How to Protect Yourself from Narcissistic Abuse
Unfortunately Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is very common and, if you are like most people, you probably have had a run in with a critical or abusive narcissist at some point in your life. Maybe this person is in your family, at work, or perhaps you find yourself in intimate partnership with this person.
Read full storyHow Early Attachment Trauma Can Impact Your Partnership
Most people have a basic understanding of shock trauma and the resulting symptoms and consequences that PTSD can have on an individual. However, many people are unfamiliar with early attachment trauma and the devastating impact that CPTSD, complex post-traumatic stress disorder, can have on a person.
Read full storyCouples Often Make These Mistakes During Conflict
Conflict is an inherent aspect of all close relationships. The inevitability of conflict can’t be changed, but there are lots of adjustments you and your partner can make with respect to how you think about conflict, and how you choose to behave during conflict.
Read full storyThe Importance of Discussing Goals with your Partner
Do you have a clear understanding of your partner’s goals and visions? Do you know what your partner wants for themselves? Do you know what your partner would like to experience with you?
Read full storyRed Flags that Indicate a Lack of Emotional Availability
During the romantic stage we are often on our best behavior, so it can take time to start to see a fuller picture of the person you are dating. As time progresses and the initial rush of hormones and newness fade, we become more real to our partner, and they become more real to us. After the romantic phase comes the power struggle stage of a relationship. The power struggle stage is when you and your partner begin to notice negative cycles or repeating conflicts, and this stage of relating is when our attachment history, early developmental traumas, and unmet needs begin to appear. The centrality of this conflict, or disconnection that we begin to experience, is that we begin to notice our partner’s difference, and often we begin to object to that difference. People often find themselves thinking, “Who is this person? When did they change?” The reality is that they didn’t change. They were this person all along and it’s more about the passing of time, the diminishment of the initial love chemicals, and the fact that both of you are more comfortable with one another.
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