I really try not to be offended easily, and truly, I’m not. But as someone who treats patients with obsessive compulsive disorder, there’s something I need to say. Even in this unprecedented, high-stress, we-have-to-wash-our-hands situation, it is not ok to associate “crazy” with “germaphobe” as I heard a very well-respected reporter say. It’s not ok...
Everyone has some anxiety. It’s a normal emotion that we actually need, because it protects us from danger. We don’t want to get rid of it. For those with excessive worry or anxiety, however, improving your ability to differentiate between danger and discomfort is important. Tolerating discomfort and learning how to better respond to that...
Now that it’s February, it’s a good time to evaluate how those New Year’s resolutions are coming along. If you’re like the majority of people who set those goals year after year with the best intentions only to make it a couple of days, or maybe weeks, this article is for you. There’s a scientific...
Welcome back! If you’ve come here first, you’ll want to check out Part One of Lessons from TLC’s 90 Day Fiancé. Today, I’ll give you 3 more lessons. And, while the original catalyst for these posts isn’t necessarily the most credible, in all seriousness, the lessons we can learn are good ones. Lesson #3: “Talking...
On a cold, miserable, gray Cleveland weekend, my daughter introduced me to the highly addictive reality show 90 Day Fiancé. I know. I don’t know what came over me. But I was hooked, and we binge-watched 2 seasons before she went back to college. What I’ve come to see is that the show is a...
“Certainty is a feeling, not a fact” is a well-known phrase among OCD and anxiety therapists, but it bears spending some time unpacking. Anyone who reads my stuff regularly knows that worry and anxiety feed off of uncertainty and discomfort. Here’s the nuance I want to explore: uncertainty and discomfort are feelings just like happy,...
How to best respond to our children’s worries and anxiety is one of the questions I’m asked most often. In this month’s Northeast Ohio Parent’s article, I dive into the topic of reassurance. To recap quickly, there are two types of reassurance: productive reassurance and unproductive reassurance. Productive reassurance is when you give your child...
One of the most impactful things I’ve learned since my divorce is the Buddhist distinction between pain and suffering. Basically, they believe pain is inevitable and suffering is optional. At first, I was like WTF? (I was, after all, recently divorced. My pain was front and center, and suffering didn’t feel optional.) But, as time...
Dating. Now there’s a word that can strike dread into the hearts of many. Online dating. Does that amplify the dread? For many, it does, especially if you’re old enough to remember the pre-internet days. For most of us, searching for a partner is inherently nerve-wracking. I mean the vulnerability and uncertainty are palpable. Technology...
We’ve talked about setting internal boundaries, or as I like to say, keeping our brain on a shortened leash. Now, because I know you’re going to ask … let’s talk about setting external boundaries. When I talk to people about setting boundaries with other people, there’s the typical refrain: “I know I should, but I...