Stories by Michael Bader

Michael Bader is a psychologist and psychoanalyst in San Francisco. He is a co-founder of the Institute4Change, an interdisciplinary group that provides help to progressive leaders and organizations. subscribe to Michael Bader's feed

Bruce Springsteen and the Politics of Meaning in America

Posted on: Sep 18, 2012, Source: AlterNet

How progressives can learn from The Boss.

Being Progressive Shouldn't Be Hazardous to Your Health: Here's How to Avoid Our Culture of Overwork

Posted on: Feb 17, 2012, Source: AlterNet

Burnout isn't just a cliche: It undermines our energy, passion and imagination, and it affects every aspect of our lives.

How We Can Inspire People to Care About Social Change and Feel Good About Themselves in the Process

Posted on: Aug 1, 2011, Source: AlterNet

People only become active in social change movements because these movements speak to deep longings that go far beyond those for economic justice.

The Real Reasons Men Like Anthony Weiner Risk Their Careers For Sexting

Posted on: Jun 16, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Anthony Weiner stepped down from Congress today over his "sexting" scandal. But why do powerful men get caught up in risky behavior in the first place?

Why We Need to Have Empathy for Tea Party Lunatics

Posted on: Mar 1, 2010, Source: AlterNet

If we don't understand how decent, god-fearing, victimized people can come to espouse such dangerous ideologies, we won't be able to fight them effectively.

Sex Addiction: A B.S. Excuse for Not Thinking

Posted on: Jan 18, 2010, Source: AlterNet

Sexual compulsions are real and they harm the person in their grip as well as others. But treating them like a problem -- something to be 'fixed' -- isn't working.

Everything You Think About Tiger Woods is Wrong, So Shut the F*** Up!

Posted on: Dec 16, 2009, Source: AlterNet

The hundreds of media theories that have grown up around the Woods scandal have nothing to do with him and everything to do with us.

The Psychology of the Right-Wing's Anti-Government 'Death-Panel' Delusions

Posted on: Sep 4, 2009, Source: AlterNet

Calling people brainwashed, racist or stupid feels good but doesn't really explain the heart of their irrational fear and hatred of government.

When We Talk About Health Care, We're Forgetting One Important Group: The Already Insured

Posted on: Jun 18, 2009, Source: AlterNet

The suffering fostered by our system isn't limited to those who can't afford access to it. And their voices should be part of the debate, too.

The Soul-Crushing Malaise of the 1950s Killed the American Dream

Posted on: Jan 30, 2009, Source: AlterNet

Barren suburban yards, drunk dads, dowdy moms, strained frivolity, deep depression -- let's hope the '50s don't make a comeback.

Economic PTSD: The Psychological Effects of the Recession

Posted on: Jan 13, 2009, Source: AlterNet

We feel responsible for things we didn't do and helpless in the face of things we couldn't do.

The Great Porn Misunderstanding: Pornography Is Mostly About Fantasy, Not Reality

Posted on: Oct 27, 2008, Source: AlterNet

A response to Robert Jensen's recent AlterNet article, "Porn's Dirty, Dangerous Secret."

Why We Should Stop Demonizing John Edwards

Posted on: Aug 11, 2008, Source: AlterNet

If the public wants to get to the bottom of Edwards' affair we have to drop the moral platitudes and look at what led him to it.

Why Men Do Stupid Things: The Psychological Appeal of Prostitutes

Posted on: Mar 13, 2008, Source: AlterNet

A psychotherapist explains what might go on in the deeper recesses of the minds of men like Eliot Spitzer.

I'm Tired of Being Cool -- Understanding My Love Affair With Barack Obama

Posted on: Mar 5, 2008, Source: AlterNet

Obama has reintroduced hope, possibility, meaning, and community back into public life. No wonder he inspires hero worship.

Is Pornography Really Harmful?

Posted on: Nov 6, 2007, Source: AlterNet

In response to Robert Jensen's controversial book, <i>Getting Off</i>, two clinical psychologists debate the intersection of violence and sexual fantasy.

Thought Crimes

Posted on: Apr 24, 2002, Source: AlterNet

Even the Supreme Court recognizes that sexual fantasies -- even about children -- are not necessarily rehearsals for harmful actions.

Priests, Sexual Abuse and Illusions of Innocence

Posted on: Mar 13, 2002, Source: AlterNet

Why does sexual abuse elicit more rage than any other kind of child abuse, even though emotional neglect or social hardships can damage a child more than inappropriate sex?

Embracing Post-Traumatic Sex

Posted on: Nov 8, 2001, Source: AlterNet

While widely reported, the phenomenon of "terror sex" is poorly understood and often ridiculed. Psychologist Michael Bader uses fascinating examples from his practice to show that sex is a normal, even healthy, reaction to trauma.