Mental health, what is it? I define it here. Briefly, it's only one element of your overall health. There are five other components. In short, mental health is how your brain functions. Or, how is your brain at problem solving? Dr. Melfi (Tony Soprano's psychiatrist) in the scene above, says out loud to her own, … Continue reading Mental Health
Category: Therapy
PROZAC diary
Lauren Slater has been on Prozac since it burst on the scene in 1988. PROZAC diary (1998) is her book recounting the first ten years of the drug and how it affected and saved her life. That's not an exaggeration. She was twenty-five and suffering debilitating OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). Slater had been hospitalized five times beginning … Continue reading PROZAC diary
Lying
Lying is a thing people do. It has been a subject and action, central to my understanding of communication, between and within persons nearly all my life. Because of reasons not pertinent to this review. Lying (2000) is a memoir by Lauren Slater published twenty years ago, when she was 37. It's a beautiful, fascinating story. … Continue reading Lying
The Territorial Imperative
The Territorial Imperative was a book I read back in the late 60's, as a freshman at Colorado State University. It has informed and influenced me ever since. Its "big ideas" predated Evolutionary Psychology, by some ten/twenty years. Sociobiology was a word coined by The Naturalist, E.O. Wilson, around 1975. Sociobiology, as defined by Wilson … Continue reading The Territorial Imperative
The Pursuit Of Happiness
At a recent session with my psych-girl, she closed with three "suggestions": Lower your expectations Reduce your drinking Censor yourself Is there a better prescription for unhappiness? Or is it one for happiness? Christopher Hitchens once said: It's not true that you shouldn't drink alone; these can be the happiest glasses you ever drain. I … Continue reading The Pursuit Of Happiness
Talk Therapy
How do you know what it is? Do you know if you're getting it? Is it effective? Those questions illustrate the value of the Health & Well-being Inventory (HWBI). If you can accurately assess your score? Then maybe you can decide if you can/are benefiting from therapy? However, what kind? Because once you've determined you … Continue reading Talk Therapy
Drinking With Men
Drinking With Men is the title of memoir written by Rosie Schaap. (I've c&p'd my review below.) Today is "Happy Hour Friday" with my bff. I can hardly wait to get his call via FaceTime. He's said as much to me - that he looks forward to HHF every week. My Drinking I've chronicled in … Continue reading Drinking With Men
Joe Biden’s Revenge
"Joe Biden's revenge" is a phrase I lifted from Hunter Thompson's 1985-88 collection of essays chronicled in the book Generation of Swine. It refers to Biden heading a committee to vet Judge Robert Bork for nomination to the US Supreme Court. Biden, at the time, had just been "disgraced" for "cribbing a few lines on some obscure … Continue reading Joe Biden’s Revenge
What Happened to Education?
What happened to education? is a great question. Certainly books have been written, and will be written (maybe), regarding answers. My answer is both simple and extremely complex. Survival and greed, in other words: Life at work, or biology on planet earth. My Favorite People are progressives. (see them here and here and here.) However, … Continue reading What Happened to Education?
The Delay Of Gratification Paradox
The delay of gratification paradox is, ultimately, about survival. Or, the self versus the other. Or, pleasure versus pain. OZARK is a Netflix original series I binged watched this weekend. Because I was alone, and (more likely) bored? Calling Dr. Hannon? In the pilot, S1E1, Marty Byrde, states: "... because you've resolved to work and … Continue reading The Delay Of Gratification Paradox