Surgery - American Physician Institute

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...

03/07/2026

July doesn’t just bring Independence Day. It also marks the beginning of the second half of the year.

A perfect time to reset your course.

It’s time to think about your own personal independence.

Are you carrying around unfinished business? Projects you’ve been avoiding?

Commitments you should have said “no” to? Financial decisions you’ve been putting off?

Freedom isn’t having fewer responsibilities. Freedom is no longer being controlled by the things you’ve chosen not to deal with.

Don’t wait for January’s resolutions.

Start now.

Read the full article here:
https://www.lifebrief.com/your-personal-independence-day/?PS=FB

24/06/2026

After years of diets, false starts, and self-blame, many people begin to believe they’re the problem.

But what if the failure wasn’t you?

In this LifeBrief article, Dr. Jack explores why lasting weight loss often starts with changing the story you’ve been telling yourself and building a healthier relationship with food.

Read more:
https://www.lifebrief.com/losing-weight-after-a-lifetime-of-failure/?PS=FB

I received this request for advice from a reader in response to one of my earlier posts. “Jack, I’ve been struggling with my weight my whole life. I’ve started diets so many times it’s hard to count. I’ve been on month-long retreats to make lifestyle changes. I do lose weight, but eventual...

26/05/2026

Addiction is rarely just about the substance.

What we often struggle with most are the loneliness, shame, identity loss, and fear that remain after the substance is gone.

Recovery is not simply stopping.
It’s rebuilding a life that feels worth staying present for.

In this week’s LifeBrief, Dr. Jack explores the parts of addiction and recovery we don’t talk about enough.

Today’s post focuses on what I’ve learned to talk about to patients recovering from addictions. The title of today’s post includes the phrase What They Don’t Tell You and is meant for the person recovering from an addictive disorder. It isn’t quite true that patients haven’t been told th...

14/05/2026

Always being busy can make life feel spent instead of lived.

This week's LifeBrief reflects on a different approach: treating each day as something meaningful to be used intentionally, not merely survived.

A thoughtful read on attention, energy, gratitude, and what it means to spend yourself well.

👉 https://www.lifebrief.com/spend-yourself-each-day/?PS=FB

Busy. Busy. The next task tailgates me wherever I am. The weeks whip by like the trusses on the old train bridge. Here we are. May already. I strain at the gear that loads the spring that will catapult me into next season. Oddly, only my days remain as long as ones in my past. I’m