When stress levels are high empathy tends to be very low. This is especially true in the most intimate relationships. Stress shows up in an intimate relationship when partners begin to doubt each other. Central to the doubt is the uncertainty of really knowing the partner. The common belief is the partner has changed or is somebody different than who they presented themselves to be. These beliefs create an image of the partner as a stranger. Seeing the partner as a stranger heightens stress and blocks empathy. Blocking empathy prevents empathic communication from happening.
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It may be that the effects of food allergies are greater on parents than on the children who suffer from them. Parents feel they must be on guard every minute to protect their children from possibly fatal reactions to foods, substances human beings need to survive. This constant vigilance wears down the strongest parent. This can lead to significant stress. Stressed parents may respond in ways that cause stress on their children.
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Pain usually is our body’s way of telling us something is wrong and needs to be handled. Not only a physical experience, pain also has a significant emotional component. And the two, pain and emotions, sometimes work together in a negative way to make each one more noticeable. Pain is something everyone experiences at some time in their lives. And some people live daily with pain from chronic conditions or some other physical health problem.
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Unexpected life events are disruptive and can throw your whole life into chaos. People are creatures of habit and thrive in an environment where they feel safe and free from harm. But life just isn’t usually like this. Events that are out of our control are inevitable in everyone’s life, and are a major source of stress.
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January 19, 2015
by Cindy Ariel,Phd
Everyone is a potential target of terror. People who have been touched by terror know this and this truth creates specific reactions, which are significantly affected by gender. Banding together en masse is a socio-emotional focused strategy that helps people to cope with the loneliness and fear inherent in the thoughts of being a potential victim.
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Work is crazy, the kids have so much to do, and you and your partner just had a big argument about the finances. Maybe you’re unemployed, the creditors are calling, and the bills are piling up. Perhaps you are the caretaker of a family member who is ill or disabled, and you never get a minute for yourself. More often than not, you dread the day ahead, and you feel like you’re heading for a nervous breakdown. You just don’t know how to get your life back on track, and you don’t know how much more you can take.
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December 31, 2014
by Marti Wormuth, MA
The New Year is just around the corner, which means that it is important for us to take a look at what is going on in our lives and see how we want to change it in the future. It can be really hard to determine exactly what you want to do, especially if you've failed at New Year's resolutions before, but I'm telling you, it's one of the best things that you can do for yourself. Even if you don't make these grandiose goals, you can make sure that you are able to move forward in your life. In today's article, we're going to explore some mental health goals you can make and see why they're important for you to make.
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December 24, 2014
by Marti Wormuth, MA
Worry is something that plagues all of us, especially during this time of year. Are we going to have enough food for everyone at our family dinner? Will everyone get the presents that they want? Will we be able to get through this holiday without the family member(s) that we have lost? What will we do in order to be able to get through this season? There are so many thoughts that plague us, and it can be really hard to figure out whether or not we can come with some of the more difficult feelings that we are dealing with on a regular basis.
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Decision fatigue is a genuine condition. The term refers to the way decisions made by people after a long session of decision making will deteriorate (Baumeister, 2003). Decision fatigue is an important consideration here at Christmas time. Deciding the right thing to buy for others, shopping for it, then paying a good price for it are uppermost in most people’s minds at this time of year.
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December 9, 2014
by Marti Wormuth, MA
All of us have heard the old saying that it's important for us to love ourselves. Many of us, however, don't adhere to that in any way that is helpful to us or the people around us. Why do we have to do this? Isn't it just good enough that we love other people well? What in the world does loving myself have to do with anything? What if I think that I'm an unlovable person? These are the types of questions that come up when this topic comes up.
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