relationships Archives

Relationships: Do I Stay or Do I Go?

As we rethink our approaches to life, relationships are one area that naturally come up for examination: Do we stay or do we go?

Gain Comfort and Safety with a Cope Ahead Plan

The point of the Cope Ahead Plan is to remove us from the position of victim and put us into a place of strength. We empower ourselves to take safe action.

Forgiveness, Grace, and Justice Go Together

Figuring out how we can safely extend forgiveness and grace while maintaining boundaries can be a challenge in every relationship.

My Bipolar Diagnosis Is My Elephant

Sharing our diagnosis is never easy. Alicia Rust shares her experiences with her bipolar diagnosis and sharing the elephant in the room.

Changing the People-Pleasing Instinct

When our helpfulness crosses the line into people-pleasing, we create friction in our lives. Remembering that every “yes” is connected to a “no” can help.

I Should Be Able to Handle This: Ending Chaos

Everyone hits a crisis point, a point at which they look around at their lives and wonder how they got to that point. Life is chaos, and chaos destabilizes.

Casting Off Shoulds Leads to Better Living

“Shoulds” are boundary-crossers. The real problem is when we adopt these external “shoulds” for ourselves. Casting them off can change our lives.

Control Issues Aren’t About Control

Controlling situations takes away a level of worry and anxiety I’ve often experienced. Then I learned something: Control issues aren’t about control.

Giving Means Letting People In

One piece of standard advice from mental health professionals to those on the road to recovery is to start giving. Sure, I’ve had a few moments when I’ve been glad I volunteered, but I’ve also felt resentful of the imposition on my time. Resentment and a giving heart do not go hand-in-hand. This time was different.

Ways Our Support Network Can Help Us

What we see as sufferers is not always what you see as our support network. You have an opportunity to help us significantly in our recovery journey.

Sympathy, Empathy, and Compassion

Sympathy, empathy, compassion. Simple ideas with complex meanings, teasing out the differences between them can be a challenge.

Saying No Strengthens Relationships

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Saying no or denying a request often causes anxiety and feels scary. Yet, being clear on what we can and can’t do is key to strong relationships.

Managing Finances While Bipolar: A Guide

I recently read a post by Glenna Gill (a fantastic writer; you should check out her work) in which she revealed the stress and devastation she wrought on her marriage and family due to financial overspending. Managing finances is something she really struggles with. I...