By MICHAEL SHAPIRO, PhDMarch 2020 There is a myth with which we’re all familiar. It has to do with lemmings. As you might know, lemmings are adorable little rodents that are typically found in or near the Arctic tundra. They are usually around 6 inches in length, with a cute stubby tail, soft fur, and […]

By MICHAEL SHAPIRO, PhDFebruary 2020 A quick peek at my calendar reveals that it’s February. Ah, February…the month that hosts the most famous holiday that isn’t really a holiday: Valentine’s Day. As of the time of this writing, we’re now about a week past this annual high-pressure reminder to do some nice stuff for (or […]

By MICHAEL SHAPIRO, PhDJanuary 2020 It occurred to me this week that I had not written a blog entry for the month of December, 2019. For the year 2020, I will resolve to pay better attention to deadlines…and then to not make any more resolutions! Speaking of which…what is the deal with New Year’s resolutions? […]

By MICHAEL SHAPIRO, PhDNovember 2019 So…you’ve been diagnosed with a mental, behavioral, or emotional issue that requires treatment. Or not. Maybe you’ve just hit some “bump in the road,” and you’d like a little guidance to help you navigate a work issue, career issue, or relationship issue. Or, maybe you’ve begun to suspect that something […]

By MICHAEL SHAPIRO, PhDOctober 2019 In my previous blog, I introduced the notion of clinical depression and (hopefully) differentiated this from “normal” sadness due to grief or loss. We then discussed the four-part nature of clinical depression (well, okay, there wasn’t actually much discussion. I did all the talking).  Now, did you know that there […]

By MICHAEL SHAPIRO, PhDSeptember 2019 No blog about behavioral health issues would be complete without a discussion of depression. Winston Churchill (who some think suffered from major depression or bipolar disorder) referred to his episodic dark moods as his “black dog.” He didn’t actually invent this term; in fact, it was a pejorative term used […]