Ask the Psychologist: Online Clinical Psychologist

Cheating on My Husband Just to Fill the Void

Dr George Simon, PhD — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:35:47 +0000

Q: I really need some thoughts from an expert. I am a 27-year-old female and will be 28 soon. I got married in 2006. The initial days of my marriage were normal and full of marital bliss. Then, my husband had to move to other cities because of work transfers, and to kill the loneliness [...]

Tags: affair, love, marriage, relationships, therapy

Am I a Sex Addict? I Want to Be Married, But…

Dr George Simon, PhD — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:37:45 +0000

Q: I have been “lucky” with women my whole life and have enjoyed that fact. I’m a married man now, but I consider myself still very attractive to women. They keep flirting with me all the time. My problem is that I also feel attracted to other women and feel the urge to go for [...]

Tags: boundaries, marriage, relationships, sexuality

I Hate Myself for Not Doing My Homework

Dr George Simon, PhD — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:18:26 +0000

Q: I’m in high school and would consider myself to have above average intellect. Still, I’m getting Ds and Es in school. I seem to do well on all of the tests, but when I get home from school and I have to do my homework, I just can’t make myself do it. My teachers [...]

Tags: ADHD, depression, motivation, school and studies, self-esteem, therapy

Our Relationship Would Be Heaven if His Crazy Wife Were Out of the Picture

Dr George Simon, PhD — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:11:08 +0000

Q: I’m a 21-year-old college student studying music, and I’ve been dating a 34-year-old man in the process of divorce for a little over two months now. It was going quite nicely up until a few weeks ago when he decided he needed space and stopped talking to me. We met online and started talking [...]

Tags: divorce, marriage, parenting and children, relationships, respect, self awareness, therapy

Passive-Aggressive Ex-Boyfriend Guilt-Tripping Me to Return

Dr George Simon, PhD — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:48:24 +0000

Q: Last month I broke off a long-term relationship that I had been in for two and a half years. My boyfriend was very neglectful of me and was also what I would call passive-aggressive. For some reason, I had an exceptionally hard time ending this relationship. Now that I’m out of the relationship I [...]

Tags: character disturbance, relationships, respect, responsibility, self awareness

How Do I Know Whether I Have Bipolar Disorder?

Dr George Simon, PhD — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:52:35 +0000

Q: I am eighteen years old and I am afraid that I might have Bipolar Disorder. I am almost always either depressed or crazy happy. When I’m depressed, I don’t want to eat or sleep or talk to anybody. I also have anger outbursts towards friends and family, and I sometimes play with the idea [...]

Tags: bipolar, depression, psychiatry, suicide, therapy

Girlfriend Walked Out Even After I Apologized for My Vulgar Outburst

Dr George Simon, PhD — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:30:19 +0000

Q. Half a year ago, I lost my temper and told my live-in girlfriend of five years to leave (move out of) my home. I also told her that she was a miserable “c-word.” We slept apart that night and the next morning I apologized and asked her not to move out. She did anyway. [...]

Tags: abuse and trauma, relationships, respect, responsibility

How Can I Let Down My Guard and Trust Again?

Dr George Simon, PhD — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:05:37 +0000

Q: I want to work on breaking down my emotional barriers. About eight years back, I was cheated on by my first love. He was my first boyfriend, and it took me quite some time to recover from the emotional wound he inflicted. I’ve had better long-term relationships since then, but I’ve built up emotional [...]

Tags: affair, relationships, self awareness, therapy

Bipolar Mother-in-Law Starting Over for the Umpteenth Time

Dr George Simon, PhD — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:03:25 +0000

Q: My mother-in-law is bipolar and has decided to “start over” — again! She ran away from home at 17 to be with some guy, and she’s left many relationships to be with someone else. She has been with the same guy for the 12 years that I’ve known her but only got married three [...]

Tags: bipolar, boundaries, maturity, parenting and children, relationships, therapy

It Takes Two to Make a Relationship

Dr George Simon, PhD — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:46:30 +0000

Q: How do I manage my relationship with my mother? Recently we had another disagreement. I told my father about a health issue my mother was having (they are divorced) and he called to check on her. She became angry with me for telling him and asked me to give her house key back, or [...]

Tags: parenting and children, relationships

Why Do I Keep Hurting People the Way I Do?

Dr George Simon, PhD — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:14:17 +0000

Q: I am a 53-year-old man looking for some insight into my personality. After some soul searching, I have decided to write to you before I seek professional help. I don’t know for sure that I’ll seek the help. Maybe I won’t. I”m always questioning whether my behavior is justifiable, but I know it has [...]

Tags: abuse and trauma, boundaries, character disturbance, law enforcement, personality disorders, relationships, self awareness, therapy

After Back Surgery, Is Mom Depressed?

Dr Cynthia Giocomarra, PsyD — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:02:48 +0000

Q: My mom had back surgery that caused nerve damage two years ago, and since then she has left work. I think she might have a depression problem, possibly because of all the heavy medications she must take daily. She and my dad have now been having problems because she has no desire to “do” [...]

Tags: depression, neurology, parenting and children, relationships, therapy

Should I Feel Guilty for Sexual Acts Years Ago?

Dr George Simon, PhD — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:39:59 +0000

Q: I must have been between 6 and 7 years old at the time this happened, but I had a friend from next door over to my house. I think she was maybe a year younger than I was, but I can’t be sure. I remember playing in my room one day and we ended [...]

Tags: guilt, panic, sexuality, therapy

Controlling Aunt Driving My Sister to Violence

Dr George Simon, PhD — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:50:22 +0000

Q: A series of events led my twin sister and me to move out of our home and in with my aunts. I lived with one aunt and my sister lived with my other aunt across the street. I always felt like my sister got the bad end of the deal. The aunt I lived [...]

Tags: boundaries, bullying, maturity, parenting and children, relationships, responsibility, siblings

When They Go Fishing for Compliments, I Resist the Bait

Dr George Simon, PhD — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:34:50 +0000

Q: First, thanks for reading my question and for the great service you provide to others. This is the only site I know like this and I can’t wait to read your answer. I have a question about emotional security. I have noticed lately that I have a hard time praising others, especially when they [...]

Tags: relationships, self awareness, self-esteem, social skills

Can’t Decide Who to Be, Where to Go, or What to Do

Dr George Simon, PhD — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:26:12 +0000

Q: I’m 17 and I live in a small country in Europe. I don’t know what to do. I’m experiencing a sort of paradox. I want to do so much that I can’t decide what exactly I want to do. I just sit day after day and do whatever comes to mind. I also think [...]

Tags: DID, motivation, school and studies, therapy

Older Sister Should Be Marrying But is Withdrawing and Getting Fatter Instead

Dr George Simon, PhD — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:15:32 +0000

Q: I am from India and 24 years old. I have an older sister, age 26. She is of the age where she should be marrying, but: She stays to herself and has been living alone in a flat for the last four years. She does not have a very good circle of friends. She [...]

Tags: depression, diet exercise and weight, marriage, relationships, siblings