Author name: Mary Joan Brinson

Signs of depression in women are a common mental health complaint regardless of age. And surprisingly, women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression as men. But as we’ll see, that doesn’t necessarily mean twice as many women are depressed when compared to men—just that twice as many are diagnosed with a depressive […]

Could you or someone close to you be struggling with the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, also referred to as OCD? All of us have life areas where we give extra focus, whether that’s keeping our car clean or paying more than necessary attention to having a nice yard or any number of other possibilities. Mildly

Sorting out how to deal with social anxiety during the holidays could be a little more challenging for some this year. Many of us saw interruptions to family gatherings, work-related get-togethers, and community events in some way over the past few years due to COVID. We may have previously gone our entire lives without such

Do you get sad a lot in the winter and wonder if seasonal affective disorder could be interfering? If you asked a group of people how they feel about the winter or low-light time of year, opinions certainly would vary. You’d even find some who love those icy, frigid months most and can’t get enough

Wondering how to make a relationship last? At some point in most peoples’ lives, developing a long-term romantic relationship becomes a primary goal. Yes, there may be that time of putting off such a big commitment. But eventually, there’s a desire to settle down. Interest grows in establishing a long-term relationship, rather than just the

Do you regularly wonder how to stop arguing in a relationship? Once you develop unhealthy “fighting” habits as a couple, they can be challenging to change. Plus, there are times when you can’t agree no matter how hard you try. You come up to an impasse, and that can lead to constant arguing in a

Do you ever worry that past bad relationship baggage could adversely affect your current commitment? To some extent, any past relationship that no longer exists must have had some drawbacks. Otherwise, you never would’ve left it. We all get “burned” in some way during our pursuit of a lasting romantic connection. However, if you went

Is figuring out how to deal with relationship anxiety a struggle for you? Most couples wrestle to some extent with anxiety when it comes to their commitment. This can especially happen at the start of a bond when it can be harder to know where you stand in your relationship. You may worry about whether

Do you wonder about the difference between infatuation vs love? We sometimes don’t stop to consider the differences between the two until finding ourselves deep in a passionate relationship, wondering what really is at work. Developing such a strong emotional connection can be enthralling and exciting beyond words. Still, it can also feel scary being

When someone takes part in an emotional affair, they find their primary emotional support from someone outside of their committed relationship. Most couples agree that physical intimacy with anyone outside of their bond is strictly off-limits. And it’s easy enough to determine when a boundary like that gets crossed. But defining emotional cheating in a