Psychology Today Column
How Trauma, Loss, and Anxiety Can Lead to Transformative Growth
"There is no important reality other than inner reality." An ever-growing body of research shows that trauma can bring post-traumatic growth. In a 2019 study published in Health and Social Works, for example, 99 percent of survivors of serious road trauma reported...
12 Surprising Insights From Our Trip to a War Zone
Personal Perspective: Interviews that touched us the most on our way to Ukraine As my husband, Eric Haseltine, and I left Los Angeles last month to interview Ukrainian refugees in Germany, Poland, Czechia, and Ukraine, we had no idea that this trip would make such a...
A Simple Superpower Can Immediately Reduce Anxiety
Personal Perspective: There are many health benefits associated with hugs. To reduce anxiety, a lot of people self-medicate with alcohol, drugs, or prescription anti-anxiety medications, but they forget about a built-in tool everybody has, a superpower hidden...
7 Creative Ways to Reduce Anxiety
Key points Research shows that imagination is as effective as reality for decreasing anxiety. Because anxiety is often increased or even caused by our imagination, we can use the power of imagination to reduce it. These fun and creative techniques can help decrease...
The Brain Exercise That Got Me Out of Anxiety and Depression
A Personal Perspective: The Gestalt therapy session that helped me the most. When I was at my lowest point with intense anxiety and depression, a Gestalt therapy brain exercise changed my life for the better. Steve, my husband of 12 years, had passed away eight...
A Simple Lesson on Aging and Happiness Taught by a Dog
Here's a reverse aging tool I learned from my neighbors' dog. My next-door neighbors said to me last week, “You brought our dog back to life,” which touched me deeply. You may think that because I am a physician, I applied my medical skills to their dog, but...
10 Surprising Substances That Can Kill a Toddler
One single pill or one sip of a common liquid can be deadly for a 2-year-old. You may think that your house is safe for a toddler, but is it? Recently, I attended a conference by Dr. Cyrus Rangan, Director of Toxicology and Environmental Assessment for...
7 Lessons for Success Learned From a COVID Vaccine Inventor
The story of Dr. Katalin Karikó and her key ingredients for success. Dr. Katalin Karikó, one of the inventors of the messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccine, was recently awarded (with Dr. Drew Weissman) the 2022 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. Dr. Karikó’s success...
Two Stories Behind the mRNA Vaccines You Probably Haven’t Heard Before
The story behind the story of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Talented people who want to innovate often see their innovations fall into the "valley of death," which means that their innovations don’t result in successful commercial products. Why is that?...
A Puzzling Case of Lower Back Pain With a Surprising Solution
A lesson on how to find the simple origin of lower back pain. My patient Andrew (not his real name) had chronic lower back pain on his right side for 30 years, but in the last 18 months, his lower back pain became more pronounced, to the point of not being able...