The New Grief

How families find renewal through loss.

by Joseph Nowinski, Ph.D.

When Does Grief Become Depression?

Last week, NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” aired a show that explored the line between grief and depression. Although they are quite different, they look surprisingly alike. Read More

The Key to Happiness After 50: Create Your Own Epiphany

If you want to discover a path for yourself as you approach the so-called "golden years," begin by asking yourself the question: Why Am I Here? Even better, take some time to contemplate the following pair of questions:

Why Am I Here? Versus What Do I Want? Read More

Coping with Terminal Illness: Getting An Honest Prognosis

After we admitted my father to the hospital for the last time, and after we were told that there was nothing that could be done to stop the buildup of fluid in his lungs, the doctor told me that he had four to six weeks to live. I'd been the primary caretaker for my father for the past year, and when I looked at him lying there in that bed I said to the doctor, "Four to six weeks? Read More

The Healing Zone: What to Do After Cancer Treatment

How we can truly heal ourselves following a lengthy stay in "the sick zone" of severe illness. Read More

Should Grief Be A Mental Illness?

Imagine that you are a mental health professional and you meet with a new client who describes the following symptoms: "I haven't been sleeping well. I don't have much of an appetite and I've lost a few pounds in the last month. I feel sad most of the time and once a day I find myself crying." Read More

Confronting a Terminal Diagnosis as a Family

"Managing the rest of my life has been so hard. "Numbing exhaustion" is a constant state for me -- emotionally and physically. I feel like I can't even process and grieve because I need to keep going and doing the next thing and there is always some sort of crisis. Read More

Can Rehabilitation for Cancer Patients Enhance Survivability?

If Julie Silver, M.D. had suffered a stroke or was injured in a car accident, her doctor would have sent her for rehabilitation. This would likely involve months of physical therapy as well as other medical treatments to help her regain her strength and flexibility and decrease her pain and fatigue. Read More

Is Hope Related to Survivability?

Helping Children Survive Divorce: The Importance of Holiday Traditions

Megan and her husband, Jason, had separated right after the holidays in 2008 and their divorce was finalized that July. They have two children, a boy and a girl who are now ages 9 and 7, respectively. The boy still believes in Santa, although his older sister has lately expressed some doubts. Read More

Are You Dating a "Control Freak"?

When she first began dating Max, Nikki was impressed not only by the fact that he was a successful medical professional, but that he seemed so organized. He owned a home that was spotless ("You could eat off the floor!," she'd boasted to her friends) and maintained a regular routine of caring for it, both inside and out. Read More

Helping Children Survive Divorce: Is Co-Parenting A Good Idea?

True Generosity: Key to a Lasting Relationship

Connie's Story Read More

Holiday Planning and Terminal Illness

Can Rehabilitation Prevent Cancer?

"I am a big time meditator and do lots of energy work. Frankly, I think that has had some impact on my being alive eight-plus years with metastatic cancer. We all have to die of something. I am not afraid to die, but I am afraid to die before I am able to fully accept myself with no judgments. That is what I am devoting my remaining time to." -- Ellen M. Read More

Is It Love, Or Is It Insecurity?

The Bad Relationship Advice You Can Stop Taking

"Daddy lets me eat in my room if I want to."

"I don't have a curfew when I'm at Mom's house."

"Mom doesn't make me clear my dinner plate!"

"Dad says it won't hurt me to eat donuts for breakfast." Read More

Helping Children Survive Divorce: Three Critical Factors

Thinking about a Nursing Home for a Loved One? Consider This

I have now been blogging about "the new grief" for well over a year. It's a term that my colleague Dr. Read More

Helping Children Survive Divorce: The Myth of the Mature Teen

In an earlier blog I addressed a common myth about boys: that they are innately "tougher" than girls, both physically and emotionally. This myth can be dangerous because it can lead divorcing parents to believe that their sons will be able to deal with the divorce more easily–to "tough it out" as it were. Read More

Helping Children Survive Divorce: Is Co-Parenting a Good Idea?

For many years judges who heard divorce cases that involved children made custody decisions based on the assumption that children, at least up to about age 12, needed to be primarily with their mothers in order to develop properly. This was popularly known as the "tender years" doctrine. This doctrine prevailed in American courts from the late nineteenth century until fairly recently. Read More

Helping Children Survive Divorce: The Myth of the Tough Boy

As researchers (and virtually all parents) have long known, children show definite sex differences when it comes to behavior such as play and risk-taking. Read More

Who Should Make End-of-Life Decisions?

We buried my Uncle Ed a few weeks ago. He was 84. Having served in the Merchant Marine in World War II and the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Ed was entitled to a full military funeral, which he received. Read More

The Transformation of Death and Mourning

Thanks largely to ongoing and remarkable advances in medical technologies the very nature of death--and therefore of what we think of as grieving--have changed profoundly in a relatively short period of time. As a result of these medical advances life expectancy in industrialized countries continues to grow. Read More