article photo of a stressed out child sitting staring at phone while sitting on stairs by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Addressing the Five Greatest Challenges Facing Our Children Today

Children today, as they prepare for adulthood, are navigating a world that is drastically different from what previous generations experienced. The rapid pace of ...

Read more >
article photo an image in a noir and slightly cell-shaded comic style, featuring an anonymous figure standing confidently on a stage representing the paradoxical nature of political life by Dr. Sam Goldstein

The Definitive Guide to Becoming a Politician: A Masterclass in the Art of Nothingness

In today's world, it seems that everyone has a burgeoning interest in entering the realm of politics. The allure of shaping societal direction, influencing public policy, and holding a position of power appears to captivate many, from young idealists ...

Read more >
article photo of a child passing through a door showing the complexity of his own experiences and struggles by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Understanding the Complexities of Childhood Behavioral Struggles: They Won't, They Can't, or They Don't

In a small town, a young boy named Leo, was known for his mischievous behavior. He would disrupt classes, play pranks on the adults, and never seemed to listen to anyone. His actions troubled his ...

Read more >
article photo of a person who is overcome by traumatic experiences, visually portrayed by chains that had bound them by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Trust, Safety, and Control: The Impact of Trauma on Fundamental Human Needs

After forty-five years of clinical practice evaluating and treating thousands of people of all ages, I have come to the realization that trauma of any sort, mental or physical steals away three, often difficult to quantify, fundamental human needs,: trust, safety, and control...

Read more >
article photo Person standing at the edge of a serene mountain lake, gazing thoughtfully into the distance, reflecting on the multifaceted nature of happiness and life's balance by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Is Happiness Overrated?

In today's fast-paced world, the pursuit of happiness more often than not, is the focal point of the human endeavor. Be it career choices, romantic relationships, or even buying a cup of coffee, the ultimate goal boils down to....

Read more >
article photo concept showing confusion between modern problems, facts and beliefs by Dr. Sam Goldstein

The Persistence of Belief Over Fact: An Evolutionary Quirk with Modern Repercussions

In the intricate web of human relations, few forces are as potent and transformative as belief. Rooted deep within the psyche, beliefs shape perceptions, mold behaviors, and ultimately dictate the trajectories of individuals and societies alike. Alarmingly, when....

Read more >
article photo concept showing why we should have hope for the future by peeking into the sunshine by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Should We Be Optimistic About the Future? Ten Reasons that Indicate We Should

Last month, my friend and co-writer, Dr. Bob Brooks and I wrote about five qualities that make us uniquely human. We offered these as an extension of the ideas we proposed in our recent book, Tenacity in Children. This prompted us to think about how these qualities might define....

Read more >
article photo of a man sitting on ski lift beneath night sky stars pondering what makes us human. by Dr. Sam Goldstein

What Makes Us Human?

What makes us human? A simple answer from a genetic perspective is our 23 pairs of chromosomes containing countless genes. However, as most of us realize, this definition falls far short of appreciating the complexity of....

Read more >
article photo of two parents and two children in a kitchen smiling and cooking together by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Parents

In our recent book (Tenacity in Children; www.TenacityInChildren.com), Bob Brooks and I opined over-thousands and thousands of generations parents prepared their children for adult life. Children would learn by example....

Read more >
article photo of a Person holding phone and using ChatGPT app to communicate with artificial intelligence by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Independent Thinkers: How Children Find Their Identity by Challenging Our Authority

Parenthood is not only a journey of nurturing and guiding our children, preparing them for adult life but also a path on which...

Read more >
article photo of a Person holding phone and using ChatGPT app to communicate with artificial intelligence by Dr. Sam Goldstein
Photo: Diego - stock.adobe.com

WILL ChatGPT REPLACE ME?

As with any complex issue, there has been a lot of talk lately about whether artificial intelligence will ultimately take over...

Read more >
article image that represents the concept of human tenacity, which is a key component of human development. The image is not described in detail, but it is likely to be related to the topic of the article, such as an inspiring picture of a person or a symbolic image that represents resilience, self-discipline, or tenacity. by Dr. Sam Goldstein

YOUR INTELLIGENCE ISN’T SET IN STONE! A NEW VIEW OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE SMART

Whether designed by a higher Creator or the product of millions of years of evolution, our genes have but one primary goal. They seek to continue their existence. To do so successfully requires them to...

Read more >
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder article by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Should politicians be qualified?

Last month I recorded and posted a short Tik Tok video on my page, @CommonSenseScience, about politicians. I started this page a few months ago to...

Read more >
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder article by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD): A New Diagnosis, But Not a New Problem

The addition of new diagnoses in psychiatry is not a rare event. Afterall the first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical manual of the American Psychiatric Association, published in 1952 was 130 pages containing a 106 single listed-disorders. The Revised Fifth Edition of this manual is...

Read more >
The Power of Socialization article by Dr. Sam Goldstein

The Power of Socialization

A parent I was consulting with recently expressed worry about her 7-year-old’s friendships. She asked: "He seems to enjoy school for the most part and...

Read more >
Is Resilience the Word of the Decade?? by Dr. Sam Goldstein

The Extraordinary Power of a Smile

If a tree falls in the forest but no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If you smile behind your N95 are you really smiling? Neurologist Debashish Mridha writes “A smile has a magical power; it makes everyone smile back.” But what if...

Read more >
Is Resilience the Word of the Decade?? by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Is Resilience the Word of the Decade?

This month’s article, co-authored with my friend and colleague Dr. Robert Brooks, was prompted by an idea advanced by author and publisher Arianna Huffington. The latter proclaimed Resilience the word of the year in 2020. Recently, she elaborated on that word by designating Resilience+ as the word of the year for 2021, adding, “Resilience+ is my leading contender for word of the decade.”...

Read more >
The Last Normal Child by Dr. Sam Goldstein

The Last Normal Child

I awoke one morning this past week with a vivid memory of a dream I had during the previous night. A family came to see me to have their ten-year old son evaluated. Nothing out of the ordinary for me as I evaluate nearly 200 children each year in my Center. Most are children with complex medical and developmental problems. I sometimes refer to these children as...

Read more >
Things Parents Can Do To Help Their Children Thrive and Excel In School by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Things Parents Can Do To Help Their Children Thrive and Excel In School

School is really not easy these days. Many students have been out of school for a long time because of the pandemic, and the continued disruptions and anxieties are still breaking the flow of normal learning. What can parents do to help their children thrive and excel in school, particularly during these challenging and anxiety-provoking times?

Read this article on Medium from Authority Magazine. (external site)
Beating Burnout: Dr Sam Goldstein On The 5 Things You Should Do If You Are Experiencing Work Burnout by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Happiness and Joy During Turbulent Times

Dr. Sam Goldstein On How To Live With Joie De Vivre, Even When It Feels Like The Whole World Is Pulling You Down

It sometimes feels like it is so hard to avoid feeling down or depressed these days. Between the sad news coming from world headlines, the impact of the ongoing raging pandemic, and the constant negative messages popping up on social and traditional media, it sometimes feels like...

Read this article on Medium from Authority Magazine. (external site)
Beating Burnout: Dr Sam Goldstein On The 5 Things You Should Do If You Are Experiencing Work Burnout by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Beating Burnout

Millions of Americans are returning back to work after being home during the pandemic. While this has been exciting for many, some are feeling burned out by their work. What do you do if you are feeling burned out by your work? How do you reverse it? How can you “get your mojo back”? What can employers do to help their staff reverse burnout?

Read this article on Medium from Authority Magazine. (external site)
Unholy Trinity and Tenacity in Children: Nurturing the Seven Instincts for Lifetime Success article by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Tenacity in Children: The “Unholy Trinity”

This article is the third in a series that my colleague and friend Dr. Robert Brooks and I have co-authored to share some thoughts about the concept of tenacity as introduced in our most recent book, Tenacity in Children: Nurturing the Seven Instincts for Lifetime Success. In April we described the...

Read More
Tenacity in Children: Nurturing the Seven Instincts for Lifetime Success article by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Tenacity in Children: The Instinct of Compassionate Empathy

In last month’s article, my friend and colleague Dr. Robert Brooks and I introduced the concept of tenacity as described in our most recent book Tenacity in Children: Nurturing the Seven Instincts for Lifetime Success. The book incorporated our earlier writings about resilience and self-discipline to include tenacity as the third component of what we have labeled the “essential triad of human development.”

Read More
Tenacity in Children: Nurturing the Seven Instincts for Lifetime Success article by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Tenacity in Children: Nurturing the Seven Instincts for Lifetime Success

This month’s article, co-authored with my friend and colleague Dr. Robert Brooks describes tenacity, a concept we introduced in our most recent and fourteenth book Tenacity in Children: Nurturing the Seven Instincts for Lifetime Success. The book represents a culmination of ...

Read More
The Consequences of the Choices We Make article by Dr. Sam Goldstein

The Consequences of the Choices We Make

In March and April 2020, mental health claims for teens aged 13-18 in the United States, as a percentage of all medical claims, approximately doubled over the same months in the previous year. At the height of the spring wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, this rise in mental health claims amounted to 97.0% in March and 103.5% in April! ...

Read More
Stress and the COVID 19 Pandemic: Paying Attention to Your Cortisol Level in Challenging Times article by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Thinking Clearly in Stressful Times

Stress distorts our thinking. The COVID-19 pandemic not only stresses us about our health and finances but our very survival as a society. We all can identify with the emotional, physical and cognitive impact of stress on our bodies and ...

Read More
Stress and the COVID 19 Pandemic: Paying Attention to Your Cortisol Level in Challenging Times article by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Stress and the COVID-19 Pandemic:

Paying Attention to Your Cortisol Level in Challenging Times

The COVID 19 pandemic not only worries us about our health but our very survival as a society. We all can identify with the emotional, physical and cognitive impact of stress on our bodies and minds. In stressful situations we ...

Read More
Corona Virus Stress Syndrome article by Dr. Sam Goldstein

Corona Virus Stress Syndrome

A few days ago, I visited with a young teen I’ve been working with over the past year. Despite strong intelligence and achievement, this young man struggles with anxiety and friendships. His mother reported ...

Read More
Too many people measure how successful they are by how much money they make or the people that they associate with. In my opinion, true success should be measured by how happy you are. - Dr Sam Goldstein

Does It Matter If We Are Happy?

“I’m not happy.” How many times have you heard that from your children? Your spouse? Or thought so to yourself? Why is happiness so important to us? And for that matter what exactly is happiness? ...

Read More
Will non-medication treatments replace medications for ADHD? - Dr Sam Goldstein

Will non-medication treatments replace medications for ADHD?

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers the current standard of treatment for ADHD in children, as a combination of medication, behavioral therapy, parent training and educational support. The quest to create and ...

Read More
The facts about video gaming - Dr Sam Goldstein

The Facts about Video Gaming

Over the past twenty years, video gaming has become the number one pastime, not only among adults but among children and teenagers. For all ages, playing video games has overtaken all other leisure time activities, including ...

Read More
Dr Sam Goldstein Play A Wall Apart

A Wall Apart to debut at the Grand Theatre

In May 2015 Craig Clyde, Graham Russell and I set out on an artistic journey culminating in our rock musical, A Wall Apart. Our musical features a soaring score of original songs by Graham, founder of the acclaimed rock group “Air Supply,” His score, coupled ...

Read More
Dr Sam Goldstein Articles

The Dramatic Growth in the Diagnosis and Treatment for ADHD in the United States. Good Science or Dangerous Trend?

Over the past twenty-three years, I have had the honor of serving as Managing Editor and now Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Attention Disorders. Along with my mentor, the late Keith Conners, we started the Journal as an alternative outlet for research on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and...

Read More
Dr Sam Goldstein Articles

The Complexities of Child Development in the Twenty-First Century

Dr. Jeremy Walsh, a Professor at the University of British Columbia, along with his colleagues, recently published a health study of over 4,500 U.S. children, ages 8 to 11 years conducted between September, 2016 and September, 2017. Their findings help us appreciate the complexity of the challenges facing children...

Read More
Dr Sam Goldstein Articles

THOUGHTS ON EDUCATIONALLY FRAGILE CHILDREN

“I like learning, I just don’t like school.” A 12-year-old student with significant learning disabilities...

Read More
Dr Sam Goldstein Articles

A Year Like No Other (Revisited)

I originally wrote and published this essay on the first anniversary of the destruction of the twin towers in New York City. On this the seventeenth anniversary of this tragedy I thought it would be fitting to post this essay again with a postscript.

Read More
Dr Sam Goldstein Articles

A Brain Like No Other (part II)

I had the opportunity of evaluating Alan, an eleven-year-old, fifth grader. Though quite bright and academically accomplished, Alan was struggling in school due to very poor organizational skills....

Read More
Dr Sam Goldstein Articles

A Brain Like No Other

The human brain represents the product of an ongoing, six billion year construction project. In its physical form and function the human brain represents millions upon millions of trial and error adaptive adjustments. Comprised of an estimated...

Read More
Dr Sam Goldstein Articles

The Power of Connections ©

In our books, chapters and articles over the last eighteen years, Bob Brooks and I have again and again emphasized the power of human connections. This is equally true for parents and children, husbands and wives, friends and colleagues...

Read More
Dr Sam Goldstein Articles

Introduction: A History of Executive Functioning as a Theoretical and Clinical Construct

Executive function (EF) has come to be an umbrella term used for a diversity of hypothesized cognitive processes, including planning, working memory, attention, inhibition, self-monitoring, self-regulation, and initiation carried out by prefrontal areas of the...

Read More
Dr Sam Goldstein Articles

The Science of Bullying

Childhood aggression, particularly children aggressing against other children, has long been a significant clinical and social problem. Over the past fifteen years the emphasis and focus of this problem has shifted...

Read More
Dr Sam Goldstein Articles

New Data on Stress in our Children

In the past few months, two important large surveys about youth today have been published. The first, completed by the American Psychological Association, addressed stress in children. The second, completed by the...

Read More
Dr Sam Goldstein Articles

In The Minds of Our Children

The late Dr. Julius Segal coined the term charismatic adult to describe adults from whom a child gathers strength. Segal defined the role of a charismatic adult further to note that this person is someone a child identifies...

Read More
Dr Sam Goldstein Articles

School Discipline Means the Rod and Cane for Too Many Youth

School Discipline Means the Rod and Cane for Too Many Youth A number of months ago the American Civil Liberties Union and the Human Rights Watch released a report about corporal punishment of children in American Schools. Astonishingly the...

Read More
Dr Sam Goldstein Articles

The Importance of Understanding Temperament in Raising Children

The Importance of Understanding Temperament in Raising Children Sam Goldstein, Ph.D. I recently had the opportunity to spend five days with my wife vacationing on a sunny beach in Mexico. Now that my children are...

Read More