My daily experience repeatedly debunks the myth that good relationships require constant work. Good relationships already work well, because each partner is getting what he or she wants. Anyone in a happy, mutually satisfying relationship will tell you that he … Continue reading →

Dear Dr. Hurd, I’m the primary caretaker of my aging mother. My efforts and sadness are compounded by the fact that she is suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s. Unlike death, where you grieve and then in time return to your daily … Continue reading →

Several readers asked me to clarify the difference between short-term compromise and all-out self-sacrifice when it comes to relationships. More than one Life’s a Beach! column has emphasized that the latter should never be part of any partnered relationship. A … Continue reading →

According to research reported by theguardian.com, loneliness can have dramatic consequences on one’s health. Feeling isolated from others can disrupt sleep, raise blood pressure, lower immunity, increase depression, lower subjective well-being and increase the stress hormone cortisol (at sustained high … Continue reading →

As the summer season approaches, some of us will have to deal with neighbors who drop in uninvited. Or children (or worse yet, adults) who can’t keep their hands off of your property. Do you have friends who call and … Continue reading →

A website visitor writes to complain about a “smart slacker” in her office. I suspect many of us have known a smart slacker; pushing the limits, just as children often do, to see how much he or she can get … Continue reading →

Many of the day-to-day topics in my office have to do with grief and grieving. I received an email from a reader who asks why people sometimes back away from friends who are very sick or who are mourning the … Continue reading →

John R. Schafer, Ph.D. writes on psychologytoday.com: “Changing negative first impressions is difficult. A person who forms a negative impression of another person will be less inclined to meet that person a second time because that person has been judged … Continue reading →

It’s a known fact that we humans tend to value something less if we didn’t work for it. If you work hard for success in your job, it means a lot more than if that success were just handed to … Continue reading →

Two approaches to life characterize the majority of human interactions. One is the adversarial mentality; the other is the realistic mentality. The adversarial mentality rests upon illogical but (to some people) emotionally appealing ideas about how human beings get along … Continue reading →

On online quiz suggests that concern about fire or burglary in your home or catching a disease could be signs of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Though some attention to detail is perfectly reasonable and even necessary, the quiz also includes … Continue reading →