Dan Gottlieb

You can feel free to e-mail me questions, reactions or vignette's about your life and also I cannot respond to everyone, every Tuesday at noon I will be live for an hour to chat with you in real time.

And please know that if I use your correspondents, although I will try to disguise identifying characteristics, because this is a public forum, I cannot assure confidentiality.

Dan Gottlieb

Ask Dan: A 9-year-old suddenly has sleep problems

By Dan Gottlieb

Posted 11/23/2009

Dear Dan: I sure could use some advice. We have a 9-year-old daughter who has been an excellent sleeper her whole life. About six weeks ago, she started having trouble going to sleep. I did the same thing at her age, but don't remember what my parents did to help me, other than show me relaxation techniques.

Ask Dan: Dying man can't control 'wondering mind'

By Dan Gottlieb

Posted 11/02/2009

Dear Dan, I was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a type of cancer, in September 2008. I was told it was terminal and that I should get my life in order. How does the average person deal with this? The mental anguish is much harder to endure than any physical pain.

Ask Dan: Caretaker needing to care better for herself - 10/26/2009: By Dan Gottlieb

We first met Trish on these pages in March when she described how her husband, Rick, was in a car accident and paralyzed from the shoulders down, needing extraordinary care. Contrary to doctors' recommendations, she took him home instead of placing him in a nursing home. Now she works full time, cares for her husband, and is raising their children.
Ask Dan: Parents: Be calm, but vigilant over children's 'playing doctor' - 10/19/2009: By Dan Gottlieb

Dear Dan, Today I found my 4-year-old daughter naked from the waist down and a 5-year-old male friend of hers (clothed) together upstairs. I told her to put on her clothes and come downstairs.
Ask Dan: Agony, anger in child's suicide abates - with time - 10/12/2009: By Dan Gottlieb

Dear Dan, Recently, our beloved son Kenny, just 19, ended his three-year struggle with depression by taking his life.
Ask Dan: Letting go of the father you hope for - 10/05/2009: By Dan Gottlieb

Dear Dan: How does one be in a relationship with a narcissistic parent? I am an only child, and my parents were divorced when I was 8. My mother passed away from illness when I was 21, so my father is all I have. He has some health issues, but none that would keep him from working. He chooses not to work and lives off the government on Social Security.
Ask Dan: A fall illness with ties to depression - 09/28/2009: By Dan Gottlieb

Someone I know well began waking up around 3 a.m. and had difficulty getting back to sleep. He has a history of Seasonal Affective Disorder, which many people begin to experience in late August as the days get shorter, and he suspected this was the first sign.
Ask Dan: Eventually, children must learn to fail - 09/21/2009: By Dan Gottlieb

Dear Dan, My young daughter is having a difficult year. She has been doing various sports and playing music for several years with much success. But this year, her first in high school, things are not going well. She has been getting low scores in her athletics compared to her friends. She also did not make the high school band while her friends were accepted.
Ask Dan: How parents can help children after divorce - 09/14/2009: By Dan Gottlieb

Dear Dan, I am a faithful reader of all things Gottlieb, so I am hoping you can advise me.
Ask Dan: Did film get a mental illness right? - 09/07/2009: By Dan Gottlieb

Dear Dan, I watched the movie The Soloist about Steve Lopez's relationship with Nathaniel Ayers, the inspirational homeless musician in L.A.
Ask Dan: The weight of counseling patients who have cancer - 08/31/2009: By Dan Gottlieb

Dear Dan, I've been facing a very painful realization about the impact my work is having on me. I counsel cancer patients both in person and online. I've been doing this for years and always felt so good from reassuring people about their diagnosis and care options since I had to go it alone when I had this cancer.
Inside Out: Dark news cannot dim her brilliant smile - 05/26/2008: By Dan Gottlieb

I first met Andrea Collins Smith in August when she was a guest on my radio show. This 36-year-old, married mother of six had tattoos up and down both arms, sparkling eyes, and the happiest smile I have ever seen. She also had a turban on her head, part of the uniform of a woman taking chemotherapy.