Recovering From A Messy Family Relationship

I believe that your family is the most important thing in your life. They are the ones that stay with you no matter what. They are the best individuals you can have whenever you experience hardships in life. They support, understand, love, and care for you, unconditionally. However, not all families are like that. Sometimes, these individuals can promote the opposite. They can be as mean as you can imagine. They can be the worst individuals to be with. That instead of lifting you, they sometimes pull you down. Instead of reassuring your overall wellness, they become the cause of your mental and emotional damage. So how can you recover from that type of family?

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Even if your family is functional and happy, there are still members of the unit that often cross the line. Most of the time, they treat you so that you do not prefer to be treated. Some would say you can at least talk to them about it. But honestly, it doesn’t work like that. Sometimes, there are way better things to do for you to get away from their toxicity. It would be better to understand that your needs should come first.

Try Cutting Down The Time You Spend With Them

One of the little reasons family relationships often end up having a lot of misunderstandings is not because you spend little time with them. The truth is, the more you interact with them, the more you get accustomed to engaging in different opinions. It eventually leads to conflict. But don’t get the wrong impression. You still have to interact and connect with your family from time to time. But to avoid further emotional and mental damage, you need to cut down the time you spend with them. If you can allow yourself to have a brief time, then work on it. Do not feel guilty for not hanging around for an extended period. Because if family members are toxic, it will not matter how much time you spend with them because nothing will be enough for them.

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If Hints Don’t Work, Call Them Out Directly

Of course, you would not want to offend your family. There are times that you are not capable of telling them how annoying and irritating their presence is in your life. That would be rude and inconsiderate on your part. But if you already tried dropping hints or managed to get on with passive-aggressive boundaries, but still nothing works, call them out directly. Allow yourself to become more explicit about your rules so that you can keep toxicity in place. Never feel ashamed of telling them how they are ruining your well-being. It would be best if you stood up for yourself by preventing them from destroying your emotional and mental wellness.

Do Not Let Them Manipulate You

By any chance, never allow toxic family members to manipulate you. Please do not fall into the trap of giving in to their desire in exchange for your overall stability. You need to understand that toxic family members are often masters of manipulation where they use guilt to make you do whatever pleases them. Yes, there can be times that you might not notice yourself getting locked up with their hands. But when you do manage to pull through, make it a habit to say “NO.” Ensure that you stick to your point and always consider doing what you think is best for your overall development. Please do not allow them to feel entitled to hurt you. Do not give more than what you are comfortable giving. Learn to limit the things you do for them because nothing is enough for them anyway.

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No Need To Explain Yourself

Toxic family members love drama. They have this eagerness to get a sense of control over everything, even on the things that do not benefit them. Often they would want your actions and decisions prearranged for them. That explains why they usually want to intrude on your personal space. Sometimes, if you ignore them, it becomes a big deal. But you don’t have to give a damn about it. You do not owe these people an explanation of why you want to secure your overall emotional and mental health. The more explanations you provide them, the worse the situation could get. Thus, it would be best if you realized that nothing ever meets these toxic people’s standards regarding limitations, personal space, and respect.

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Honestly, you cannot always figure out immediately what to do with a messy family relationship. Sometimes, you are already in a deep and challenging situation before you could ever realize that you need to care for yourself. So in case you are having difficulties, always remember that your life decisions matter. It is only you who can change the way these individuals treat you.

 

 

Overcoming Remote Relationships And Online Fatigue

Many of us are in home-quarantine, relying on laptops and mobile phones to stay connected. Since we use them in school and at work, we’ve grown attached to our devices, but this pandemic made us realize that digital connections are a must. With the COVID-19 crisis putting pressure on our physical, emotional, and mental well-being, it also affects our interpersonal relationships.

Experts argue that we can no longer go back to the old normal. As restaurants, transportation, and office establishments prepare to open, the new normal would require us to temperature checks and entry registrations for contact tracing measures. Overnight, we added the phrase “social distancing” into our vernacular and installed videoconferencing apps on our computers.

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This pandemic saw us turning to remote workers for advice. However, they have also encountered challenges staying at home, breaking routine social interactions used to balance the amount of time they were isolated. Even long-distance couples have some tips to overcome loneliness, but not all of our connections are intimate relationships that we can straightaway bond over our LED screens.

Pandemic Blues

Psychologists say that more people are prone to social anxiety because we are opening up our homes and personal spaces to others, even in professional contexts. Quarantine-induced Zoom fatigue is real. The simple fact is that every video conference reminds us of how much our lives have changed, how we’ve lost connections and opportunities, and how unlikely it is for the situation to be “business as usual.”

Due to unprecedented scenarios, workplace managers and school teachers had to figure out the new classroom and office dynamics. We hear questions like “How much time should I see my students online? How frequently should I hold department meetings with my staff?” Nobody could have prepared us for this, yet we strive to become resilient and test out what works. How do we overcome the pressures of remote relationships amidst the pandemic?

Virtual Safe Spaces

COVID-19 urged mental health practitioners to move to virtual counseling, also known as teletherapy. The Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a survey and found 45% of Americans reported feeling distressed due to pandemic circumstances. The study enumerated concerns like financial strain, social isolation, and fear of infection, especially for frontline workers in healthcare and essential services.

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“Teletherapy has been more difficult for my consumers under the age of 12 because they’re looking all around, asking me 101 questions,” says Dr. DeAnna Murphy, LPC, a licensed professional counselor who practices in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Since the quarantine started, she’s received an uptick in calls from people dealing with anxiety and depression. Virtual therapy sessions have some advantages as well as disadvantages.

  • Recreating The Space

Taking the velvet couch from a therapist’s office to a Zoom call is the biggest challenge. Individuals will have to replicate the comfort and ambiance in their own homes, which, for some, might be the source of anxiety in the first place. To overcome this, Murphy suggests her clients sit in the car or walk around the block and call her.

  • Keeping Privacy

Sometimes, loneliness intensifies even when we’re sharing a space with other people. COVID-19 has us leaning onto our friends, partners, family, and colleagues. At some point, everyone’s bound to feel emotionally overloaded, so having a therapist or counselor can help.

  • Saving Resources

For clients undergoing in-person therapy, an appointment would typically take two hours, including travel time, while a virtual session can be over in fifty minutes. Murphy says teletherapy works well for individuals with mild symptoms, which means lower anxiety levels or less debilitating depression. 

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Online fatigue and long-distance relationships can take a toll on our health. We should learn how to identify the triggers and specific stressors before we try to cope with them. Here are some examples:

  1. If a meeting doesn’t need to be a Zoom meeting, consider a phone call. Not seeing ourselves or 12 people on the screen can reduce stress linked to our self-consciousness.
  2. Swap your end-of-the-world dystopian reading lists with escapist fiction or romance novels. If your kids like to play video games, avoid themes of disease outbreaks or zombies.
  3. Conduct a pulse check and determine whether you’re jumping in a Zoom call because you want to or because you feel you have to. Joining calls that you’re not committed to adds to the strain when all you need at the moment is to get a break.

When every day turns out to be a test of competence, it’s easy to lose our direction when barriers break, spaces combine, and lines blur together. What we need to reclaim control of our relationships with others is to accept that we are tired. We need to recover using tools available to us and strengthen the ways we cope – both online and offline.

Coping With Your Mental Health Struggles

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The Global Mental Health Summit 2019 talked about the most misunderstood topic in the whole world – mental health. People can be very inconsiderate, especially those who are not welcoming of new studies and changes. One must understand that mental health is as important as physical health. Actually, for me, mental health is a mile much more important than physical health. If your mind is not in tiptop shape, your body will follow suit. And have you heard of the saying “think past the pain” (physical pain that is)? It just means that the mind is “in-charge” of the body. Now, why should we take it for granted?

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Time Of Pandemic: Taking Care Of Your Mental Health

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This year has been a challenging time for our society. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic last March 11. The COVID-19 has been rapidly spreading across 185 countries, with more than 2.2 million cases and counting. It continues to spread, with death toll alarmingly on the rise.

Governments around the world try to “flatten the curve” by implementing extreme procedures to slow down the spread, enough for the current number of cases to be within the capacity of healthcare institutions. For most countries, this means extreme Draconian measures to keep the virus outbreak at bay.

From strict lockdowns, travel bans, forced closure of establishments, the prohibition of mass gatherings, and social distancing— daily routines were forced to change abruptly.

Adapting into this new way of life or the new normal as they say, and the fear of contracting COVID-19 itself can be stressful and lead to anxiety. It can be overwhelming, taking a toll on everyone’s mental health. Sudden disengagement from society can also make coping with this fear and anxiety, especially hard.

With the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacting numerous facets of our community, it is essential to take steps to ensure the care of your own and your family’s mental health.

COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact On Your Mental Health

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As people are unique, the pandemic’s effect can significantly vary from one person to another. During this pandemic, your mental health can be considerably affected by stress, anxiety, fear, sadness, and loneliness. “Given the circumstances, feeling anxious is part of a normal response to what’s going on,” Joshua Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., points out.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health can manifest in different ways. It is crucial to keep an eye out for such occurrences in yourself, your family, and even your friends. It can worsen with the uncertainty as to when things will get better, but it is preventable by taking specific measures.

Practices To Improve Mental Health During COVID-19 Pandemic

  • Be Careful Of What You Read From The News

Repeatedly hearing negative news about the pandemic can be upsetting. Taking a break or setting a scheduled time to get updates about the situation can be helpful.

  • Take Care Of Your Body

Taking steps to take care of your body is vital in attaining good overall health. It is crucial to building the immune system not only to avoid the virus but also to feel good physically. Remember to eat healthily, drink water, and exercise. It is also essential to get enough rest and sleep.

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  • Do Leisure Activities

Although the measures imposed by the government will likely prevent most of us from going out and doing our hobbies, it is still essential to unwind and relax. You can explore new ways to entertain yourself or even discover new hobbies and talents. Doing so will help ease some anxiety and help yourself feel good mentally.

  • Stay Connected With People

Thanks to technology, connecting with people is now more accessible, even without stepping a foot outside of your home. Staying in touch with friends and family can help you, as well as them, get through these hard times. Sharing how you feel or even seeing that they are doing well can put the mind at ease.

  • Set Goals And Priorities

The pandemic can hamper our productivity and ability to concentrate. Tasks typically done may seem insignificant or more tiresome while dealing with issues brought by the pandemic. It is helpful to prioritize and organize what needs to be accomplished immediately, not to get overwhelmed.

Final Thoughts

Indeed, the current global pandemic is challenging. Isolation and social distancing do not mean that you are alone in this fight. Although the steps enumerated above can be done by oneself, seeking professional help or comfort from friends and family can also be an option.

Navigating this uncertainty is hard, but not impossible. It will test our resilience, but we will come out of it more reliable. Taking care of our mental health is not only crucial to our overall health. If we are mentally healthy, we will be able to look out for others as well and even contribute to our communities.

Mental Health Is As Important As Physical Health

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The 2017 Mental Health Summit was an awakening for me. The whole point of the event was to discuss the mental health of children. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant was present in that summit, and as they say, it was a record-breaking event in terms of attendance. There were around 350 attendees on that event, which shows that people these days are interested to know more about the mental health issues that can plague children, which include behavioral, personality disorders, and more. Of course, the Governor was the one who opened the general session.

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Stress Management

Stress Management

Let us discuss a fairly important topic for mental health and daily life– stress management. Just why do we need stress management?

Despite your diligent efforts of trying to be cool with the demands of controlling work, family life, or personal matters, there will always come a time when pressure will take over you.

This is the primary reason why it is essential to learn some stress management techniques to beat exhaustion, including tension factors.

The first step that you must do in stress management is to accept the fact that stress is part of life. Once you learn to accept it is always be there, and the solution will follow. That is a top positive psychology stress management guideline.

“Some people are more prone to these reactions. They’re likely to be people who have difficulty managing on a day-to-day basis,” says Len Tuzman, an expert on stress management therapy.

Below are some of the smart stress management ideas and ways on how to eliminate stress and relieve muscle tension in your body and life.

When our body reacts to an example of unnecessary stress, it induces a “fight or flight” response. This is a natural response that has evolved to help us survive in dangerous situations. However, this response can also lead to immune system problems if we don’t take proper care of ourselves.

Fortunately, there are normal and healthy ways to find support for stress management. One of the best ways to do this is to see a mental health professional or therapist. They can help you learn practical stress management tips and increase disease prevention capacity.

Stress Management

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According to the American Heart Association, another great way to stress management is to take a deep breath. This helps your body relax and lowers your heart rate. Self-care is also important for stress management. This includes all the things like getting enough sleep.

Practice Meditation For Daily Stress Management

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Stress Management

“Relaxation techniques can help with that; it can bring people down a notch so that they’re not so anxious or negative.” Says Jennifer L. Payne, MD, Ph.D.

Do you feel overwhelmed and anxious? A chronic stress management expert suggests that you take some moments off to relax and practice meditation and progressive muscle relaxation.

The more you practice meditation and deep breathing exercises, the better you will feel less worried about your life and lower your blood pressure. Nowadays, you can already download a phone app that will help you meditate. This will improve your stress threshold.

Take Your Time In Everything

One of the reasons why tension is refusing to slow down is you lack stress management.

You may think that rushing things is the key to stress management levels. Unfortunately, this is the wrong way of looking at the issue. Take note that when you are in a rush to have a positive attitude, you have a higher tendency to feel tension and anxiety and have long-term stress.

That is not how to manage stress hormones at all.

Stress management is a hot topic these days. Everyone seems to be under more stress than ever before. Luckily, there are some positive ones you can do for stress management.

One of the most important tips you can do is to get better sleep. A good night’s sleep will help your body and mind feel calm and refreshed. It will help you improve your ability to focus and manage your depression and healthily control your feel-good mood without the use of drugs.

When you feel stressed, you will feel tired and fall asleep fast. Because of this, be sure to slow down a little bit.

Stress Management

Spend Time With Others

Whenever you are going through some problems or managing issues in your life, do not hesitate to talk to some family members or friends about it.

Learn to practice talking. This is a proven stress management tip.

There are many benefits to learning skills in stress management.

When we practice stress management, we help our brains to stay healthy and function properly during difficult times.

Additionally, stress management can also help maintain a balanced lifestyle and good physical health and well-being.

Look At Available Resources For Stress Management

There are many stress management resources available to help us manage stress, including books, websites, and articles.

Additionally, certain foods have been shown to help reduce stress levels in the body. The benefits of stress management can help save lives.

You do not have to keep it all in you or…

You’ll be stressed over it!

Try to find an avenue or physical activity wherein you could do stress management to let your feelings or emotions out.

It will be difficult in the beginning, but as you manage to practice stress management, you will become a pro at managing tensions.

Make Sure To Do The Things That You Love Doing To Lessen The Heaviness.

Be Physically Active To Reduce Stress

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Manage STRESS…

Exercise plays a vital role in improving your health.

At the same time, physical health can also make you feel happier and lighter. So, exercise regularly as part of your stress management. Too much stress can wear you down.

Every time you engage in physical activities, your body releases hormones that are responsible for cheering you up, which leads to less bother.

Make exercise (yoga) and a healthy diet a significant part of your daily tasks or weekly routine to relieve stress levels.

You do not need to spend hours on your fitness goals for stress management. Thirty minutes a day is already enough to reduce or eliminate stressful situations. Add a balanced diet, healthy coping strategies, and positive self-talk to block the negative thoughts of everyday life.

Stress management in exercise comes in many different forms.

You can expect to experience different types of stress, as stress is a serious illness that’s caused by many things and could lead to mental illness.

woman, books, youthful

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If you believe that the stressor has affected your sense of mental health and caused you to develop an eating behavior and drinking alcohol, as well as your relationships with others, it is best to go through therapy for stress management, improve your nervous system, and get over traumatic even so you can finally promote relaxation and self-care and get enough sleep.

Find a clinical psychologist who could be your support group for a better emotional response in a stressful situation and motivate you to beat the stressful meeting events in your life. Remember that your body responds to good reconditioning in stress management.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is It Crucial To Be Able To Deal With Stress?

Being able to manage stress is essential for maintaining good heart health and keeping blood pressure at a normal level. When we don’t effectively cope with stress, our body’s fight or flight response can be triggered frequently, leading to health issues.

What Are 3 Examples Of Stress Management?

Three examples of stress management techniques include deep breathing, muscle relaxation, and seeking stress relief activities like meditation. These practices not only reduce stress but also help in maintaining overall well-being.

What Is The Difference Between Stress And Anxiety?

Stress is often a response to a specific trigger or situation, while anxiety is a feeling of fear or apprehension without a clear cause. The fight or flight response is closely linked to stress, whereas anxiety can linger even when there’s no immediate threat.

How Can I Handle The Things That Makes Life Difficult?

It’s essential to find ways to relieve stress and develop strategies to cope with stress when life becomes challenging. Engaging in stress relief activities and learning to reduce stress can help you navigate the ups and downs of life more effectively.

What Is The First Step In Controlling The Tension?

What Are Habits That Can Help Reduce Pressure?

What Are 5 Emotional Signs Of Stress?

What Prescription Medicines Are Indicated For Stress?

What Are The Warning Signs Of Stress?

How Can I Relax And Be Happy?

What Is A Great Stress Reliever?

What are the triggers of stress?
How to clear your mind with stress management?
What is work stress?
How do you relax from stress?

Benefits Of Couples Therapy: The Perks Of Knowing About Couples Therapy

Could marriage counseling heal pain and help couples in dealing with misery?

Let’s talk about how we can help deal with marriage problems.

Can marriage counseling heal pain and misery?

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Benefits Of Couples Therapy

A committed marriage is a lifelong partnership that links two people around their most fundamental wishes and wants so that the two people involved can flourish as individuals and as a couple,” according to Catherine Aponte Psy.D.

The truth is there is no perfect relationship in this world, and no one person or party involved is void of mistakes. Even a healthy relationship has ups and downs, and partners tend to fight. This is the primary reason why every couple needs to have a better understanding of each other. When they fail to do this process, there is a high possibility that their own relationship could not resolve roadblocks. What could be the root causes? Stress? Infidelity?

Benefits Of Couples Therapy For Married People Who are Facing Relationship Problems

Fortunately, there are several ways in which people could solve the issues with a lack of communication skills, problems with personal growth, or concerns in their relationship dynamics with others. One just knows about a deeper understanding of mental health and healthy long-term relationships. 

Improving your communication skills is like adding a sounding board while you’re speaking — it amplifies your thoughts.

One of the most effective counseling methods used by many people is relationship counseling. This form of therapy can help with challenges, conflict, stress, avoidance, respect issues, and even intimate difficulties.

They hire the services of a therapist or family therapist to help them in improving communication skills, sex life, personal growth, self-awareness, and other committed relationship problems. In the end, they become the best version of themselves.

As long as both sides exert an effort, relationship therapy can help bring out and support a positive perspective suited for a healthy commitment. It can aid partners in facing their relationship problems.

Encourages Practical And Good Communication Patterns

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Practical and good communication patterns are essential to attain relationship satisfaction. Without this crucial component, the marriage is bound to fail, according to emotionally focused therapy experts.

Sometimes, married couples grow away from each other to the point that they would no longer talk about the topics that interest them. To solve this problem, all that they need to do is find the best marital therapy/family therapy expert in town and reap its most important advantages.

There are many advantages of relationship therapy these include improving communication, fixing financial goals, strong social relationships,

With the assistance of relationship therapy, they could benefit from ways they can talk more and express their underlying issues to each other in a safe space / supportive environment.

When struggling partners can effectively communicate, they will have a better understanding of each other. They’ll be on the same page working on their past issues in their relationship. The treatment can even resolve trust issues, intimacy problems, pent-up feelings, and gapped connections.

“If you’re angry, sad, or hurt, that’s information your husband needs to know.”
The next time you have a bad day at work, send a warning text before you get home, Dr. Michelle Golland, PsyD suggests.

It Aims To Bring Back Lost Trust and Intimacy Between Husband And Wife

The longer a husband and a wife stay in a relationship, the more they forget the importance of spending time with each other. The reason for this is that they have so many priorities in mind, or they find it difficult to have a work-life balance. Luckily, marriage therapy creates an impact and addresses the trouble right away as there’s a neutral third party involved.

Prevents Messy Divorces And Decreases The Rate Of Divorce

One of the best benefits of couples therapy is that it decreases the rate of divorce in the United States without depleting the client’s finances.

A lot of people believe that whenever there are tons of irreconcilable differences in the marriage, they can simply file a divorce and deal with their separate lives. Well, this is a sad and wrong view. Even if the marriage is already on the brink of failure, there is still something that the spouses can do.

The counselor can inspire them to have a re-assessment of their relationship and determination of the strengths or weaknesses of each spouse. The therapy sessions with a therapist will help with communication skills, physical synchronization, awareness of one’s emotions, issues with traumatic events, and improved decision outcomes.

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Do Not Give Up Just Yet – Ask For Help Or Assistance To Get Thing Resolved

Andrea F. Polard Psy.D. says that you have to open your eyes and make everyday life magical, while you can.

“Pay attention to your partner in the first ten minutes after you wake up and when you reunite later in the day. Smile at your partner for a few seconds longer. Ask how he feels. Tell him how much you love him. Listen carefully. Kiss and embrace your partners. You might be surprised, but this is a scientifically proven way to turn things around dramatically.”

If you feel your marriage is going down the drain, do not give up just yet. Try to contact a relationship counselor for help or assistance to get things resolved and lead you to a better path. Their advice will prove to be beneficial and helpful for your relationship. Give it a try and see what will happen next. Who knows, you might even gain a new perspective on your relationship. 

Frequently Asked Questions On Couples Therapy

  • What Is The Most Common Problem Addressed In Marriage Counseling?

  • What Questions Do They Ask In Relationship Counseling?

  • How Can Marriage Counseling Improve Their Relationship?

  • What do you talk about in relationship therapy?
  • Does counseling improve relationships?
  • Is relationship counseling a good idea?
  • What is the best relationship counseling method?
  • How do you identify if relationship counseling is working?
  • How effective is relationship counseling?
  • What is the advantage of marriage counseling?
  • What not to say in relationship therapy?
  • What is the most common problem addressed in relationship therapy?
  • How do you win at relationship therapy?
  • How do I prepare for the first session of relationship therapy?
  • How many times should we go to relationship therapy?

I’m A Mom – I Eat Stress For Breakfast All The Way To Midnight Snacks

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“Stress is somewhat difficult to describe accurately beyond simply saying that you know it when you feel it.” according to Roxanna Miller, LMHC.

Talk to me about stress. I’m a mom. I know everything about the word “stress.” I’m sure not all moms are as stressed as me, though. Some mommies only have one child to take care of with two or three nannies to help them. Most of the time, some couples only have two kids, that’s because they don’t have the time to take care of their babies 24 hours a day. I mean, who has the time?

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Overcoming Gambling Addiction

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Risking your money and properties with a relatively small probability of winning is a harmless pleasure, probably for some people. Little do these gamblers know that the only consequences of staking a large sum are either losing a bunch or developing a compulsive behavior known as gambling addiction. “Genetics play a role but growing evidence shows gambling disorder is also tied to the dopamine reward system in the brain. Different gamblers have different experiences but one of the things you see in process addictions like gambling is that much of the reward comes not from winning but from the possibility of winning,” according to Dr. David Sack, a psychiatrist.

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The Connection Between Sexual Addiction And Mental Health

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“Someone with sex addiction isn’t just someone who loves sex. The main symptoms of sex addiction include a loss of control, failed attempts to stop unwanted sexual behavior, and a pattern of negative consequences from anxiety to depression and legal problems,” says therapist Dr. Joe Kort.

Sexual addiction and mental illnesses are both problems experienced by some people. First, sexual addiction contributes to the growth of mental health conditions, and second, mental illnesses take part in sexual addiction cases. Yet upon further studies, research information gathering, and clinical practices, it is likely proved that these two do not share the same connection.

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