Whenever I hear the word “polarization,” I can’t help but think of cell division. Specifically? Anaphase, which perhaps you remember from high school biology. All the organelles have been doubled and are bunched at the edges—in moments it will split down the middle and become two cells. Anaphase is polarized. All those organelles are squinching themselves on one side of the cell or the other. It’s as if they can’t get far enough away from the other pole. Sound familiar? Just like a certain current political landscape, perhaps? The United States doesn’t seem very “united” right now. Progressives are getting more ...

Marijuana, Adolescents, and Schizophrenia Marijuana, Adolescents, and Schizophrenia By the time this drops, I will be one week out from age 65. Yet, I’m not grieving—I welcome growing older. Age has its advantages: Fewer emotional roller coasters, for one. For another, I’m better able to articulate my thoughts. And my body hasn’t betrayed me (yet).  However, parts of my brain are proving glitchy, as my memory just isn’t as reliable. I’m trying to humbly believe people when they insist that something happened in a certain way, rather than how I remember it. My math abilities are pathetic. I used to ...

Attachment Theory helps to explain grief. Grief is what happens when we humans experience loss. That is, when we lose something or someone, we need to go through a period of adjustment. That adjustment takes time, and it’s called “grief”.  Why do some people sail through that period of adjustment, and others have a hard time? Many, many factors impact the process of grief, including how important that thing or person was, and whether the loss was sudden versus expected. The death of a child is particularly hard to face, as well as the death of a loved one who ...

In May, 2023, Hallie Dye interviewed me for her excellent podcast, “Saltworks.” Being counter-cultural means following Christ no matter what direction the culture is moving. Listen to Podcast.      From Hallie: “Dr. Amy Givler is on the podcast this morning and it is SO good. What a way to wind down the very first season of the Saltworks. Amy shares with us today first and foremost that her identity is rooted in being a follower of Christ, and you will see that in so many ways. Beginning with her incredible story of how she became a Christian and continuing through every ...

It isn’t hate to speak the truth. I am one of those parents who didn’t let her daughter (though she begged and begged) read the Harry Potter book series when she was 10…and 11…and 12. Even though her friends were reading them. Even though the whole world seemed crazy about them, and she was an avid reader. Why not, you ask? I had read half of the first book and found it dark—much too dark for a pre-teen. And I felt supported and vindicated in my assessment by the conservative Christian voices I was listening to, voices that warned parents ...

Egomania, anyone? When I was a child—maybe six, maybe seven—I went through a phase of suspecting the entire world existed as a massive play with one star—me. That is, I was the main actor and the rest of humanity played supporting roles. That is, the universe revolved around me. That is, I was all ego. Someone didn’t recognize me or snubbed me? It must be an act, because the whole world, after all, was all about me. This developmental phase—if that is what it was—did not last long. Thank. Goodness. For. That. With time, I began to accept what was ...