Meet John. He is a 62-year-old, tall, well-built, energic man with whom some would describe as someone with a heart of gold. He frequently donates to organizations like Save the Children and Big Brother Big Sister. John has been married three times; interestingly, he has a cordial relationship with all of his former wives. He…
I initially had two other ideas for this current blog when I was deciding what topic to write about. However, something happened the other day that changed my mind. I was talking with a colleague about hypnosis, and he had very little knowledge about what it was and what it wasn’t. I’m used to explaining…
At some point, most people find themselves experiencing negative thoughts about themselves, the world, or their future. It’s part of being human. However, it is possible that your negative thoughts can actually interfere with your functioning because your thoughts are directly linked to both mood and behavior. Persistent negative thinking can be a symptom of…
Passing judgment on those around us is human nature. We are continually making our own choices and observing the choices of others. We like to think we’re making the right decisions, and we often use ourselves as a benchmark for others. How can we feel good and “right” in our choices without passing judgment on…
Affluenza isn’t a joke. Although the term is often used sarcastically, vast wealth and a single-minded focus on the pursuit of money, status and material possessions cause real problems and dysfunction in many American families. “It’s easy to mock the problems of the well-to-do,” says Josh Glawe, a licensed clinical social worker and specialist in…
Every sports fan knows of high-profile instances when elite professional athletes suddenly and inexplicably seemed to lose the ability to execute even the most basic tasks on the playing field, maneuvers that are typically second nature to them: the major league infielder who can’t throw accurately to first base; the basketball star who can’t make…
Many parents expect the teenage years to be a trial they will have to endure. They’ve been warned that their previously successful parenting strategies are about to become useless and their previously delightful, loving children are about to become moody, uncommunicative strangers. “Expecting the worst in the teen years can become a self-fulfilling prophecy,” says…
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is well recognized and now commonly diagnosed in children. It is estimated that between 3% and 10% of school-age children exhibit the hyperactivity, inattention and impulsiveness that characterize the disorder. Less attention has been focused on the fact that for about half of those children, the symptoms continue into adulthood. “Many…
While the number of children and adolescents treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports- and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, has increased dramatically over the last ten years, the increase isn’t necessarily bad news. More children are showing up at emergency rooms at least in part because parents, coaches and pediatricians have become more…
The ability to make and keep friends is vital to a child’s emotional health and well-being. Children who have difficult peer relationships or who are rejected by peers are likely to suffer from a wide range of long-terms problems, including low self-esteem, academic failure, depression, and feelings of isolation and loneliness. “Most of us have…