Disclaimer: The characters from these vignettes are fictitious. They were derived from a composite of people and events for the purpose of representing real-life situations and psychological dilemmas. Couples commonly talk about feeling unsupported ...

A recent TV ad says it all. It follows a mom through her day with a little boy who appears to have some kind of developmental delay. The voice-over tells us ...

“I’ve had it.” The parent on the phone is incensed. “The teacher just won’t listen to me. My child needs more individual attention. She isn’t a bad kid. She just needs more help. She’s on an education plan ...

Do you feel trapped in a relationship you can’t leave? Of course, feeling trapped is a state of mind. No one needs consent to leave a relationship. Millions of people ...

One of the most heartbreaking aspects of my son Dan’s descent into severe obsessive-compulsive disorder was his progressive isolation from his friends. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence for those with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and often becomes a ...

Naming a time for awareness brings an issue into focus. It gives us a reason to do something extra (such as post this article) to help more people understand it. It makes people who are dealing with it feel less alone, ...

One of the most common manifestations of obsessive-compulsive disorder is the need for reassurance. “Are you sure it’s okay if I do this or that?” “Are you sure nobody got ...

It’s a problem that is probably as old as time. Adult children don’t always choose the mate their parents want for them. Shakespeare immortalized it in Romeo and Juliet. A central theme in the Broadway musical, Fiddler ...

BOOK REVIEW.
Working with children with ADHD, Tourette's Syndrome, or other challenges isn't easy. Various issues can make it hard for these kids to get through everyday tasks. In their book, Executive Function & Child Development, Marcie Yeager and Daniel Yeager provide a framework for teachers, parents, pediatricians, and therapists to help children with developmental and other issues become ...

I tend to write about obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) from a parent’s viewpoint because, well, I’m a parent whose son has OCD. Over the years I’ve chatted with some OCD sufferers about the reverse perspective: how young adult (and even “older” adult) ...

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m supposed to feel a surge of maternal instinct, right? I’m supposed to love my baby. Why am I so overwhelmed and uninterested?” I’m just getting to know Michelle. She had her first baby ...

Even teens who are popular and appear to be doing well may feel secretly isolated emotionally, harboring distress that seeks expression through self-destructive behavior. Neurobiology of Breaking Habits Self-destructive behavior patterns, such as addictions, are ...