Category: Marriage

Often, we blame our unhappiness on circumstances beyond our control. We let our automatic thoughts, the cognitions that occur to us naturally, to take control of our thinking and thus how we feel. You have more control than you think. Changing your thought processes starts by paying attention to what it is that you are thinking, how you are thinking about something. It is common to fall into the trap of seeing things through a mental filter in which you may make assumptions, see things as only black or white, overgeneralize, unhelpfully label, blow things out of proportion, discount anything ... Read more

In March, we celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day; a time dedicated to recognize and honor the contributions that women have made throughout the history of our country. It is also a time to be mindful of the strong female influences of today and a time to raise our collective consciousness about what we all can do to support women and girls in our society. President Obama was quoted in his State of the Union address last year, “A woman deserves equal pay for equal work.” It was one of the most loudly applauded lines of his speech. ... Read more

According to a University of Michigan study, having an unsupportive spouse can significantly increase the risk of depression. The study analyzed ten years of data from nearly 5000 adults. Researchers found that the quality of people’s relationships with a spouse, predicted the likelihood of depression, regardless of how often their social interactions took place. Individuals with strained relationships were significantly more likely to develop depression , whereas those without a spouse were at no increased risk at all. People with the lowest quality relationships- characterized by a lack of support and social strain- had more than twice the risk of ... Read more

Researchers at Southern Methodist University tracked 169 newlyweds for four years, checking in twice a year to assess weight, height, marital satisfaction, stress, and steps towards divorce. They found the happier the couple was in the marriage the more weight they gained. This was in contrast to couples that were less happier, who tended to gain less weight over the course of the study (Health Psychology, Online March 11) I’m curious as to what others think about this study. It has always been my impression that individuals fall into one of three groups as it relates to stress/depression and appetite/weight ... Read more