Anxiety: You cannot take a risk. It’s too painful. What if your risk doesn’t work out? Reason: You’ll be no worse off than before you started. Anxiety: But you’ll feel badly. Reason: Won’t you feel badly if you don’t try … Continue reading
It’s wrong and irrational to pretend that you’re a victim when you’re not; but it also serves an emotional purpose, for many people. By “emotional” I mean irrational. It’s not that emotions are always mistaken or irrational, but in this … Continue reading
A successful person is not someone who wakes up one day and has a brilliant idea, immediately implements the idea — and enjoys massive success, just like that. Great ideas do sometimes come on suddenly, although usually they do not. … Continue reading
Author Alexandra York’s review of Dr. Hurd’s new book: Dr. Hurd begins this very important, very serious book by making us laugh. Taking a hypothetical patient with a problem to seven different therapists and giving us seven different opinions on … Continue reading
Is addiction a choice? The controversy continues. One reader writes in to DrHurd.com the following: “I have done more than average investigation into the concept of addiction. I believe there can be multiple causes, both biological and psychological. This is … Continue reading
Perfectionists make the error of “trying to improve.” Their motivation is one of good intentions, but as the saying goes, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Perfectionists will try to improve not for an objective reason, that … Continue reading
A reader, objecting to my article on how addiction is a choice, makes the following complaints: As a therapist you should know that addiction is generally associated with a disregulation of the reward centers in the brain — i.e., the … Continue reading
First excerpt from Dr. Michael Hurd’s new book, “Bad Therapy, Good Therapy: And How to Tell the Difference”: Dangerous misconception #1: There are cures for all emotional problems. In reality, there are no cures. A ‘cure’ would refer to a … Continue reading
Q: Dear Dr. Hurd: My wife and I are looking to attend marriage counseling — not because our marriage is in bad shape, but because we want our marriage to be as vibrant and healthy as possible. When seeking out … Continue reading
Q: Dr. Hurd, I like my psychotherapist, but I’m seeking a game plan. I want to know what I’m supposed to do. Should I ask my therapist to provide this for me? Is it an example of bad therapy if … Continue reading
Q: Could you comment about the subject of personal growth and how it changes the roles of relationships: platonic, romantic, and family? When people improve themselves morally, ethically, and rationally, therefore increasing their self-esteem, confidence and ability, then their relationships with those around … Continue reading
People often ask: At what point is something an “addiction”? At what point has someone gone too far with something, so far that it’s officially a “problem”? The problem with these kinds of questions is that they assume the definition … Continue reading