Ross Rosenberg's Blog
Friendships by Design: Mastering Social Connection in Midlife
In "Friendships by Design: Mastering Social Connection in Midlife," Ross Rosenberg, M.Ed., reframes making friends after 40 as a learnable skill rather than a matter of luck, offering a compassionate guide that turns anxiety into actionable strategies. He argues that building a meaningful community requires a foundation of self-love, which enables individuals to drop pretenses, manage negative self-talk, and avoid the "trying too hard" trap.
By practicing mindfulness, showing genuine curiosity in others, engaging in shared activities, and being persistently open to connection without desperation, individuals can forge deeper, more authentic friendships built on courage and intentionality, ultimately proving that the most rewarding social connections are still ahead.
To Dash or Not Dash - Co-Dependency's Evolution
The “dash” version of co-dependency never advanced beyond its original family systems theory influence. Still, it sheds light on the addict’s chemical dependency and their partner’s propensity to sabotage their treatment unconsciously, reflexively, and predictably. Moreover, with the development of the co-dependency term, concept, and burgeoning treatment accommodations available to them, positive and negative treatment outcomes could be statistically correlated to the participation of the partner to the addict.
