If … Your mother drank while you were in the womb? Your father was never a part of your life? Your family barely had enough money to eat? Your neighbor sexually abused you at age ten? … should a judge consider those things when sentencing you for a crime? Yesterday I referenced Adrian Raine’s book,Continue reading “What If “All The Boxes Were Checked?””
Monthly Archives: March 2014
Why Jail Is Convenient
What if there was a place where people who didn’t belong either in jail, or society, could go to get treatment? Jails are increasingly being closed and privatized. Prisons are overcrowded and often house populations half-full of mentally ill people. It’s true that violent crime statistics are down across much of the country, but, theContinue reading “Why Jail Is Convenient”
How To Say Goodbye
When it’s time to end a play date, toddlers will scream, cry, or throw a tantrum. We teach them that saying goodbye elicits feelings of sadness or anger which ‘is OK because we’re going to see our friends again soon.’ I’ve used that rationale. Haven’t you? I’m having second thoughts though. I think we’re wrong,Continue reading “How To Say Goodbye”
What Happens When You Confront A Depressed Person?
Once, I had a friend whom I thought was at risk for suicide. This was before I started blogging, but, after I had gone through my own situation. So I knew about the warning signs, but, I didn’t have any practice speaking about them. Thoughts crept in that held me back from speaking up. What ifContinue reading “What Happens When You Confront A Depressed Person?”
Is Sleep Apnea A Risk Factor For Suicide?
Breaking twelve year-old news: From approximately 1993 through 2003, I battled depression. From approximately 1998 through 2006, I took medications & therapy. In 2001 or 2002, I had corrective surgery for sleep apnea. From approximately 2002 through 2006, I began to make real progress. From approximately 2006 through 2014, I haven’t needed professional help. IsContinue reading “Is Sleep Apnea A Risk Factor For Suicide?”
The Pressure Is On
What should I say to an audience of 70,000 people? It is a bit paralyzing, but the answer is, the same thing I would say to an audience of one. In fact, if I’m not writing each and every single post as if 70,000 people are reading it, then I am doing you an injustice. IContinue reading “The Pressure Is On”
How You Might Manipulate Addiction
I AM AN ADDICT I am as easily addicted today as I was twenty years ago. There’s just something about my personality that drives me to repeat certain behaviors over and over again. I wonder if it’s because I’m searching for a feeling, and, when I get it, I want to repeat it? There areContinue reading “How You Might Manipulate Addiction”
What Does Depression Feel Like?
A blackness that slowly creeps into your mind, one day at a time, little by little, slowly overshadowing everything that you do, until in the end the happy moments are unreachable, and nothing is left. Of course, I could write a book on this question, but today I’ve tried to put it into one sentenceContinue reading “What Does Depression Feel Like?”
What Does It Cost To Get Good Tomatoes?
In certain places, the tomatoes are always old, yellowish, and bland. In other places, the tomatoes are always red, fresh, and robust. Yes, the red tomatoes cost the restaurant a lot more. What’s the cost of every meal not served to a returning customer?
What Should You Do Less Of?
Growth is rarely linear. What person, or business, doesn’t have problems or setbacks? The trick to achieving growth is to recognize when it’s time to stop doing something that isn’t working. Too often we try doing more of the wrong thing.
Matt Fried 