Mental health

When ‘Helicopter Parents’ Get Easter Egg On Their Faces

by Bill Brenner March 26, 2012 Children's issues

When I see something like this news story about a cancelled Easter egg hunt in Colorado, I have to wonder what we parents are doing to our kids. Mood music: According to the article from The Associated Press, “Organizers of an annual Easter egg hunt attended by hundreds of children have canceled this year’s event, citing the behavior of aggressive parents who swarmed into the tiny park last year, determined that their kids get an…  [Read More]

‘Religion Flies You Into Buildings’

by Bill Brenner March 22, 2012 Communication Skills

Here’s my thing: Everyone should be free to believe what they want. I choose the Catholic faith. I have friends who are Muslim, Jewish and Atheist. I only judge you by whether you’re a kind soul or an asshole. Mood music: But there’s always someone who thinks they’re better than everyone else — someone who is so certain their belief is the only right answer that they’ll go to extremes to put down people who…  [Read More]

What Else Is There?

by Bill Brenner March 20, 2012 Addiction

When I’m wallowing in self-pity, I like to ask that question. It always goes back to those moments when I’m not particularly enjoying the clean and sober life. Mood music: For the most part, it’s gotten easier. When you don’t spend all your time thinking about how to pull off a binge, you get to experience a much fuller life. You enjoy the company of people more. You pack a lot more living into your…  [Read More]

About Father Canole And Keeping The Faith

by Bill Brenner March 18, 2012 Communication Skills

Life as a Catholic in the city of Haverhill, Massachusetts can be a bitch, sometimes. Here we are waking up to news that another priest, Rev. Robert Canole, has resigned from his pastoral duties in disgrace. We look up to our priests and count on them for inspiration. We go in a confessional with them and spill our deepest, darkest faults. Then some of those priests let us down hard. http://youtu.be/IaymN2mkaC0 According to my local…  [Read More]

Breaking Up (The Day) Is So Very Hard To Do

by Bill Brenner March 15, 2012 Communication Skills

When you have the OCD blinders on, you can do the work of three highly-motivated people. You can go for hours and hours, your ass sinking into the seat like an anvil. The problem is that your muscles and mind are a tangled wreck when you stand up many hours later. Mood music: Any doctor or therapist will tell you to get up every 25 minutes or so and walk around for a bit. Maybe…  [Read More]

Such A Waste To Lose One’s Mind-Fulness

by Bill Brenner March 14, 2012 Communication Skills

A combination of OCD and ADD has given me a bitch of a handicap: Living in the moment and being present has become tough as nails. Health experts call this elusive thing I search for “mindfulness.” Mood music: Here’s what happens: When the OCD runs hot, I develop tunnel vision. I focus in on the task I’m either doing or thinking about. That’s good if you have a major work project to complete. It’s bad…  [Read More]

I’d Like To Blame My Parents, But…

by Bill Brenner March 13, 2012 Communication Skills

I’ve been frustrated lately over my inability to balance how I express emotions. Forget balance — I suck at emotion, period. Mood music: With my kids I get too emotional at times, showering them with kisses and telling them I love them a lot more than they probably care to hear. Duncan’s refrain is usually, “I know already, Dad!” With my wife I’m not emotional enough. When times get difficult — and even when they’re…  [Read More]

Our Secret Online Lives

by Bill Brenner March 12, 2012 Communication Skills

A new problem is emerging as we delve deeper into the online world: Armed with Twitter and Facebook, we’re creating secret double lives without always realizing it. Mood music: I’ve watched friends’ marriages and careers come under strain because of this. It’s a bigger problem in relationships, especially if there’s flirting and deep connecting going on between you and someone who is not you’re significant other. I’m starting to see where I could fall into…  [Read More]

When Difficult Kids Turn Out Alright

by Bill Brenner March 9, 2012 Children's issues

Readers know by now that Erin and I have a big challenge — helping our second child manage ADHD. He’s often difficult. Fair enough. I was a difficult child, too. Duncan is actually tame compared to the 8-year-old me. He’s never filled up my gas tank with a garden hose. He’s never lit his plastic toys on fire, nearly burning down the house in the process. He’s never stolen money from his Dad’s wallet. He doesn’t bring home…  [Read More]

Depressed? Try These Remedies (Or Don’t)

by Bill Brenner March 7, 2012 Depression

I noticed on Facebook this morning that one of my friends is still fighting a persistent bout of depression. She said something about staring at her clenched fist for nearly ten minutes. Mood music: We’ve compared notes on our depressed moments in the past, and since I dealt with a lot of depression in December and January (give or take a month. Winter’s a bitch) I thought I’d share some observations. –The extra darkness of…  [Read More]

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