A few years back the rock group, The Eagles wrote a song called “Get Over It” expressing frustration over all the “weak” people out there “Complain[ing] about the present and blam[ing] it on the past”. I saw a video of The Eagles performing the song; amazingly they were not only not stoned to death but actually received thunderous applause.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger has been accused of being heartless because on her radio show and in her books she also expresses what I think of as a tough love approach to her listeners and patients. She has not functioned as a one-on-one therapist for years but she did so at one time and does have the training and credentials, contrary to what her detractors claim. Dr. Laura has been accused of callously implying to her patients and listeners that they should “just get over it”. They also claim she can’t possibly be able to truly understand the effects of a “Bad Childhood”.

However, Dr. Laura’s insight comes from much more than just book learning; it comes from her own experience and wisdom, as well as her own mistakes. The Postscript of this book is interesting to read as she shares a bit of her own family history which is very revealing and somewhat amazing to discover.

I’ve just finished reading "Bad Childhood – Good Life", which came out last month (Jan 2006) and I recommend it to everyone whether you had a good childhood or a bad one. But I must warn you, Dr. Laura’s book does NOT start with a list of all the possible ways you may have been hurt during those delicate, formative years of childhood or your teens. This is because Dr. Laura is focused on helping you conquer your life in the present. She does not doubt your pain or the truth of your experiences. She even says that she does not expect your pain to just suddenly disappear and she’s not offering you a one size fits all panacea.

I like these lines from the Introduction: “You should not be satisfied with being a victim, nor with being a survivor. You should aim to be a conqueror. There is an extraordinary quality of spirit that leads one to aspire to conquering rather than surviving. I hope you discover that spirit in yourself.”