A regular reader of this column sent me an email asking for my perspective on an interesting psychological oddity, namely, people who don’t like to be treated well. Most of us want to be treated with kindness and respect, but … Continue reading
I recently had a close encounter (of the obnoxious kind) in a local grocery store. Regular readers know that these little adventures of mine often end up as columns, so here goes. A woman who showed no evidence of disability … Continue reading
Two approaches to life characterize the majority of human interactions. One is the adversarial mentality, and the other is the realistic mentality. The adversarial mentality rests upon illogical but (to some people) emotionally appealing ideas about how human beings get … Continue reading
A website visitor asks, “I’m hoping you can help out with my 27-year-old son. He was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) back in high school, and nothing has been the same since. He’s just an older version of … Continue reading
One of the more interesting things I encounter from time to time is people who tell me that certain sounds make them feel uncomfortable and angry. A bit of research introduced me to the term “misophonia”: a debilitating situation where … Continue reading
A few months ago I wrote that a fear of success could be a fear of being “found out” as a fraud – whether you earned the success or not. A kind reader responded by telling me that when she’s … Continue reading
A Cornell University study asks, “Why do teens do stupid things?” My response: “Well, not so fast.” Not all teens do stupid things. There’s nothing about being young that makes stupidity inevitable. It’s true that teens don’t have the knowledge … Continue reading
A website visitor emails that her relative, a young woman of 19, has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She asks if it is a valid diagnostic label or just another excuse to justify bad behavior. Psychiatrists define bipolar disorder as … Continue reading
A friend told me that she wants to stop “mining for issues.” I liked her metaphor! She told me that she found herself actually looking for things to be anxious and worried about. Looking back at my clinical experience, I … Continue reading
The American Psychological Association reports that the use of social media has skyrocketed from seven percent of American adults in 2005 to 65 percent or more today. For those in the 18-29 age range, the increase is larger, from 12 … Continue reading
A website visitor writes that he and his wife recently retired here at the beach. But in spite of that, he’s not happy. It doesn’t have to do with anything specific; things are fine with his wife and his nice … Continue reading
Readers ask me if it’s possible to be a “rush-a-holic,” i.e., to be addicted to rushing or being in a hurry. I agree, but I believe that it’s not the rushing itself that holds the appeal. Some love the thrill … Continue reading