…not to a mental institution or prison, but voluntarily taking on an obligation, pledge or promise…
To what, or whom are you committed?
When asked what they want and how they imagine a healthy relationship, most people put commitment high on the list. Remember that we are not just talking spouses or significant others, but also family and friends and perhaps employers, anyone with whom we want a healthy relationship. Continue reading
What’s that? Never seen or heard of a “healthy relationship”? No problem. You can learn. You can do it differently. None of us have to remain victims of what we have observed and endured so far…we can change if we want to. But…the deal is…we can only change ourselves. We cannot change other people. This is not to say that people in functional relationships don’t make requests of each other. They do. Often the other person in the relationship responds affirmatively, sometimes not. Continue reading
We interrupt this series on Healthy Relationships to bring you a bulletin. This just in: heavy alcohol use can interfere with relationships!
“I don’t want to stop drinking. I want to drink moderately, like two or three beers a night. If I do that I can get my wife/girlfriend/husband/boss off my back. I think if I just stick to beer, maybe wine when we go out to eat, I’ll be okay. It’s the hard stuff that’s a problem.” “Or maybe I could drink beer during the week, and the other stuff, just one or two…maybe three drinks, on weekends.” Continue reading
Sex. Important word. Troublesome subject for many. If anyone were to do a research study on recovering addicts, they would undoubtedly find that much distress and many, if not most relapses are around relationships, usually sexual relationships. Difficult for anyone, intimate relationships are especially problematic for alcoholics and addicts. Healthy relationships require unselfishness, not a strong suit among addicts, even if the addiction is work, television, skiing or other sports, or something else “acceptable”. Continue reading