Most folks don’t even recognize that they are in abusive relationships and they are often torn between what to do if they are in one. Tidemark TV talks with Kristin Benton about how to recognize if you are in an abusive relationship, why we keep going back to abusive relationships, and what you can do if you are wanting to leave an abusive relationship.

There are so many rules around grief, smile and thank everyone for being concerned…don’t smile too much, bake a casserole, say they’re in a better place, be angry, don’t be angry…the list goes on. All of this can be so confusing it makes our heads spin. If you want to know what you can do about your journey through grief, then please check out this video.

Tidemark Therapy interviews Keshia Grant on unique problems minorities may face and what this means for those who seek out therapy.

Many folks struggle with coming out as to their friends and family. Many people also do not realize the unique challenges that people face in the transgender community. If you would like to become more educated on the transgender community, then watch the video below Please subscribe to our YouTube station and comment on the video because each time you do we help spread the word about mental health related topics and are able to help more people.

Here we introduce Michele Menzie to Tidemark Therapy and we learn some simple tricks that you can utilize to cope with every day anxiety.

Valentine’s Day is one of the WORST holidays. For all of you reading this right now, who are yelling at your computer screens that I’m cold and heartless, just give me a moment of your time, and I’ll explain my logic. I’m as much of a romantic as the next person, but as a therapist, I’ve seen lots of depression and anxiety centered around this holiday; whether it’s because people are lonely and Valentine’s Day serves as a constant reminder that other folks out there have someone while they do not, or because a partner is worried about if the gift they’re intending to give is “good enough” or they’re stressed about how they’re going to be able to top last year’s gift. Valentine’s Day can cause a lot of emotional angst. Here’s where I’m going to tell you why you don’t have to let Valentine’s Day ruin your day.

1. The origins of Valentine’s Day itself is kind of dark. There’s one theory that a festival was held where folks lined up to get beat by other people because it made them more fertile. There’s another theory that marriages were banned because single men made better soldiers than married men, so a priest came along and married folks in secret. He was caught and then executed, but not before falling in love first with the jailer’s daughter. Either way you look at it, The origin of Valentine’s Day is full of dysfunction disguised as romance.

In our last blog, we began reviewing some of the many benefits of couples therapy. In this blog, we will continue to go over reasons why you may want to consider couples counseling with your partner, even if you don’t believe your issues are “that serious.”

GET TO THE ROOT OF YOUR PROBLEMS

You may find that you and your partner seem to have the same argument over and over again. This generally indicates that there is some sort of root problem that has never been resolved in your relationship. Having the unbiased point of view of a therapist can be a great tool in identifying the deeper problems in your relationship. When you identify these root causes of discord in your partnership, it allows you to address these problems healthily.

REIGNITE THE FLAME

Over time, it is natural for your passion for your partner to cool slightly. The novelty of falling in love wears off. For healthy couples, while the intense passion may go out, they are still bonded by a deeper intimacy and love for each other. However, if you are having trouble keeping the romance alive with your partner, couples counseling can help you reignite that flame. By getting to know each other on a deeper level through counseling, couples can become acquainted with a new side to their partner, which can re-spark that passion.

There is a stigma surrounding couples therapy because many people believe it is a last-ditch effort to save a relationship that will inevitably fail. The main problem with couples therapy is that couples often wait years after their initial dissatisfaction with their marriage to seek out counseling. This means that couples must attempt to tredge through years of resentment, distrust, poor communication, and unresolved arguments. While it is still possible to do this work in therapy and save a partnership after years of dysfunction, it is best to address these concerns as they come up. Even if you feel pretty good about your marriage, you and your partner may experience these benefits from couples therapy, and make your partnership stronger than ever.

BETTER COMMUNICATION

One of the greatest benefits of couples therapy is that it gives you tools to change the way you communicate with your partner. Miscommunication is the source of many common marital issues. For example, many couples have certain issues that are points of tension for them, such as finances. As a result, they don’t talk about them to avoid arguments. This causes both parties to make assumptions about how the other person feels, and fosters feelings of resentment. Instead of letting these issues fester, couples therapy gives you the forum to bring them out in the open, and teaches you how to effectively communicate with your partner.

Two common mood disorders that are often confused are depression and bipolar disorder. While there is some overlap in symptoms, these disorders are very different, which is why an accurate diagnosis is crucial. In fact, antidepressants are often detrimental to people with bipolar disorder, and can further aggravate their symptoms. However, due to their similarities, it is common for bipolar disorder to be incorrectly diagnosed as depression. To understand the difference for yourself, read on below.

THE MAIN DIFFERENCE

The main difference between depression and bipolar disorder is that depression is unipolar; this means that there is no mania when it comes to depression. People who are depressed experienced prolonged “low” periods, while bipolar disorder is characterized by cyclical highs and lows.

DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS

The symptoms of depression can include:

• Prolonged sadness
• Fatigue
• Indecisiveness
• Loss of interest in activities and hobbies
• Increased appetite or decreased appetite
• Difficulty sleeping
• Guilt
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Suicidal ideation

TODAY WE HAVE A LOVELY GUEST BLOG POST WRITTEN BY THE WONDERFUL TREY DRYER.

It did not help when I yelled at him. It did not help when I would ignore it and thought it would eventually work itself out. It did not help when I told my parents what was happening. My brother’s drug addiction was severe, and nothing my parents or I did ever seemed to have an effect on his substance use. To really help my brother overcome his addiction, we had to admit he needed professional help first.

Navigating the roadmap of helping a loved one suffering from addiction can be a daunting process. It was for me, and it is for thousands of families across the U.S. However, there are ways to get a loved one help. For individuals trying to help a loved one overcome a substance addiction, the following steps can be a great place to start.

Acceptance

In order to address a loved one’s substance addiction, one must first accept that their loved one is sick and needs treatment. Often times, it is difficult for individuals to accept that their loved one needs to get professional treatment, as they want to believe that their loved one can quit on their own.

Eliminating this notion and recognizing a loved one needs professional help is the first step to helping that individual reach recovery. There is no changing the past; there is no preventing substance abuse that has already occurred. Realizing a loved one needs to move forward with treatment is crucial to overcoming an addiction.

“I’M SO DISAPPOINTED IN YOU.” “I’M DISSATISFIED.” “YOU LET ME DOWN!” “WHY DO I EVEN BOTHER?

These are all phrases we’ve heard echo across our lifetime. They only take a few seconds to utter, but can linger on within us for a lifetime. Chances are if you’re reading this, then someone at some point has disappointed you or vice-versa; you’ve disappointed them. For disappointment to be invited into our lives, at some point we had to have expectations of something or someone that were not fulfilled. This lack of fulfillment caused a breach in our feelings of security and our sense of trust. The real question is what do we do with this disappointment once it has occurred?

1. Your therapist is there to give you advice – Most people believe that your therapist will tell you what decisions you should make in your life and why. This could not be further from the truth, most people have friends to help them make the hard decisions in life, whether you want their advice or not. If your therapist attempts to give you advice then they are setting you up to become dependent on them and less capable of making decisions for yourself in the future. Rather, a therapist at the least is meant to help you generate a list of options for yourself and guide you to a decision or an action that you have chosen for yourself. At best, they will help you make the evolution to the type of person that you would like to become.

2. I have to trust my therapist and tell them my whole life story immediately – You DO NOT have to trust your therapist immediately. Reluctance to hold back initially is healthy and your therapist does not expect you to tell them everything on day one. Trust and rapport is something that is developed over time, and as you naturally begin feeling more comfortable in therapy, you will naturally divulge more information when the time is right.