June 2011

Erin’s Avett Brothers Birthday Present, Part 2

June 30, 2011 Family

This post is for Erin on her birthday. Mood music: http://youtu.be/3uy4tK5q0KE I know I gave you your birthday present early: an Avett Brothers concert almost a month ago. But I’ve been thinking about this band lately and realize that one reason I like them so much is that a lot of their songs make me [...]

Read the full article →

A New(ish) Weapon Against OCD Fidget Syndrome

June 29, 2011 Coping tools

At any number of events, you can see me darting around all over the place, taking pictures with my Android phone. The obvious reason is that I want to capture the special events in life. But it has also become a good weapon against what I call OCD Fidget Syndrome. Mood music: I’ve mentioned the [...]

Read the full article →

A Visit To The Prozac Nurse

June 29, 2011 Coping tools

Last night was my annual pilgrimage to Beverly, Mass. for an appointment with the nurse who manages my Prozac intake. She has done better for me than my primary care doctor did. Here’s why. Mood music: Drugs used to treat mental disorders must be tightly controlled. Too little and it won’t help you. Too much [...]

Read the full article →

You Are Bigger Than Your Thoughts

June 28, 2011 Coping tools

A reader recently sent me a question about destructive, overpowered thinking — a hallmark of all OCD cases. She described a recurring thought about jumping out a window. Mood music: “I tend to get pure OCD (thoughts),” she wrote. “At the moment it is about jumping out a high window. I try to sort out [...]

Read the full article →

A Relationship That Changed for the Better

June 28, 2011 Family

Since my father’s stroke last month, I’ve had some long talks with Dianne, my step-mom. Those conversations illustrate how much we’ve both changed over the years. Or is it just me who has changed? Mood music: Let me be honest: Ours has never been an easy relationship. I spent the better part of my teens [...]

Read the full article →

Screwing Your Kids In The Divorce, Part 3

June 27, 2011 Children's issues

This is one of those things that is technically none of my business. But when I see a beautiful little girl suffering the consequences of someone else’s stupidity, it’s hard to stand there and say nothing. Mood music: There’s a guy I know who is staring divorce in the face. This is a message for [...]

Read the full article →

Medical Marijuana For OCD Treatment: Not For Me

June 27, 2011 Medicine

I just read an interesting blog post on how medical marijuana could be used to treat OCD. There are medicinal helpers for this disease, but pot would never work for me. Mood music: Here’s an excerpt of the article, from the official website of hemp legalization advocate Jack Herer (originally published on the All Voices site): OCD [...]

Read the full article →

Looking For The Bright Side

June 26, 2011 Depression

My attitude sucks this morning. I explain some of the reason in my last post, but there are a variety of factors: Mood music: 1. Despite my best efforts to be the family man I’m supposed to be, I always find myself coming up short. 2. The weather has been a gray, depressing soup since [...]

Read the full article →

Me, Dad And The Kill Switch

June 26, 2011 Family

My father was passed out cold during my visit to the rehab center yesterday, and I left feeling depressed. I hadn’t seen him in a week because I had a business trip to California, and I kept hearing about how much better he was. I wanted to see for myself. Mood music: But he slept [...]

Read the full article →

‘It Comes Alive And I Die A Little More’

June 24, 2011 Fear and anxiety

There’s a Metallica song called “The Unnamed Feeling” that nails an important truth about OCD and anxiety. We have our triggers, but many times we can’t see or describe what’s pulling us apart. Mood music:  The Unnamed FeelingMetallicaSt. Anger I mentioned this a little bit in a post I wrote earlier about A&E’s “Obsession” series: [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries