Debra Massaro Roberts asked Lori Gottlieb:

As a family physician, I see so many patients who struggle with their ambivalence to change their lives. I recommend this book as a way to get them to start thinking about their lives in a new way. Those who have read it, are so thankful. Thanks for writing this. Maybe you can write one for folks with medical conditions such as diabetes, etc?

Lori Gottlieb Hi Debra, I'm so glad that your patients are finding the book helpful in relation to seeing themselves in a new way. I do see many people with medical conditions (such as diabetes) that require them to make lifestyle changes, and I think that what I write about in MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK TO SOMEONE about change and what gets in the way of making change is directly applicable to folks with medical conditions like this. Change is hard, and when we acknowledge that it's hard, people feel more seen and understood and open. Sometimes we tell people, "You need to make these changes right away" and we don't take into account how daunting that feels to them. But if we say, "I know it's hard to change. I know there's loss involved when we give up something to do something new. But there's a also tremendous gain you might not be able to see right now. Tell me about the loss that's making this change hard for you." Just giving the loss some air makes change so much more manageable. Also: Taking tiny steps and not asking people to everything at once. Change can come in phases, the accumulation of many seemingly small steps.

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