’ Dr.Hurd.: Confidence comes from something much deeper … Continue reading
Readers of The Daily Dose of Reason and Life’s a Beach have repeatedly asked for Dr. Hurd’s opinions of celebrity psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw, popularly known as ‘Dr. Phil.’ Here, Dr. Hurd replies to some of Dr. Phil’s comments as … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd: I have been unemployed for four years as a result of a combination of abnormal circumstance (a health problem in conjunction with the depressed economy). As the length of time that I’ve been unemployed increases, my odds … Continue reading
A reader writes: How can I overcome my fear of flying? When I’m on an airplane, every little bit of turbulence makes me jump. It’s not so much that I’m afraid of terrorism as I am of the possibility of … Continue reading
Many people have this idea that the purpose of therapy is to ‘deal with the past.’ I suspect they get this idea from all those silly authors who appear on ‘Oprah’ and elsewhere. The interesting thing is: What does ‘dealing … Continue reading
Conclusion of yesterday’s column. Many people never talk to a therapist or read a self-help book. They nevertheless develop a stance of anger towards the rest of the world. Why? ‘Because I had a lousy childhood, and because things haven’t … Continue reading
Q: Dr. Hurd, you write a lot about deterministic thinking. What is deterministic thinking and how does it develop in people? A: Deterministic thinking refers to the subconsciously (or sometimes consciously) held viewpoint that a person is less in control … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd: In your experience, are most psychologists and psychiatrists liberal Democrats? If so, why do you think this is? Is it because they are enamored with the idea that the government can forcibly commit people to psychiatric institutions? … Continue reading
Dr. Hurd: “Forgive” in the Oxford dictionary is defined as “verb: stop feeling angry or resentful towards (someone) for an offence, flaw, or mistake.” Why would any therapist advise anyone to remain bitter and resentful towards anyone? Is that sound … Continue reading
Everybody assumes that forgiveness is good, whether the person is sorry or not, and regardless of what the person has done. “Turn the other cheek,” they preach. What they fail to consider is that once you forgive away something bad, … Continue reading
Dr. Hurd wrote the following in an article entitled, “Charlie Sheen: Madness Manifest”: “[Charlie] Sheen is obviously some kind of nihilistic playboy who for whatever reasons now feels free to be his true self, to rant and rage as he … Continue reading