In my clinical experience over the years I’ve seen many human relationships that are not everything they could be. Marriages routinely end in chronic dissatisfaction and eventually divorce. More and more I see people treating one another poorly. I suspect … Continue reading
In the comic strip “Peanuts,” Lucy van Pelt referred to this time of year as “post-Christmas letdown,” when you mourn for the gifts you wanted but didn’t get. It’s also during this season when I get questions from parents asking … Continue reading
Champagne and too many of those little round quichey things can result in some pretty outlandish new year’s resolutions. It’s tricky to say what you mean and mean what you say when you’re balancing a lampshade on your head. But … Continue reading
The timeless words, “I’ll be home for Christmas” can sometimes set the stage for tension, particularly among family and couples. The seasonal pressure to make everything (and everybody) instantly cheerful and merry can be stressful. Couples fight for a variety … Continue reading
The Christmas season can sometimes generate the perfect storm when relationships mix with the spending of money. Lingering financial issues often become a source of, shall we say … discussion … when debating what to spend on Aunt Myrna’s Christmas … Continue reading
Though it sounds sort of magical and mysterious, the power of suggestion can often be a part of everyday life. For example, let’s say you mistakenly drink a caffeinated beverage close to bedtime, but don’t realize it until the next … Continue reading
Dear Dr. Hurd, My sister is a Catholic. Several years ago she married a wonderful man who happens to be Jewish. They have been very happy — up until now. She is pregnant, and they’ve started to argue vehemently over … Continue reading
A reader emails that her father always cautioned her that “the grass is always greener”, i.e., that she should keep searching for something better than what she already has. She asks me if an endless quest for that “something better” … Continue reading
A visitor to my website writes, “My wife of two years goes out of her way to control me. Everything from constant phone calls asking where I am, to ordering me to go to sleep when it suits her, or … Continue reading
A reader of this column tells me that she is frustrated with her teenage son. She wants to remind him that she encourages his independence but that he should at least listen to her opinions since she’s still paying for … Continue reading
Much of what people talk to me about in my office is about making it through life, day-to-day. Things can get pretty scary out there and people can get overwhelmed. From my experience I’ve come up with six basic things … Continue reading
A regular reader 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 she specifically refers … Continue reading