There’s nothing like financial insecurity to create intense stress. Money was the dominant source of stress for 44% of Americans prior to the Covid19 pandemic. I imagine that it now soars to the top of the list for most of us. Many Americans have large amounts of credit card debt and/or student loans. About 1 […]
The coronavirus pandemic has rightfully caused fear in the general population. But it can be a nightmare for people who have an underlying anxiety disorder. People with anxiety already have racing thoughts, excessive worry, fear, feeling of impending doom, and insomnia. Of course, their anxiety will be heightened. We’ve already seen panic in large numbers […]
Have you heard the term “moral panic?” A moral panic is a widespread fear, most often an irrational one, that someone or something is a threat to the values, safety, and interests of a community or society. Moral panics are often centered on people who are marginalized in society due to their race or ethnicity, […]
I recently met a young man who received a legal charge of domestic assault. His girlfriend of one year came to his house and “started an argument” about his unfaithfulness. He admits that he punched her in the eye, causing injury that required medical care. In his opinion, she disrespected him by going to his […]
When living in Chicago, I noticed that people don’t make eye contact with strangers on the street. I assumed that in such heavily populated areas, people preferred to keep a bubble of personal space between themselves and others. Upon moving to a small rural community, I noticed that everyone waved hello when driving by. It […]
The following is a meme going viral on Facebook: “Unpopular Opinion: Weed isn’t a gateway drug. Alcohol isn’t a gateway drug. Nicotine isn’t a gateway drug. Caffeine isn’t a gateway drug. Trauma is the gateway. Childhood abuse is the gateway. Molestation is the gateway. Neglect is the gateway. Rape is the gateway. Drug abuse, violent […]
Lord Acton was an English Catholic historian, politician, and writer in the 1800’s. He said “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Michelle Obama countered this with a statement in her speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in which she said “being president doesn’t change who you are, it reveals who you […]
Did you hear about the Massachusetts homeowner who returned to his home and realized that someone had broken in, to find that rather than stealing property they cleaned it? The intruder hadn’t taken anything and instead they’d cleaned up. The family found the home more perfectly made up than when they left. In fact, the […]
Most of us have a natural and healthy human yearning for closeness. Humans are social creatures who thrive in loving relationships whether it is family or friends. But finding the person that you’d want to partner with for a lifetime can be very difficult. In fact, it is like finding a needle in a haystack. […]
Across the country this year, according to media reports, at least eight shootings have taken place on high school or college campuses. They have occurred inside gyms and classrooms, in parking lots and school hallways. Together, four people have been killed and another 17 wounded so far in 2019, according to law enforcement authorities and […]