“How do you expect anyone to respect you when you don’t respect yourself?” is akin to the platitude that you … More
Tag: Anxiety
The Terrified Cynic: Why Some Prefer Depression to Anxiety
We fear life as much as death. And our cynicism, a persistent sense of hopelessness, is little more than a … More
The Dark Side of Denying Our Own Envy
Few emotions are denied as vehemently as envy. Envy implies weakness like few others. Many of our younger patients find … More
Why Am I Afraid to Feel My Feelings?
For some, potential, negative experiences, like harm or death, carry the weight of their biggest fears. For others, their own, … More
Addicted to Hope
In his autobiography, Based on a True Story, comedian Norm Macdonald details his years long gambling addiction, which cost him … More
The Responsibility Dodger: Avoiding the Blame Game
Some people will watch you burn and pretend they had nothing to do with it, or worse, that you did … More
The Dependent Personality and the Savior Therapist
Humans, like animals in pain, recoil from any perceived threat by hiding. Rejection sensitivity, common to various forms of personality … More
The Therapist’s Shame: Understanding Projective Identification and Countertransference
Chronic defensiveness, like chronic avoidance, isn’t a victimless crime. In our self-protected cocoons, sheltering us from the exaggerated slings and … More
Vulnerability Can Be a Strength: Why Attachment Styles Matter
Perfectionists view their worlds in absolutes. Their sense of morality and their expectations apply to all environments, all of the … More
The Divided World: Challenging Anti-Psychiatry
We love fighting demons. And nowhere is that more apparent than in the current geo-political sphere. Some of us fight … More
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