The title of this post refers to Sigmund Freud, not Britney Spears! Freud introduced the concept of the repetition compulsion, which refers to an unhealthy behavior from our unconscious past that unknowingly gets us in trouble until we can make that behavior conscious and understand the motivation behind its repetition. It refers to our tendency to repeat similar behaviors without realizing that the consequences of the repetition might be exactly what we were attempting to avoid. An identical twin woman […]

Most of us have faced the difficulty of making a decision without any guarantee of success. We weigh the pros and cons, hope for the best, and comfort ourselves with the notion that if our decision does not work out, we can move on. Disappointing outcomes are never easy; however, we trust that we will have the conviction and resilience to recover and take the next steps. Of course, that’s easier said than done, yet such challenges are vital prerequisites […]

A woman in her late twenties, Alice, contacted me for some help managing her fraternal twin sister, Ruby. Alice declared that Ruby was ruining her life. Ruby calls her multiple times a day, even though both women work full-time and live in different states. Alice told me that Ruby had a severely traumatic relationship in high school. Since then, she has struggled to date or trust men. Alice also stated that Ruby lives in a delusional world where she fabricates […]

While twin intimacy is flaunted as incomparable, it has a potential downside that exposes a painful reality. Countless twins have confided in me that they feel extraordinarily guilty about having to keep secrets from their twin. How do they safeguard their privacy and vulnerability from the prying, curious eyes of their twin, who feels entitled to full disclosure? Young twins relish keeping secrets from those around them. They may trick their peers, confuse their parents, and confound their teachers. Certainly, […]

For many years, I have dedicated my professional life to understanding and treating twins. People frequently thank me for writing about certain aspects of being a twin that are overlooked, intentionally or unintentionally. The primary themes seem to be difficulty getting along with one’s twin, being married to a twin, losing one’s twin, and being estranged from one’s twin. Since most nontwins and our cultural stereotypes perpetuate the “twin mystique,” twins who legitimately suffer in their sibling relationship often have […]