On the record

"People are sharing without consideration of who they're sharing with and whether or not they want to hear it....Ultimately, I'm not sure that real honesty is about telling the truth all the time. It might be more of a way of unburdening yourself."

--Gordon Wheeler, PhD, on columnist Bob Morris's notion that people "overshare." The New York Times, Nov. 5.

"Our children are a measure of our success and worthiness. We compare ourselves to other parents and compare our children to other children. Just as we buy apples by holding them up to the light, squeezing each one, looking for perfection, we as parents want perfect apples: We want successful children, happy and well adjusted. We want them to feel good about themselves. We want children who are loving and respectful of others, well-behaved and self-motivated."

--Sal Severe, PhD, on parenting. Forth Worth Star-Telegram, Oct. 30.

"They are bombarded with shiny lives. But there is a huge gap between their lives and those dreams."

--Rahime Hacioglu, a Turkish psychologist, on how the turmoil of civil war has caused millions of people to migrate to cities, breaking traditional social structures and resulting in a suicide rate among women in southeastern Turkey that is twice as high as the rest of the country. Women there are twice as likely to kill themselves as men. New York Times, Nov. 3.

"Some children of alcoholics can become hyper-responsible because of the experience of taking care of parents at a young age. They become super-organized. Super-capable. They develop incredible skills. So they can look as if they are completely resilient. Beneath, though, there are terrible scars. They feel as if they have to do it all for themselves. That's the kind of patient who thrives from therapy."

--Stacy Malin, PhD, Chicago Tribune, Nov. 12.