Grow Up!: How Taking Responsibility Can Make You a Happy Adult Paperback - 1999

Combining his authority as a psychiatrist and family therapist with the irreverent wit that made Psychology Today call him "America's funniest psychiatrist," Dr. Frank Pittman reveals the secrets to finding true happiness in adult life, without even looking for it!

In a culture that glorifies the carefree pleasures of youth, we are often preoccupied with the search for happiness and complain when the reality of adult responsibility pulls us farther and farther away from our adolescent hopes and expectation. But with remarkable wit and irreverence, Dr. Frank Pittman reassures us that all adults can, indeed, achieve happiness. His solution for this modern malaise is refreshingly simple: Grow up. Stop confusing happiness with self-indulgence and learn to appreciate the simple pleasures in life.

Dr. Pittman cleverly blends his professional wisdom with cultural parallels, weaving references to film, literature and other modern-day icons with his own experiences and case studies. With a clear sense of optimism and enthusiasm, he illustrates the rewards that accompany the transition into adulthood. He takes on gender role, marriage, parenting, divorce, and depression and reveals some of his secrets of living happily.

Revealing that the true essence of happiness stems from personal honor and integrity, Dr. Pittman urges adults to reconsider their roles in their families and society, because "knowing that we have the power to increase the level of happiness in the world may be the ultimate secret of happiness."