Grief comes to every life – the death of a parent or child, a serious illness, the end of a relationship or a job, the loss of meaningful possessions. Even happy transitions like college graduation or a move to a new home can cause grief for the changed circumstances. Normal Grief In most cases grief ...

What to look for when the baby’s finally here, but you’re just not happy about it The happy activity buzzing around you feels more like a TV dream sequence. The baby, your baby, wriggles in your arms. Though your friends and family are cooing and smiling over your shoulder, tears well up for you–again. You can barely ...

Depression, as those dwelling in its depths know well, is much more than feelings of sadness. Sufferers daily battle lethargy, an inability to concentrate, disinterest in daily life, problems sleeping, anxiety and agitation, weight gain or loss and, most troubling, thoughts of suicide. Most experts believe the cause for depression is a combination of ...

Seven ways to manage the pain It doesn’t matter how long you were together. It doesn’t matter who actually said the final goodbye. It’s over. It’s harsh. It hurts. Right now, your spot under the covers seems a safe shelter from loneliness, rejection, and relentless relationship reminders. Right now, singing sad song karaoke, while curled up in ...

Sex. Money. The kids. The chores. The house. The car. The job. The laundry. The cooking. The in-laws. Everything. Anything. The topic might change, but the fight is the same. No resolution. No agree to disagree. No kiss and make up. Just anger, resentment, silence, then battling again. Sound familiar? Marriage is hard work. Sometimes, it’s too hard to win the war without ...

The list of health effects of heavy drinking isn’t limited to auto accidents and the delirium of long-term drinkers. Alcohol abuse is linked to more than 60, sometimes unanticipated, diseases. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines excessive alcohol use as: more than three drinks a day and an average of seven drinks ...

Here it is again, unexpected and unwanted – the misery of a panic attack! Your heart begins to thud, your vision narrows. Your tongue, surely it’s terribly swollen! You’re sure to choke on it. No one’s heart could beat this fast and so painfully unless it’s really a heart attack! Sweating, dizzy, and nauseated, ...

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the mind’s response to suffering, or even witnessing, a trauma, is one of the most prevalent mental disorders. PTSD Facts PTSD disrupts the lives of almost 8 million Americans, 40 million people worldwide. About 10 percent of women and 5 percent of men will suffer from PTSD in their ...

Okay, you’ve put the bite in your mouth. You’re committed now, you have to chew and swallow, even though that woman is clearly staring at you. The man at the next table, too, staring and frowning. What are they seeing that’s so wrong? What have you done now? To make things worse, you ...

It’s great that your new guy is so interested in you — where you’re going, who you’re spending time with — or, is he a little too interested? Why do you and your partner have so many fights and why is it always your fault? It just doesn’t make sense that your good friend no ...

Choosing to Recover Well After Loss When Loss punches you hard, it knocks you back. The thud of reality feels like cold concrete against your back. Head reeling and gut wrenching, you feel the pain.   If you let it, Loss will take you down.   Confronting Loss   What is it that knocked you down? Foreclosure? Death? Job loss? Divorce?   Grief is ...

An emotional trigger, just like a trigger on a gun, is a small pressure that sets off a larger explosion. Our life experiences provide each of us with a unique set of triggers that can prompt an angry response that may surprise us by their strength and leave us confused about the causes. ...

We all experience (and express) anger throughout our lives. That’s normal. However, a growing number of us consider anger a problem. More than one in four of us worry that at times we become too angry, and one in five say we have ended a relationship with someone else because of their anger ...

Learn to Reverse Direction, Receive Guidance, and Recover Your Relationship Do you ever wonder, “What happened to the good stuff?” The shared laughter. The romantic high. The passionate spark. What happened to the joy of loving and being in love? Marriage was supposed to keep your love secure– not bury it somewhere beneath the routines and responsibilities ...

How to Navigate Grief, Growth, and Recovery Change comes fast and frequent after divorce, but you can survive it. You can come out stronger with a solid future and valuable lessons learned. Your Pain is Real Your relationship is over. The life you expected to have is gone, and it hurts. The life that lies ahead doesn’t ...

Conflict is common to all marriages. When you start with two people from different backgrounds, with different opinions and personalities, it’s unavoidable. Add expectations and quirky habits, along with the challenges of daily living, and inevitably you will be disagreeing with your spouse about something. In order to live happily ever after, the ...

There are a number of problems that can strain a marriage, but few are as destructive and devastating as infidelity. Whether the betrayal occurs as an emotional or physical affair, the reasons it happened have likely been in place for quite a while. It Takes Two Engaging in an intimate relationship with someone outside the marriage ...

When it overtakes you, it may feel like you won’t survive. It’s sudden and intense. The exaggerated sound of your heart and blood pounds in your ears. You are choked by inexplicable fear and are overwhelmed, nauseous, or disoriented. All you can take in are short shallow breaths. The tightness in your chest ...

Worry is normal. But if you find yourself worrying constantly and feel that your worry is interrupting your day-to-day life, you may suffer from excessive anxiety. Even if you believe that your worries are consistently and negatively impacting your quality of life, don’t lose hope. You can seek help and relief from the ...

The inimitable Fred Rogers often stated: “Anything that is mentionable can be more manageable.” This simple sentiment on the importance of emotions has become an important aspect of helping children develop healthfully, productively and creatively. In fact, renowned neuropsychiatrist Dr. Dan Siegel calls it “mindsight.” What Our Children Need According to Siegal, some basic childhood needs can ...