Surgery - American Physician Institute

26/09/2026

Sometimes we spend more energy wondering what someone might say than it would take to simply ask.

In this LifeBrief article, Dr. Jack explores what can happen when we stop rehearsing the possible answers, risk a little discomfort, and “do the ask.”

You may not always get the answer you want. But you give yourself a chance to get an answer you never would have received otherwise.

Read more: https://www.lifebrief.com/do-the-ask/?PS=LB

I think we physicians and other clinicians are a pretty assertive bunch. Even so, I think it’s good to be reminded of the following success motto: Do The Ask! This motto refers to a certain division of labor: it’s your job to ask for whatever it is you’re looking for. And it’s the other pers...

18/09/2026

What can two chairs teach you about living a better life?

More than you might expect.

In this LifeBrief article, Dr. Jack uses a simple exercise to help us look at the conversations we have with ourselves, and the different perspectives we bring to them.

Sometimes changing where you sit can change what you see.

Read more: https://www.lifebrief.com/two-chairs-to-a-better-life/?PS=FB

Have you ever had a friend or family member confide very sensitive information to you? As clinicians, we have patients tell us – and we’re not shy about asking – all types of pertinent personal information. But in our private lives it’s different when someone confides something to us. If you...

11/09/2026

Sometimes the best thing you can do for your mental health doesn’t look much like a mental health intervention.

In this LifeBrief article, Dr. Jack makes the case for something remarkably ordinary: ride your bike to work.

It’s a reminder that feeling better isn’t always about adding another task to your day. Sometimes it’s about changing how you move through the day you already have.

Read more: https://www.lifebrief.com/ride-your-bike-to-work/?PS=FB

There is no greater job in the world than to be a physician. Sure, there are other great jobs, and sometimes a physician decides to branch off onto another path. Nevertheless, those facts do not detract from how fulfilling and well-paying a career in medicine can be. My tip for today is to take and....

04/09/2026

Worry can feel productive. After all, if you’re thinking about a problem, it can seem like you’re doing something about it.

But that’s part of what makes worry so compelling.

In this LifeBrief, Dr. Jack looks at why we get pulled into worry so easily and how something that feels like preparation can actually make it harder to deal with what’s in front of us.

Understanding the difference between worrying and problem-solving is a good place to start.

Read more: https://www.lifebrief.com/worry-why-it-is-so-compelling-and-so-harmful/?PS=FB

We have evolved to survive. One survival strategy that has been selected is based on our capacity to anticipate the future. Anticipation has two aspects: one, is our use of information from the present and the past to extrapolate patterns and imagine possible future outcomes, and two, is our capacit...

17/08/2026

Many of us spend years searching for the one answer that will finally make life feel easier.

In this LifeBrief article, Dr. Jack explores why that search can sometimes keep us stuck, and how asking different questions can open the door to real growth.

The journey isn’t about finding the perfect answer. It’s about becoming the person who can navigate life’s challenges with greater wisdom.

Read more: https://www.lifebrief.com/patients-quest/?PS=FB

One simple realization I had years ago changed my view of my role as a clinician treating patients with psychiatric and related problems. This realization occurred when I looked up the etymology of the word ‘question’ on the internet. I don’t remember what triggered me to do this except that I...

10/08/2026

Dr. Jack’s advice on how to like yourself more may not be what you’d expect.

We often believe confidence comes first. In reality, learning to treat yourself with the same understanding you’d offer someone else is often where lasting change begins.

That small shift can change more than you might think.

Read more: https://www.lifebrief.com/easy-way-to-like-yourself-more/?PS=FB

A lot of our suffering is self-induced and occurs from our perception of personal shortcomings. It’s easy to be disappointed in ourselves, especially given how competitive, fast-paced, and media-laced life is these days, and how high our expectations for ourselves have become. After all, anyone re...

04/08/2026

Change often brings two emotions at once: hope for what’s ahead and grief for what you’re leaving behind.

We don’t just adapt to new chapters. We also mourn the ones that mattered, even when moving forward is the right choice.

Understanding that tension can make change feel a little less lonely.

This week's LifeBrief: Heartbreak of Change
https://www.lifebrief.com/heartbreak-of-change/?PS=FB

Whether we like it or not, we are almost constantly in a time of transition. For our patients, change, when it occurs, is even more likely to be negative. For everyone, there are new risks and losses, and they will continue to be with us for an extended time. My goal today is not to dwell

22/07/2026

Acceptance is one of the most misunderstood ideas in mental health.

It isn’t giving up. It isn’t approving of what happened. And it isn’t pretending everything is okay.

Sometimes, acceptance is simply stopping the fight with reality so you can begin moving forward.

Read more: https://www.lifebrief.com/acceptance/?PS=FB

21/07/2026

Have you ever had a thought that felt undeniably true until you looked at it differently?

One surprisingly simple ACT technique can loosen the grip of painful thoughts by changing your relationship to them, not by arguing with them.

Sometimes the most effective interventions are also the most unexpected.

Read more: https://www.lifebrief.com/absurd-psychiatric-intervention/?PS=FB

09/07/2026

Betrayal. So common.

We’ve all probably been on the receiving end and perhaps on the committing end too.

And time doesn’t heal betrayal on its own.

What changes over time is what we do with the betrayal; avoid it, carry it, or begin to understand it.

In this LifeBrief, Dr. Jack explores why time alone isn’t enough to restore trust or create healing, and what actually helps when betrayal changes the course of a relationship.

Read the Article:
https://www.lifebrief.com/time-and-betrayal/?PS=FB

Betrayal. So common. We’ve all probably been on the receiving end and perhaps on the committing end too. And among our patients, serious episodes of betrayal are nearly universal. I wish to focus on betrayal today because, to help others heal from it (and to help ourselves heal, too, if needed), w...