When you take someone’s anger-provoking behavior personally, you feel offended and disrespected. Your reaction to your uncomfortable feelings is either to defend yourself or to submit passively to what the other person seems to think of you. Either way, you view the other person’s behavior as a literal, serious, personal
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Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger March 19, 2019
To sustain an intimate relationship, we must be able to communicate with one another. Our communication needs to go beyond the events of the day to truthful, heartfelt conversation that explores feelings and issues within and affecting the relationship. Much of what passes for communication in daily life is far
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger March 19, 2019
Anger is an instinctual emotional response from a real or imagined threat. Anger is painful and we need to get relief. We almost always feel something else first before we get angry: afraid, hopeless, hurt, disrespected, disappointed, or guilty. We use anger to protect/cover up these other vulnerable feelings. We
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger March 19, 2019
Saying no to someone makes you very uncomfortable. So you don’t. You’re always available to everyone. In fact, you tend to put others’ needs above your own. Without hesitation. You rarely express a differing opinion (even when you clearly disagree). You apologize. A lot. You hate when someone is upset
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Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger March 4, 2019
Bipolar disorder affects men and women in equal numbers, and the symptoms are essentially identical. But some key differences do exist—differences that might be due to biological factors, and social ones, too. For starters, research has consistently shown that women have higher rates of bipolar II disorder, “which typically presents
Read More Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger March 2, 2019
The way you see something can easily keep you stuck and stressed—or it can free you. In other words, your perspective is powerful in creating the life you want to live—or not. For instance, if you think you’ll never find a fulfilling job, you’ll feel demoralized, and you won’t do
Read More Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger February 26, 2019
We often hear the phrase “work smarter, not harder,” but what does this phrase actually mean? What does it look like to take a smart approach to everything you do at the office—and outside it. According to Melissa Gratias, a workplace productivity coach and speaker, people who work “hard,” put
Read More Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger February 25, 2019
There are times when saying you’re sorry makes sense. You bumped into someone. You said something hurtful. You yelled. You arrived late to lunch. You missed a friend’s birthday. But many of us over-apologize. That is, we apologize for things we don’t need to apologize for. Kelly Hendricks knew she
Read More Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger February 21, 2019
When we hear someone is psychotic, we automatically think of psychopaths and cold-blooded criminals. We automatically think “Oh wow, they’re really crazy!” And we automatically think of plenty of other myths and misconceptions that only further the stigma surrounding psychosis. In other words, the reality is that we get psychosis
Read More Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger February 17, 2019
Mike and Joan were fighting about the mess in the kitchen. Mike perceived his wife’s criticisms as if they were attacks and he was defending himself against her. Joan felt threatened and was protecting herself against his defenses. She was feeling unappreciated and unloved. They were both repeating the behavior
Read More Shared by Aaron Karmin, LCPC, Contributing Blogger February 15, 2019