Going home for the holidays For some, the holidays evoke family, connection, and cheer. But, this time of year can be tough for many folks, particularly those in recovery from an eating disorder, substance use disorder, trauma, depression, or other mental health concern. Visiting people or places that bring up uncomfortable memories – or causeContinue reading Home for the Holidays: Coping with Triggers
Coping with Pet Loss – Grieving Your Animal Love
(cover image source) It’s inevitable but still so painful. Anyone who’s ever adopted a pet knows that it never ends well. It’s almost inevitable that we’ll one day have to say goodbye to our beloved family member, sometimes abruptly, sometimes after a long, drawn-out ordeal. No matter how long they live or what the causeContinue reading Coping with Pet Loss – Grieving Your Animal Love
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
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
Are You Suffering from Meta-Depression?
Do you struggle, or have you been diagnosed, with depression? The DSM-5 criteria for a major depressive episode include: Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad, empty, hopeless) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful). (Note: In children and adolescents, can be irritableContinue reading Are You Suffering from Meta-Depression?
Coping with a New Medical Diagnosis
Receiving a medical diagnosis can stir up all sorts of emotions, including sadness, fear, and hopelessness. Whether the diagnosis came out of the blue or after a significant period of symptoms and diagnostics, attaching a label to the experience – particularly one that has chronic implications – can be traumatic and, typically, life-changing. To helpContinue reading Coping with a New Medical Diagnosis
The Good Enough Mom
The Perfect Mom Are you a Pinterest-worthy mother? Do you create edible dioramas, crafted only out of bamboo shavings, low-glycemic fruit, and unconditional love? Have you found the perfect tipping point in meditating alongside little one, balancing modeling a spiritual practice and self-control, while attending to the ever-flowing needs of baby? Do you playfully conjugateContinue reading The Good Enough Mom