Author: Overcoming Adversity | Buteau’s Odyssey

Most people associate drinking problems with youth and the early decades of adulthood. Yet in clinical practice, many alcohol problems first emerge after age 50, or quietly return during the second half of adulthood after appearing controlled for decades. Research confirms this pattern is growing: Alcohol use, binge drinking, and alcohol use disorders have all increased among older adults in recent years, with particularly sharp rises among women (Keyes, 2023). These later-life drinking problems are often overlooked because they do not fit traditional stereotypes. Many affected individuals remain financially secure, socially active, and professionally respected. They may never lose a…

The 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is Sunday, and drivers and fans are keeping a close eye on the sky ahead of the green flag.The race will air on FOX and stream on FOX One with the green flag scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET. Weather conditions could play a major role, with shifting track temperatures and the chance of precipitation directly affecting tire grip and overall car handling throughout the event.Teams will need to stay sharp and highly adaptable on the pit box, as sudden changes in cloud cover can quickly alter a car’s balance. Spotters and strategists will…

Cases in which engagement with AI chatbots have resulted in violence show a need for more work on how AI processes crucial cues about those who aim to mishandle it.

You just got hired for your dream job. On your first day, a manager pulls you aside, lowers their voice, and criticizes a coworker—hinting that they may be fired soon. Later that day, and in the weeks that follow, they reinforce this dynamic in meetings. You get a knowing glance. They triangulate you against that coworker. At first, this feels like validation. The message is unspoken but clear—you are the exception. In reality, it’s the beginning of a setup. This manufactured intimacy is a structural manipulation tactic. By making you feel uniquely valued, the system quietly isolates you. It exploits…

Filmmaker Natalie Erika James makes honest portraits of pain. With her showstopper of a debut, Relic, and her latest picture, Saccharine, James turns supernatural scares into relatable nightmares. There’s a beating, albeit perhaps charred and decayed, heart and spirit to her horror.  “What’s presented is jarring, troubling, and grotesque, all based around unhealthy conversations about society’s mirror-gazing obsession,” Matt Donato wrote in his review of the film. It stars Midori Francis (Unseen) as a medical student who consumes ash to lose weight. Her poor choice brings about an unwelcomed haunting.  Saccharine isn’t only scary but often a tongue-in-cheek – as…

Whether we realize it or not, we all have ideas about what we feel. We even have notions about whether we’re capable of controlling our emotions and if we’re supposed to do so.

Joe Dante’s Homecoming (2005) doesn’t even *try* to mask its political intentions.Homecoming is a Masters of Horror outing well worth revisitingHomecoming is a movie that requires context … and a lot of it.The Masters of Horror episode — basically, a 59-minute, standalone almost feature film — first aired in December 2005, although it wouldn’t hit DVD until July 2006. If you weren’t alive back then (or cognizant of U.S. foreign policy at the time) you’re not going to grasp the full intent of Joe Dante’s mini-movie. It was a reactionary movie about an incredibly contentious political issue and possibly the only…

When I was small, my American-ness rubbed up against my Hui-ness. I remember remarking to my dad that life was always going to be unfair for me, and loads of other people never had it as hard as I did. My dad was quick to point out my faulty thinking and my use of words like always, never, and forever. “Why do you use these words?” he asked. “Some days are hard, and some days are not, for all people.” Then he sat at the kitchen table, sipping his tea as if he were a monk sitting cross-legged on a…

Kyle Gallner has officially signed on to join Brie Larson in Skeletons, the upcoming creature feature from director JT Mollner and producer J.J. Abrams. This reunites Gallner with Mollner for the first time since Strange Darling, and if you spent any part of 2024 trying to explain that film to everyone who had not seen it yet, this one is already on your list. Sony Pictures picked up worldwide rights at the European Film Market earlier this year in a deal landing north of $25 million before a single day of filming. The screenplay comes from Brian Duffield, based on…

Your inbox likely contains various emails this month on mental health awareness. How do you distinguish between useful and unhelpful information? Not everything labeled “helpful advice” truly offers value. To understand what it means to be emotionally well-balanced under pressure, we need a clear framework that goes beyond superficial tips. Journalists interested in the use of TikTok to dispense mental health advice recently asked a panel of mental health experts about the advice that was provided on the platform. The experts concluded that over half of the information on TikTok about mental health was incorrect. If that were not concerning…