My cousin is generally a mellow, quirky teenager. She watches Japanese anime and recently decided that she wants a t-shirt with Bob Ross’ face. So imagine my surprise when her parents recently confessed that she missed the first three weeks of school because of debilitating anxiety—and I mean hyperventilating, turning-blue-ready-to-pass-out anxiety. When I asked her […]

Manipulators and narcissists are like octopi—always reaching out with their tentacles to wrap around you, but instead of suction cups, they use guilt, lies, and flattery to hold on. Just when you think you’ve escaped, they squirt a cloud of confusion and slip back into your life. And, much like an octopus, they’re masters of […]

I have an acquaintance who is an accounting manager in a major firm with a salary of over $150,000 a year. She’s intelligent, fashion-forward, and speaks three languages fluently. Do I envy her? Kind of…with the exception of her absolutely horrible taste in men. She married someone whom she’s been financially supporting for the past […]

Recently, there has been a flood of articles on “consciousness” popping into my newsfeed on Facebook. Most of them discuss scientists’ attempt to come up with a theory of what it is, how to measure it, and what it means for the rest of us. This is what we love to do in the research […]

Obsessive shoppers fascinate me, particularly those who shop for luxury items even when they can’t afford to. Why do they do it? Because shopping is like any other addiction: You know it’s not healthy but you just can’t help yourself. When a friend turned 30, she decided she wanted to party in style, so she […]

Under stressful circumstances, I lose my appetite. I’ve admitted more than once that I’m an emotional eater (I heart you, french fries), but emotional eating isn’t limited to those times when you’re feeling depressed, anxious, and utterly unlovable. I eat when I’m bored and when there’s a psychologically empty space in my soul that needs […]

Therapy is a major investment, which is why it’s so important to find someone who is worth investing in; someone whose values and personality complement your own. I conducted three months of research before purchasing my first car, so as you can imagine, I wouldn’t insist on anything less if I was looking for a […]

When someone strikes up the courage to admit they’re depressed, the response they receive from some family members and friends is usually one of the following: Here’s my typical rejoinder: Yet, the power of the stigma of having a therapist or a mental health issue becomes overwhelming, and people who need help are too afraid […]