Advice From the Trenches

Slow Your Roll: One reader wants to know if marijuana is a help or hindrance

Dear C and Dr. B; I see people all around me who have various habits, all of which could be considered problem vices in a certain light. For instance, marijuana. But some people seem to be able to use it responsibly. I’ve known many adults who manage to hold jobs, raise kids, and drive their […]

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Is it Depression or Is Life Hard?: One reader wonders if her antidepressants are necessary anymore

Dear C and Dr. B; I am 61 and have been on antidepressants over 20 years. I am doing well and feel fine these days, but does depression ever really go away? I mean on its own? I ask because my mother was depressed when I was a kid and there were no antidepressants back […]

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Changing Stations: One reader shares workspace with a bigot. What should he do?

Dear C and Dr. B; I work on an assembly line. It’s a hard, brainless job but I believe in the “whistle while you work philosophy.” Why be miserable, right? But not everyone there shares my thinking. George, the guy next to me, is miserable. And he seems to want to spread his misery to […]

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Serving Up Some Truth: Can this waitress’ anti-masker boss force her to go bare-faced?

Dear C and Dr. B; I am a waitress in a very busy high-end restaurant. The government seems to be saying the pandemic is over and a lot of people are tossing their masks – but I read the news, and I know that with the new highly contagious variants, the danger is far from […]

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Not Firing on All Cylinders: Why is her gun-hating friend heading to the shooting range?

 Dear C and Dr. B; My friend Cynthia just shocked the hell out of me by announcing that she was going to a shooting range to learn how to fire both a pistol and a rifle. She has always told me that she totally against guns and she has also posted many remarks on her blog […]

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