Shadowed: A fictional short-short story

Baby Steps or Cold Turkey?

Stopping Smoking . . . and other addictions

Today’s COVID and racial stresses atop modern life's challenges are tempting smokers to light up even more than usual, and even some non-smokers to take up the habit, a most deadly one. Used as directed, smoking greatly increases the risk of cancer, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, breathing problems (COPD) and, yes, COVID killing you.


The 7-step plan I offer in my Psychology Today article today should help not only smokers but users of other dangerous drugs, from alcohol to marijuana, MDMA to opioids.

Sparks: 10 Triggers That Have Made People Drop Bad Habits or Make Other Major Changes

It seems almost mystical. A person has long suffered, for example, from overeating, substance abuse, anger issues, laziness, or spending too much. And then suddenly, poof, the person changes, not incrementally, not in baby steps, but all at once.

With my clients, it's tempting to credit my advising but rarely does that have much to do with it. More often, it’s one of the occurrences that I list in my PsychologyToday.com article today. Perhaps my describing them will help you drop that bad habit or make that major change you want to make.

An Addicted Physician: A short-short story

A survey reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that 17% of physicians knew a doctor who was practicing while impaired or incompetent. 

How could that be? After all, selection for and training for physicians is among the most rigorous. 

In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I offer a short-short story on how it can happen. It is a composite of experiences I've had with my career coaching clients.

Top Apps for Your Mental Health

Apps may never replace a therapist...or maybe they will. Good efficacy data isn't yet available but it's unarguable that an app is available 24/7 instead of 50 minutes a week, is more patient than a human therapist, there's no stigma to using an app, and it's dramatically less expensive.

Of course, for some people, therapy will be a better choice. But, for cost and convenience alone, in my PsychologyToday.com article today, I describe seven apps and two YouTube channels that deserve a look for anyone dealing with anxiety, depression, addiction, OCD, making or breaking a habit, or suicide. They all incorporate well-established psychological principles and have high user ratings across many reviewers.