The Four Horsemen of Marital Conflict—and How Couples Can Heal
Conflict is a normal part of every relationship—but how couples handle conflict determines whether their marriage grows stronger or slowly begins to erode. Renowned relationship researcher Dr. John Gottman identified four communication patterns that, when they become habitual, can predict relationship breakdown with striking accuracy. He calls them the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Building Stronger Family Bonds: Simple Ways to Reduce Conflict at Home
Every family — no matter how loving — experiences tension from time to time. Between busy schedules, differing opinions, and life’s daily stress, it’s easy for small disagreements to grow into bigger conflicts. The good news? Stronger relationships and calmer communication are within reach.
What Every Parent Should Know About Teens, Marijuana & Psychosis
As a parent, you want the best for your teenager — their health, safety, and bright future. In today’s world, one substance to be especially mindful of is marijuana (also called cannabis). While often portrayed as harmless, there is growing research showing how teen marijuana use can be linked with serious mental-health concerns, including psychosis and hospitalization.
Ways to Improve Seasonal Depression
The winter months bring shorter days, colder weather, and — for some of us — the creeping blues. This isn’t just about getting the “winter hiccups”; it could be what’s known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) — a type of depression tied to seasonal changes.
The Great Divide: Boundaries when working from home
If you’re like me, sometimes you find it difficult to establish boundaries in your personal and professional lives. Now, I don’t mean that you or I are being inappropriate, but rather, that we might have trouble with establishing our role within a social system or that we find it difficult to say ‘no’ when someone in our life asks us to do something.
Managing mental health during the holidays
The holiday season is not the most wonderful time of the year for everyone. For some, it might be the memory of losing a loved one, for others, loneliness and isolation, and for those living with mental illness, the holidays can be a difficult time to manage symptoms.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Pop culture has turned Obsessive Compulsive disorder (OCD) into a quirky, funny character trait, but for those living with this serious psychological disorder, OCD is less of a positive. OCD can be broken down into two parts: obsessions, which are recurrent, intrusive thoughts, and compulsions, behaviors or actions that are repeated to stave off the anxiety brought about by the obsessions.
Recognizing and Managing Depression
Depression is a mood disorder that has affected 19 million Americans in the past year according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Depression is more than going through a rough patch or feeling sad, it is a serious condition that is, fortunately, highly treatable with the right resources.
Substance abuse in young adults
Substance abuse is a serious health issue affecting young adults in America. In spite of the significant impact of addiction on individuals, their families, the healthcare system and economy, substance abuse is acutely undertreated. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), there were 5.1 million young adults (aged 18-25) in the United States with a substance use disorder in 2018, but only 547,000 received any form of treatment during that year.
When does problem behavior become a behavior disorder?
Like all of us, children have trouble managing their emotions and behavior from time to time. Arguments, tantrums and other negative behaviors are normal, particularly when children are hungry, tired, upset or overstimulated. However, when defiance and hostile behavior begin to affect family life, daily functioning or a child’s social or academic performance, it is time to seek professional help.
Back to School: Rejoining the outside world during a pandemic
In 2020, schools and workplaces closed their doors and many of us began operating virtually. All of a sudden, the pandemic had changed how we interacted with our world and many of those changes seem to be here to stay.
Helping Children Navigate Life in a Pandemic
When the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm in early 2020, many thought it would be a month or two of inconvenience before we returned to normal. As of August 2021, we are navigating the 'next normal’, a balancing act between protecting health, restoring the economy and attempting to resume normal life.
Living with Borderline Personality Disorder
People who experience Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) feel emotions intensely, and have a hard time regulating them. Returning to a stable emotional state after a triggering event can take an extended period of time and can be more difficult for someone managing BPD. Individuals living with BPD often have poor self-image, insecurity and self-doubt, and the unstable emotions they experience can negatively impact their moods, thinking, behavior, relationships and often even their identity.
Start healing from shame today with these five steps.
Shame plays an important role in keeping our communities and society running smoothly. The unpleasant feeling of humiliation when we perceive we’ve done something wrong is what helps us obey laws and adhere to society’s expectations of us.
Family Dysfunction
Life can be messy, difficult, and painful. Sometimes when the adults in a family are living with, or working through, their own pain, children can bear the brunt of their stress. This most commonly looks like a lack of support, neglect or abuse.
Anxiety 101
Anxiety is at an all-time high as we navigate a global pandemic, many of us locked down alone, without access to our usual networks of family and friends. According to a 2020 study by the American Psychological Association, 74% of psychologists treating anxiety disorders reported an increase in demand for care during the year.
Understanding Bipolar Disorder
There are 2.3 million Americans currently living with bipolar disorder, and around one in 100 people will be diagnosed at some point in their lifetime. Bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme moods – severe high and lows – sometimes lasting weeks or even months, as well as changes in sleep, energy, thinking and behavior.