Ideas on Mental Health & Meaning
For All You Dads Out There
Really, this is good info for any parent, or someone who knows a parent. These are my notes from a presentation to a group of Dads at a Daddy-Daughter Dance last weekend. I hope you find them helpful. "The world promises you comfort, but you were not made for...
Mental Health “Wonder Drug”?
As a substance abuse therapist for the past two decades, I’ve been pretty skeptical about CBD. However, as a mental health counselor for just as long, I’ve seen the effects of long-term prescription medication use - not just opiates, but anti-depressants,...
Was mich nicht umbringt…
...macht mich stärker. Many of have heard one Friedrich Nietzsche's most famous quotes: "Whatever does not kill me, makes me stronger." But as I am reading through Hiking with Nietzsche: On Becoming Who You Are, I am reminded of what an impact he had on Viktor...
Just Be Safe – Maybe Discover Some Meaning
Apparently many of us have a pretty rough week ahead of us. "Historic lows" they say. I read something about -39 to -49 degree windchill at some point during the week. That's inhuman, and inhumane, for anyone who has to be out in it. After denigrating The State of...
The State of Affairs – a review
I just finished reading Esther Perel's The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity. I didn't like it. I fear I may owe some of you an apology for recommending it. It took me a little longer than I expected - perhaps because I didn't like it - or maybe because it felt...
How Are Your Resolutions Coming Along?
We are nearly two weeks into the new year. If you are like many people, this is about the time motivation and practice drop off for those resolutions we set a few weeks ago. But if you are still at it - still exercising, still changing your diet, still abstaining of...
A Mid-Winter Warning
With the holidays behind us and a full week of the new year already passed, we are entering into what can be a very difficult time for many people. "Post-holiday blues" set in. Days continue to be short, cold, and dark. Our bodies naturally want to hibernate....
Meaning of the New Year
Today could be a day just like any other. However, we have attached significant meaning to the last day of the year, its last few seconds, and the ushering in of the next calendar year. This is an excellent opportunity to take a moment to reminisce over the...
On Anticipation and Joy
During this time of year, many cultures, religions, and individuals are celebrating, or anticipating the celebration of, joyful holidays. It is also a time of year that many people find most stressful, overwhelming, anxious, and possibly even sad, for a variety of...
Bah Humbug! – Decaying Traditions & Values…
Viktor Frankl famously wrote that part of the modern "existential vacuum" was due to the decline of traditions and values - that in the absence of guiding principles, humankind was left adrift as to how to behave or think in a moral and meaningful way. This...
Feelings of the Season
It's that time of year where we all might feel a little down - maybe a little sluggish or depressed. It's the time of year where many people feel SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder. There are quite a few ways to experience SAD - and even more ways to prevent it from...
Meaningful Giving
I hope you have returned to daily life after an enjoyable and restful Thanksgiving! Today, "Cyber Monday" we enter into what should be a "joyful" holiday season, but one that may sadly leave people feeling stressed and depressed. In order to avoid the "Holiday...