mental-health

I Pity The Fool — Especially When The Fool Is Me

by Bill Brenner April 10, 2012 Communication Skills

“I don’t know how much more I can take.” I’ve told myself that a million times, as I’m sure you have. We say it in times of desperation, pain and blueness. But here’s an uncomfortable truth — Sometimes we like feeling this way. Mood music: There’s something about feeling bad for oneself that’s so satisfying. Maybe it’s that on some level you’ve made peace with your seemingly miserable existence. It helps us get through a…  [Read More]

Working-Class Hero Syndrome

by Bill Brenner April 9, 2012 Addiction

I’m a sufferer of working-class hero syndrome, a condition that makes me look down on everyone who doesn’t work as hard as me, all while wasting hours on work that proves fruitless. Mood music: My favorite cinematic version of a working-class hero is Quint from the movie JAWS, who relentlessly needles boat mate Hooper for being rich and having a bunch of excess gadgetry to do his job. Of course, Hooper survives while Quint gets…  [Read More]

Was ‘Hunger Games’ Star Too Fat For The Role?

by Bill Brenner March 28, 2012 Children's issues

There’s a controversy swirling around online regarding “Hunger Games” star Jennifer Lawrence. With one critic suggesting she was too curvy to play the role of emaciated heroine Katness Everdeen, the anger is on. What is making some people bristle is that this smacks of the bullshit talk that sends girls into the hell of eating disorders. Mood music: I’m not a girl. But I’ve dealt with an eating disorder for much of my life. So, naturally, I…  [Read More]

Hey, Kids! Here’s Something For ‘When Your Brain Gets Stuck’

by Bill Brenner March 23, 2012 Children's issues

I just got a book in the mail called “What To Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid’s Guide To Overcoming OCD” by psychologist-author Dawn Huebner. I asked for a copy so I could review it, but it might warrant more than one simple review. Mood music: http://youtu.be/HiYK8TDbPRQ Someone I’m connected to on Facebook got a copy to help her OCD-suffering child. Since the upcoming relaunch of THE OCD DIARIES will have an expanded…  [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]

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]

The Freak in the Newsroom

by Bill Brenner December 13, 2009 The stormy past

A tale of terror in newsrooms across the state of Massachusetts. I love my job. I love the subject matter (IT and physical security, emergency preparedness, regulatory compliance). I love the people I work with, many of whom I’ve worked with at other points in my nearly 19 years in journalism. And I love my daily dealings with some of the smartest, passionate security professionals on the planet. But it wasn’t always this way. Work used…  [Read More]

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