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Having a family member or close friend with PTSD and trauma can be hard. More than anything, you want to support and comfort a loved one who is suffering from post-traumatic stress or struggling to recover from a traumatic event. But you don’t know what to do. The usual ways of relating don’t work. You feel almost as hopeless and out of control as you imagine your loved one must be feeling.
What can you do?
We so often wrongly assume that conflict must mean that something in our relationship is going wrong, but that’s actually not the case at all. Conflict is a natural and yes, even healthy, part of every relationship.
It is not the avoidance of conflict that makes for a good relationship, but how you handle that conflict. Use these tips to resolve conflict appropriately while avoiding angry, relationship-ending habits.
By Elizabeth McMahan
Inevitably, your uncle is going to have a few too many; your aunt will start a political argument; your cousin is going to brag about her kids (while demeaning yours); your mother-in-law won’t like your apple pie; and of course your parents will be upset that you can’t come over for Christmas AND Christmas Eve. Sound familiar?
Depending on how stressful your family is, you might want “the most wonderful time of the year” to be over before it even begins.
Trust is an important cornerstone of any relationship – romantic, familial, as well as our friendships. Some people will go as far as to say that trust is the absolute most important part of these relationships; so, when trust is broken, it alters the entire dynamic of the relationship.
Depending on the level of trust that was broken, a relationship may not be salvageable. For those who are willing to give second chances, learning to trust again can be difficult, but it can be accomplished with time. Along with proper communication, the following steps can help you trust again after you’ve been hurt.
The birth of a baby, the start of a new job, the termination of a relationship, becoming an empty nester, selling your home and moving to a new city: these are just a few of the numerous changes life may have in store for us.
Change can be scary, but it’s also an inevitable fact of life. Some changes come by choice, while others may take us by surprise.
Quality time, gift giving and receiving, words of affirmation, physical touch, and acts of service…you probably know something about the five love languages described in Gary Chapman’s bestselling book, The Five Love Languages. But, are you aware of which ones relate best to you and your partner?
Chances are, the two of you probably speak different love languages, and that’s OKAY! Acknowledging this difference and learning to speak your spouse’s love language can be a part of the success of your relationship.
Quality time, gift giving and receiving, words of affirmation, physical touch, and acts of service…you probably know something about the five love languages described in Gary Chapman’s bestselling book, The Five Love Languages. But, are you aware of which ones relate best to you and your partner? Chances are, the two of you probably speak different love languages, and that’s OKAY! Acknowledging this difference and learning to speak your spouse’s love language can be a part of the success of your relationship.
These six reasons show how speaking your partner’s love language really does matter.
The teenage years can be pretty chaotic.
Lots of changes, lots of new experiences, lots of learning and struggles.
Making the transition from carefree child to responsible adult isn’t a walk in the park. Though, for some, it comes easier than for others.
Cultivating healthy habits is crucial for navigating this turbulent phase of life.
By Elizabeth McMahan
Personal boundaries are the limits and rules you establish for yourself in relationships. Whether or not you’ve heard of or engaged in personal boundary work before, you’ve probably unintentionally set a few at some point in your life.
For instance, when you were younger, you and your sibling may have had an unspoken rule where the two of you take a few minutes apart after a big fight.
