Author: Overcoming Adversity | Buteau’s Odyssey

In feature films and on television, Thomas Jane has portrayed many classic heroes. Genre fans know well that he’s faced not just criminals but vampires, and unknown cosmic horror, in the case of The Mist (2007) from the Stephen King tale. He’s now part of the creative team for the comic book mini-series that horror fans will also appreciate, The Lycan, a Comixology original. The latest and concluding installment of the series drops today (Dec. 23, 2025.) with more action that pits shipwrecked 18th Century big game hunters against dark “Berserking Beasts,” aka werewolves.  The story focuses on Captain Abslom Coffin…

People often feel embarrassed when they struggle to go no contact with a toxic or narcissistic person. Friends may say, “Just block them,” or “Why don’t you walk away already?” To others, going no contact with a toxic person looks simple. But for you, it can feel unbearable. If you’ve ever thought, “Why is going no contact so hard when the relationship was so toxic?” you’re not alone. It turns out your brain is doing exactly what it is wired to do. Trauma Bonds vs. Healthy Attachment In healthy relationships, people tend to feel safe and respected. You may argue,…

Based on developmental psychology and Nietzsche, here’s how people become trapped in patterns of appeasement, rebellion, or reactivity, mistaking survival strategies for identity.

If you’ve spent energy this year worrying about how to shrink or tone your body, you are a victim of diet culture – a system designed to make you feel broken. Defined by dietitian Christy Harrison, author of Anti-Diet and The Wellness Trap, diet culture refers to the harmful belief that our health and value is defined by our body size and shape. This system insists that worth is tied to weight, leading to deep food shame and the marginalization of anyone who doesn’t fit a narrow “ideal.” It functions by labeling food as “good” or “bad,” eventually tricking us…

Most people work to live, not live to work. But considering the amount of time most people spend in the workplace, over time, many employees come to value morale over money. Not surprisingly, job satisfaction is often directly tied to workplace culture: Employees survive and thrive when they feel supported, leave when they feel devalued. A main complaint from employees who have traded salary for satisfaction is not overt discrimination or harassment; it is incivility. Incivility is the subtle saboteur that sparks attrition. Incivility and Emotional Exhaustion Sana Shahzadi et al. (2025) studied the impact of workplace incivility on non-work…

“I know it when I see it.” This famous line comes from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart in 1964, when he was asked to define hard-core pornography. He couldn’t define it formally, but trusted that it was intuitively recognizable. There are many things in life like this: the feelings we recognize instantly and viscerally, yet struggle to define or quantify. The joy and lifting of our spirit when our favorite song comes on. The anxiety of watching the final seconds of a close college basketball game—we are so elated, we cannot help high-fiving a stranger next to us when…

Relationships form through memories filled with emotion and images. When a relationship ends, we might wonder why our thoughts seem cloudy. Loss and grief, from many circumstances, can cause cognitive disruptions such as fuzzy thinking, intrusive images, repetitive thoughts, or problems with attention and memory (McNally, 2003; Peace & Porter, 2004). These cognitive issues may result from an interaction between thinking and emotion that temporarily affects concentration (O’Connor & McConnell, 2018). During the first weeks or months of mourning a relationship, mental confusion can appear as distractibility, forgetfulness, and a lack of clarity or focus (Shuchter & Zisook, 1993). Thoughts…

Dogs are extremely popular household companions and a large percentage of these amazing beings are free-ranging with or without homes to which to return or feral and on their. Regardless of lifestyle and where they are encountered, they all share the basic behavior patterns that are used in a wide variety of social contexts and being fluent in dog—dog literate—is crucial for giving dogs the best lives possible no matter of where they’re encountered.1 I’ve always found making it fun to learn about the behavior of any nonhuman animal (animal) is a great way to become fluent in the way…

There is a real shift happening on social media toward transparency. People are naming burnout, trauma, disability, grief… things that used to stay hidden. That matters. Visibility matters. But there’s a line most platforms never tell you about: authenticity is only welcomed as long as it remains comfortable for the viewer. The moment honesty turns raw, whether by posting an unfiltered meltdown or when frustration spills instead of being captioned with a lesson, people recoil. They unfollow. They mute. They decide it’s “too much.” Not because it isn’t real, but because it disrupts the illusion they were sold: that suffering…

We’re on to the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. Let’s look at the odds for the second round at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Dec. 21.This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31No. 10 Miami vs. No. 2 Ohio StateCotton BowlSpread: Ohio State -10Moneyline: Ohio State -360, Miami +285O/U: 41.5What to know: Miami won a defensive slugfest in the first round at Texas A&M, and now it gets the defending champion Buckeyes, with a spot in…