Spotting emotional manipulation is vital—and unfortunately, deceptive behaviors are all too common in many relationships. Whether you’re struggling with manipulative communication, actions, or experiences, it’s crucial to safeguard your emotional health and protect your relationships and yourself. We’ve assembled a streamlined guide to understanding and dealing with emotional manipulation. Learn…
Understanding and navigating relationship dynamics is a complex and ever-evolving journey. Relationships, whether they are romantic, familial, or platonic, form the cornerstone of our lives—and can bring profound joy and fulfillment, but they also come with their unique challenges and complexities. In this article, you’ll explore the fundamental principles that…
Q: I have a friend who always borrows money but never pays me back. He tells me I’m wrong and am being selfish, but I am tired of lending. A: Hi there, I am sorry to hear you are having a difficult time with this friend. The first word that…
Hi ladies, it’s me, Laura, can we talk about boundaries for a bit? The title of this article reflects my hope to boost mental wellness for the distressed reader by providing tips and analogies for forming and enforcing boundaries. These tips can benefit anyone and it provides special consideration to…
Self-care refers to a routine of behaviors a person performs, on their own with the intention to maintain and improve their own health. Because self-care is inherently unique to a person, it is difficult to say what will work for each. For that reason, I have delineated some of the…
Even though relationship OCD is not recognized in the DSM-5 as a formal subtype, this form of OCD causes obsessive thoughts around controlling and/or perfecting one’s partner and/or the relationship. Relationship OCD can occur both when someone is actively in a relationship or even when they are single. Learn more…
Most people struggle with self-esteem and perception at some point in their lives. During these times, it can be difficult to believe that those around us really do care about us. Sometimes, it seems more logical that they actually don’t like us, or may even hate us. Other times, we…
World Bipolar Day is celebrated on March 30th every year. This day, which focuses exclusively on bipolar disorder I and II, is non-coincidentally the birthday of the famous artist Vincent Van Gogh, who was posthumously diagnosed with bipolar disorder. World Bipolar Day aims to inform and destigmatize the general public…
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a condition which can make trusting other people and establishing lasting relationships extremely difficult. This can make coping with BPD in relationships frustrating for the person carrying the diagnosis, as well as for a loved one who is often trying to understand and be supportive….
Being in a romantic relationship has its ups and downs. But what about dating someone who has a mental health condition like bipolar disorder? As it so happens, dating someone with bipolar disorder I or II may not be so different from dating anyone else, actually. And although it’s true…
Relationships come in all shapes and sizes, and not all are monogamous. While most people are only familiar with monogamous relationships, polyamory involves multiple nonmarital relationships between partners. Polyamory isn’t about being able to do whatever you want with other people, while still reaping the benefits of going steady with…
Narcissists are extremely self-centered. These are the people that make everything about themselves—the ones that brag every chance they get and truly think they’re better than others. Some narcissistic individuals have their egotistical tendencies under control, but others have a more serious problem: a disorder rooted in their narcissism. When…
