“One who returns to a place sees it with new eyes. Although the place may not have changed, the viewer inevitably has. For the first time things invisible before become suddenly visible. —Louis L’Amour  I’ve always felt there is something fundamentally wrong with me. Sometimes I get these anxiety spells out of the blue. …

“You don’t really control anything.” —Sheldon B. Kopp, Psychotherapist and Author All of us have times when we’re obligated to carry out duties as part of normal life rituals. Having relatives visit us from out of town may prompt us to clean our houses ahead of time and get the guest rooms ready. Doing so …

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor Roosevelt, This Is My Story I had an eye-opening experience at church last week. A bunch of ladies at our coffee hour were all talking about their adult kids and how well they were adjusting to the challenges of college life. Being that my …

Those of us who live or have lived with the problem of addiction in a relative or friend know what it means to over-utilize the left side of the brain. You know, the side that controls thinking, logic, analyzing, keeping things in order and figuring things out. We come up with hundreds of “if only’s” …

The Phoenix · Where the Truth Lies (Why We Lie and How to Stop) We all lie more than we’d like to think we do – to look good, to avoid trouble, to keep safe. But addicts lie as if their life depends on it. They say and do whatever is necessary to hide their …

In 2020, as in-person activities were shuttered for months, our online lives took on much more significance and that included increased exposure to video games. Although there has been much handwringing about screen time and the addictive dangers of video games, hard facts have been difficult for both parents and clinicians to come by. I …

“It was all very well to say, ‘Drink me,’ but the wise little Alice was not going to do that in a hurry. ‘No, I’ll look first,’ she said, ‘and see whether it’s marked ‘poison’ or not.’” Chapter 1, Down the Rabbit-Hole, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll Most of us are familiar with the …

The following is part four in a series by author, George Lewis.  The year is 1980 and America is in upheaval at every level of society, distrust of government and the power structure is the norm. Jimmy Carter’s failed attempt at rescuing the Americans that were taken hostage at the American Embassy in Teheran on …

Problem gambling negatively affects individuals, families, and communities in Minnesota. The behavior patterns associated with problem gambling compromise activities of daily living such as relationships, education and vocational opportunities, personal and financial well-being, substance use, emotional stability, physical health, and housing. Problem gambling also impacts families and other loved ones. It contributes to chaos and …

Maria suspected that something was going on with her husband but didn’t know what. He was taking a lot of phone calls behind closed doors. He often seemed frantic to intercept the mailman before the mail was delivered to their house. And his interest in the outcome of various sporting events seemed to intensify in …