Fear and anxiety

Lollapalooza 1992: Case Study In Terror

by Bill Brenner July 1, 2013 Fear and anxiety

The other day I came across some YouTube videos of the Jim Rose Circus, a freak-show act popular among my crowd in the early 1990s. I first saw them live at Lollapalooza 1992, and watching the videos reminded me of what a terrified 20-something I was back then. Mood music: I was excited to go because the band line-up included the biggest rock acts of the day, including Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, The Red Hot Chili…  [Read More]

Kiera Wilmot Case: Proof We’ve Gone Off the Deep End

by Bill Brenner May 2, 2013 Fear and anxiety

You want an example of how fear has pushed society off the deep end? Check out the case of 16-year-old Kiera Wilmot. A student of Bartow High School in Florida, Wilmot did something worthy at least a few weeks of after-school detention: She mixed a few chemicals together in the science lab and caused a small explosion. But she had no sinister intent. She was being a curious teen, doing something stupid and reckless. Now she faces…  [Read More]

Williams-Sonoma’s Overreaction to Boston Bombings

by Bill Brenner April 26, 2013 Fear and anxiety

I wish I could appreciate Williams-Sonoma’s decision to pull pressure cookers off the shelves in Massachusetts following the Boston Marathon bombings. It was done to show some respect for those who might be traumatized at the sight of a pressure cooker, which the bad guys used as their bombs. But the move was foolish. It’s the typical knee-jerk reaction to fear that makes me wonder how the human race got this far. Mood music: [spotify:track:5lnzidC2Roj5tkGtvAfj98]…  [Read More]

TV News and Depression: How I Learned To Turn It Off

by Bill Brenner April 21, 2013 Depression

This week’s news coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings and the aftermath only hardened the feelings I express below. I have nothing but contempt for the big three: CNN, Fox and MSNBC. Local news did a far more admirable job covering this tragedy.   I find myself increasingly outraged at what I see on the TV news channels lately. I’m not talking about the news itself, but the way it’s presented with loud graphics, dramatic…  [Read More]

The Worst Abuse of All

by Bill Brenner April 8, 2013 Fear and anxiety

I’m taking a lot of abuse lately, the kind that leaves me mentally tired and physically aching. It’s not abuse from family, work colleagues or law enforcement, however. I’m doing it to myself. Mood music: [spotify:track:4emCyQ2KnNU16c02l4ToPP] In the past, I’d binge myself sick in times of uncertainty, but these days the abuse takes other forms: I allow myself to get lost in the deep weeds of worry. The kicker is that I’m not worried about…  [Read More]

Human Tourniquets And Freaks Who Love Them

by Bill Brenner March 29, 2013 Communication Skills

I originally wrote this three years ago. Looking at it again, it’s an important post describing a time when not even best friends were safe from my insanity. I’ve updated it for the present.  Mood music: [spotify:track:2YGwSRjcY4Hjz6fktW9619] You know the type. They hang  out with people who act more like abusive spouses than friends. They are human tourniquets. They absorb the pain of their tormentor daily and without complaint. This is the story of the…  [Read More]

This Time, Anxiety Won

by Bill Brenner February 23, 2013 Fear and anxiety

A confession: This past week, I’ve done a miserable job using my many coping tools to manage OCD and anxiety. What makes this particularly sinister is that I’ve just finished a week of vacation with the kids. Mood music: [spotify:track:5sSXTZeLV25Byz0ryxoc4O] Everything I’ve told you in past posts about learning to enjoy the precious present and not let worry take over is true. Weeks like this simply drive home the reality that I can never be…  [Read More]

What’s Your Phobia?

by Bill Brenner February 18, 2013 Fear and anxiety

I’ve recently come across a couple of interesting phobia lists, and being the OCD head I am, I decided to carefully go through the lists to see which applied to me. Mood music: [spotify:track:2b9lp5A6CqSzwOrBfAFhof] The Phobia List is a straight-up dictionary of phobias, in alphabetical order. Here are some of the phobias that have applied to me at various points: Agateophobia: The fear of insanity. Who’s not afraid of insanity? Aviophobia or aviatophobia: The fear…  [Read More]

Naming Winter Storms: Good Intentions, Bad Idea

by Bill Brenner February 8, 2013 Fear and anxiety

Here we are, waiting for another “potentially historic” storm to strike the Boston area. Two feet of snow is expected, along with high winds and five-foot snow drifts. Fair enough. It’s winter and we haven’t had a significant snowfall yet. But I’m baffled by the logic behind naming these storms. Mood music: [spotify:track:2JsiEwxDXXPAf0WFnE142f] The weather forecasters have named this storm Nemo, presumably in honor of the clownfish from Finding Nemo, a movie that has nothing…  [Read More]

Bullet-proof Backpacks, Whiteboards: Logical Or Lunacy?

by Bill Brenner January 24, 2013 Fear and anxiety

After what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School, would you buy your child a bullet-proof backpack? If you’re a teacher, would you want to have a bullet-proof whiteboard? A couple companies think so. Mood music: [spotify:track:76dynyoXf52MiEsr3Pi06e] A friend who happens to be a teacher brought these to my attention yesterday, and my first reaction was to balk and say, “Here we go again with businesses trying to cash in on our fear.” After a few hours…  [Read More]

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