Illustration: Ruth Gwily
(NYTimes, 5.11.13)
On this Mother’s Day, Madeline Levine, psychologist and author of “Teach Your Children Well: Parenting for Authentic Success,” writes about the profound ways mothers change over the span of decades during which infants grow into fully fledged adults. Alongside the pain of loss, she writes, is the awareness that our children’s independence and self-sufficiency is the sign of a job well done.
The following is a selection from her longer New York Times opinion piece (5.11.2013).
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Sally Satel, psychiatrist, scholar and co-author of the forthcoming book “Brainwashed: The Seductive Appeal of Mindless Neuroscience,” challenges the authority of the soon-to-be-published DSM-5, the diagnostic “Bible” in the psychiatric world.
The DSM is an imperfect guide to predicting what treatments will benefit patients most, she writes, because of the multiple and complex factors that contribute to mental illness. The following is a selection of her longer New York Times article (Why the Fuss Over the DSM-5, 5.11.13).
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Ben Feiler’s lovely New York Times piece (“The Stories That Bind Us”, 3.15.2013) is adapted from his recently published book, “The Secrets of Happy Families: How to Improve Your Morning, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smart, Go Out and Play, and Much More.”
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In a response to the recent discussion in the New York Times about the growing numbers of children and teens being diagnosed with Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder, Ted Gup (author and fellow of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University) writes poignantly about a system “that devalues talking therapy and rushes to medicate, inadvertently sending a message that self-medication, too, is perfectly acceptable.”
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Image: PsychologyToday
According to the findings of a 2011-2012 CDC (Center for Disease Control) study of some 76,000 families, one in five high-school age boys in the United States and 11 percent of school-age children have received a medical diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is described by most experts as resulting from abnormal chemical levels in the brain that impair a person’s impulse control and attention skills.
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While complaining may provide us an opportunity to “unload,” and even help us feel connected to one another as we share our grievances, excessive complaining can create an internal cycle of negativity and become a heavy burden to those close to us. By challenging thoughts and feelings that are attached to maladaptive behaviors, we work to transform these habits (such as excessive complaining) into positive actions that serve us better in the long run.
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With contemporary culture’s focus on individual satisfaction, the traditional couple relationship is much more difficult to achieve. With more and people opting to live on their own, is the very idea of couplehood passé?
So maybe it’s all about acceptance. If we understand our partner’s particular brand of “weirdness,” it is easier to be accepting. In a reframing of the author/illustrator’s use of the term “weirdness,” we are speaking about the way each of us is socialized, wounded or made vulnerable, causing us to behave, react and interact the way we do.
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This blog aims to share interesting items or insights I come across in newspapers, books and magazines that may be helpful in dealing with everyday personal and interpersonal challenges. It is not intended as a substitute for individual or couples counseling.