Hearing Voices: How An Audiobook Brings a Story to Life
Today, I’m not talking about hearing voices as in auditory hallucinations, but hearing one’s characters come to life in the spoken words of an audiobook. Characters are born in writers’ minds who imagine them in exquisite detail, envisioning their appearance, life histories, quirks and vulnerabilities, and, most importantly, how they speak. Creating interesting characters with…
Read MoreThe Great Pretender: How To Outrun The Impostor At Your Heels
In the quiet of the night, we hear the whisper inside our heads, telling us we’re nothing but… “Frauds,” “Pretenders,” and “Impostors.” At least 70% of us have heard this voice quietly proclaim that even our most heralded achievements are fraudulent. We live in fear that we’ll be found to be impostors who have fooled…
Read MoreNurturing Understanding: An Exploration of Less Common Forms Of Mental Illness
Most people are familiar with common categories of mental health conditions. Symptom features of many of these conditions exist on a continuum ranging from the occasional occurrences in the “normal” population to more severe forms of diagnosable mental illnesses. For example, depression and anxiety are common emotional experiences familiar to most of us at different…
Read MoreBreaking the Silence: Uncovering the Lingering Impact of Hidden Trauma
Hidden Trauma: Silent Scars That Linger Psychologically traumatizing events can be obvious, highly visible, and easily recognized. At the same time, some may remain hidden, leaving invisible scar tissue that makes it less obvious to others and even to the individual who has suffered less visible forms of trauma. Let’s shine a light on hidden…
Read MoreBeware the Deception: How to Tell Conspiracy Theories and Paranoid Delusions Apart
Pizzagate, QAnon, Anti-Vaxers, Deep State, and Stolen Elections are just some of the best-known conspiracy theories today. Taken at face value, each professes a set of debunked beliefs that many have thought of as delusional. Conspiracy theories are neither new nor rare. In his 2021 book The Delusions of Crowds, William J. Bernstein chronicled the…
Read MoreAll the Lonely People: Understanding Loneliness and What To Do About It
The waning hours of daylight and the graying of our winter landscape made me curious about loneliness. Last year, loneliness was recognized as a public health problem. In his sweeping report, Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy discussed the nature of loneliness and related concepts, its prevalence, causes, effects, and potential solutions to feelings of disconnection,…
Read MoreNavigating Bipolar Disorder: Key Information on Diagnosis and Treatment
Curious people often ask: What is bipolar disorder? What are the symptoms? How common is it? Is bipolar often confused with other conditions? If you’ve been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder, what treatments are available? These are a few of the things people wonder about bipolar disorder. Here is some practical information, facts, and recommendations…
Read MoreThe Stigma of a Mental Illness and the Tragedy of Not Recognizing the Reality of It
The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions is an incredible story, recently recognized by the New York Times as one of the best books for 2023. I listened to the audiobook narrated by author Jonathan Rosen and found it gripping. Rosen’s story about his tortured relationship with his neighbor…
Read MoreDemystifying Psychosis: What It Is and How To Treat It
When Nick Lotz began college, he felt increasingly awkward and out of place. He tried to make friends; and when they stopped returning his texts, he became consumed by anxiety and gripped by paralyzing self-consciousness which he just knew by their glances, everyone could see. So he withdrew, stopped attending classes, drank heavily, snorted Focalin…
Read MoreThis is How Depression and Toxic Masculinity Manifests in Males
I recently saw Kelvin, an 18-year-old high school senior, after he attempted suicide in the context of heavy cannabis abuse, bullying, and disruptive behavior in class. Always seen as a “strong silent type” and a “real man,” this 6’1” fullback on his football team is remembered by parents as a lonely little boy who didn’t…
Read More