You may not like to argue, but doing so is the only way to work through conflict in the relationship. Don’t think you can just ignore issues and they’ll go away. But arguing doesn’t have to mean yelling, screaming and hurling your cell phones at one another. There’s productive arguing and unproductive arguing. Whether you […]
As a result of our cultural desire to be “productive” all the time, we’re creating a nation of people whose minds take temporary, mandatory vacations. You may believe–and have been told this by parents, bosses and the media–that you need to make the most of your time. What’s not addressed in this is the brain […]
Adopting a “psychologically disabled” lifestyle is becoming a career choice for some and a lifestyle for others. With the societal acceptance of emotional challenges has come a sad embracing of incapacity. Good therapists want to help you get functional and happy. It’s important to accept that we all have issues. Life is full of challenges […]
John writes that his “Daughter is sixteen [and] clueless about how much her mother does for her. [My wife] drives her to lessons and the mall. Our daughter only does chores when asked.” But John has a bigger problem. His wife is “…set off by almost anything and deals with most issues by getting angry.” […]
One reader writes, “How do I know my mate is cheating? He tells me I’m imagining things. Maybe he’s right. Do I need to sneak around and read his texts to get proof that he’s seeing someone else?” The sad truth is that too many people are cheating. Some estimates suggest that 80% of individuals […]
Complacency is the enemy of committed relationships and it’s oh, so easy to fall into. Expecting life to go on as it has is understandable, but when you get too comfortable with your marriage, trouble is surely ahead. Daily life can be consuming and deadening. There are bills to pay, jobs that demand a lot […]
A reader says, “Our oldest daughter just turned 17 in October. She has a lot of typical teenage attitudes, but some of this is getting scary. She acts like the entire world owes her everything and she launches into her “Exorcist” mode if she doesn’t get whatever she wants. She yells, swears at us, screams […]
There’s a time in the parenting experience when it’s better not to know exactly what they’re doing. As your children get older, you have less input into their choices. You don’t get to choose who they’re dating, what career they’re pursuing or how they parent their own children. You’re best not knowing the details of […]
Jumping out of a marriage when the going gets rough isn’t always the best choice–let’s be honest, there are challenging moments in all relationships–but there are a lot a foolish reasons to stay if the marriage is consistently unhappy. Bad Reason For Staying #1: The reason most people give for not divorcing(when they want to […]
Let’s all admit it–we love being right. It just feels good. But this is one feel-good situation that can have ugly side effects. There naturally are conflicts in relationships, disagreements that can be trivial or bitter or both. You have different view points, different religions, different opinions of Obama. Whatever. You need to realize, though, […]