Regular readers of this column know that I have written over and over that love is not sacrifice. When you love someone, you want them to be happy. When someone loves you, you want them to do something for you … Continue reading
Category: Life’s a Beach!
Feeling Sorry For Yourself: Pros and Cons (DE Coast Press)
People often say to me, “Why am I feeling down? Why do I feel sorry for myself?” It’s a perfectly reasonable observation, but it doesn’t get to the heart of why some people cope better than others. The key to … Continue reading
Can Emotions Be “Diseases”? (DE Wave)
A reader emails that her doctor wrote her a prescription for depression and tells her that it is a “disease.” But she feels that her problem is more emotional than medical, and she hates the way the pills make her … Continue reading
Making Peace With Food (DE Coast Press)
The Christmas holidays are barely over, and here we are, already staring at heart-shaped boxes of candy. We humans are imaginative creatures, and we’ve perfected a long list of reasons to eat excessively, over and above the boring reasons … … Continue reading
When Romance Isn’t a Two-Way Street (DE Wave)
A reader asks if it’s possible to be just friends with somebody to whom you are attracted romantically, even if they don’t feel the same way. She goes on to ask if that can also apply to an ex-spouse or … Continue reading
Can the Internet Cure Loneliness? (DE Coast Press)
In spite of constant media bombardment about “family” this and “family” that, there are many people out there who are single and maybe even live alone. Not every unattached person longs for companionship, but some out there do prefer to … Continue reading
Cell Phone Management (DE Wave)
Cell phones on the beach. Cell phones on the boardwalk. Cell phones in theaters, on the highway, in restaurants…. Why do people love cell phones so much? Or, from a more psychological point of view, why do people have such … Continue reading
It’s Not “Karma” You Need…It’s Thinking! (DE Coast Press)
When people come to see me, they’re often surprised when I suggest that one of our goals will be to help them think. By “think,” I mean trusting their senses, and then integrating reality into abstract conclusions. Rational thought is … Continue reading
The Second Time Around: Widows Who Remarry (DE Wave)
People often ask me if older widowed people should remarry. The obvious answer is, of course, yes – if they want to. But many widows and widowers feel it’s disloyal to their late spouse, not to mention issues with wills, … Continue reading
So You Don’t “Believe” in Psychotherapy… (DE Coast Press)
People occasionally tell me that they don’t believe in psychotherapy. When I ask them to clarify, it often comes down to the mistaken idea that therapy requires “uncritical belief.” Sadly, that’s true of many things nowadays, but certainly not with … Continue reading
Faulty Retirement Thinking (DE Wave)
A Delaware Wave reader writes that he and his wife recently retired to a beautiful waterfront area near the beach. But in spite of that, he is not happy. It doesn’t have to do with anything specific; things are fine … Continue reading
So You Want to be “Normal” (DE Coast Press)
The literal meaning of “normal” is nothing less than, and, regrettably, nothing more than “average.” When people tell me they want to be normal, I cringe. After all, why do they aspire to just average? I can understand how being … Continue reading