Are you an impostor? You’ve accomplished a decent amount in your life. You’ve succeeded professionally. You’ve contributed something to others. You’ve realized a number of your goals. Maybe, you’ve even received accolades from those around you. But, you have a sinking feeling that you’re fooling everyone. You believe that if people knew the truth, theyContinue reading Impostor Syndrome
Health Anxiety: Managing Worry About Your Health
Health anxiety in Action: Ming is a 28-year-old woman who is afraid of air travel. She once read about deep vein thrombosis (DVT) resulting from long flight times and, after that, became significantly anxious when flying for work or to see her family. She’s worried that, on a long flight, she could develop a clot.Continue reading Health Anxiety: Managing Worry About Your Health
What-If Thinking and Anxiety
A while back, I ended up at an IHOP with my kids for our Second Breakfast. It was pouring rain, and the restaurant’s parking lot was full. After circling a couple of times, I ventured over to the lot next door, a tiny strip mall with plenty of open spots, as none of those stores wereContinue reading What-If Thinking and Anxiety
Coping with Grief
Love sorrow. She is yours now, and you must take care of what has been given. -Mary Oliver In the midst of loss, life can feel unbearable. Whether it’s the death of a family member, friend, or beloved pet; or the loss of a relationship, job, or dream; grieving the death, end, or closure toContinue reading Coping with Grief
Radical Acceptance: Reducing Suffering on Your Own Terms
The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain. –Henry Wadsworth Longfellow I have a confession. I dislike the phrase “It is what it is.” It seems reductive and invalidating. So, it might come as a surprise that I love the DBT skill, radical acceptance, which essentially embraces the “It isContinue reading Radical Acceptance: Reducing Suffering on Your Own Terms
Legal Drinking
Do Lawyers Drink More than Other Professionals? Over the course of 15 years of working with individuals who struggle with alcohol use disorders, I’ve heard plenty of stories of attorneys entertaining clients for hours on end, of bottles of hard liquor tucked away into desk drawers at the firm, and work cultures that normalize excessiveContinue reading Legal Drinking
Externalizing OCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder You’re fine one moment, and the next moment, panic sets in. You must go back and check that you locked the door, even though you checked several times before. Or you have a growing sensation that eventually dominates your consciousness, a fear that you’ll blurt out something inappropriate at a work meeting. OrContinue reading Externalizing OCD
Intrusive Thoughts – Coping Tips
What Are Intrusive Thoughts? We all have involuntary thoughts and they might be disturbing or distressing at times. Think of the flash you have of a family member’s funeral or an unwanted “what-if” thought, such as “What if I just took my foot off my brake and ran into that car?” Intrusive thoughts are upsetting,Continue reading Intrusive Thoughts – Coping Tips
Recovering from Perfectionism
I had a mentor once, whose mentor who had instructed him, “It’s important to make five mistakes a day.” While for many, this might seem to be an easy assignment, accomplished quickly through wrong turns while driving, incorrect references in speech, maybe forgetting to throw the laundry in the dryer, perhaps an errant email spelling,Continue reading Recovering from Perfectionism
Permission for the New Year
For many, the New Year is filled with cocktails and celebrations, hope and possibility, and family and friends. For others, the holiday might be difficult, potentially fraught with anxiety and regret. Part of the challenge that some of us experience might result from the expectations we typically attach to the new year – expectations ofContinue reading Permission for the New Year