BY JOHN M. OLDHAM, MD “Trust is key in treating borderline personality disorder.” That’s the title of the front-page report in the October, 2021 issue of Clinical Psychiatry News, in which I offer my own thoughts and professional experiences. In the language of NPSP25, anyone with a predominantly Mercurial style may be on a continuum […]
BY JOHN M. OLDHAM, MD Do cat people and dog people have distinctly different personality styles? There’s a lot of opinion out there about this—there’s even a Wikipedia site called “Cat people and dog people.” Then there’s our much-viewed blog from early 2019, “Are You a Cat Person?” I’ve been mulling this over since last […]
BY JOHN M. OLDHAM, MD Feeling empty? Do you feel like your life lacks meaning or purpose? Most people are familiar with such a solid-grey inner experience from time to time. Maybe it can be a motivator to take on some challenges or make changes. But when the emptiness seems to be a frequent […]
BY JOHN M. OLDHAM, MD What is your pattern of change—changing partners, that is? “I meet a man, fix him up and flip him to someone else,” confessed one woman recently in the New York Times. “Some People Flip Real Estate. I Flip Men.” That’s the title of the “Modern Love” piece Kelly Sundberg recently […]
By JOHN M. OLDHAM, M.D. & LOIS B. MORRIS Who’s the right person for you? The mate you already have? The mate you wish had? That question drives a lot of popular online personality tests. Some make it sound so easy: “Answer these three questions about yourself to find your ideal mate.” So many […]
BY JOHN M. OLDHAM, MD Trust is a key weathervane guiding every aspect of our interpersonal world. Just trust me Who is trustworthy and who is not? Who is the one I’m not so sure about, and how do I find out? Am I trustworthy? How often do we say, “Look, I’m going to […]
BY JOHN M. OLDHAM, M.D. & LOIS B. MORRIS No matter how resilient our personality styles may be, we are all susceptible to the radical stress of a year of social isolation. We humans are social animals. Whether we’re naturally outgoing or reserved, we need to be with each other. Adjusting to constraint is hard […]
