Hello Readers: I have heard from so many of you asking me to publish the introductions I deliver before I welcome my guests to Dr. Ann’s Relationship Radio. I will begin to accommodate you by posting them in the Blogs for the programs. Let me know what you think.
With that in mind, welcome readers to Dr. Ann’s Blog here at America’s Web Radio. This program is your relationship mentor, educator and supporter. We are here for you. For those of you who are reading my blogs for the first time, they offer my thoughts on relationships and relationship challenges that are discussed on Dr. Ann’s Relationship Radio, Wednesdays at 7:00 am PDT.
It is my belief that almost every problem we have in today’s life was seeded in an unresolved relationship problem in the past. Think about your negative self-talk; where did you learn it? You weren’t born with it. If you have low self-esteem, where did you learn how to have a lack of confidence and to feel badly about yourself? If you have an addiction, I believe that the need to numb out began with an unsupportive and critical and many times a traumatic relationship.
Over the years, I have conducted many trauma groups. One of the trauma treatments I utilize is called Cognitive Processing Therapy. It is the treatment of choice for military members returning from overseas duty and who have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Part of this therapy is writing and rewriting the worst trauma my patient has experienced. The patient then has to read to me what he/she wrote. I have the privilege of actually hearing my patients read their trauma to me. Much of the trauma I hear about is rooted in relationship with parents or one’s parent’s relationships with other adults, usually romantic relationships after a divorce or separation. In addition, I have been surprised about the number of molestations that are perpetrated by relatives, extended family and friends. The traumas one experiences in childhood manifest into mental health challenges, addiction, and ongoing relationship problems as an adult. My research in the area of trauma has convinced me that traumatic events cause lifelong suffering for the trauma survivor unless they receive treatment.
Having a mental health challenge can also be traumatic for children, teens and adults. Such a challenge often leads to feelings of lonesomeness because the person who has a mental health issue feels so different from his/her peers. Listen to Dr. Rick Labelle’s program as he a discusses one area on the spectrum of mental health challenges that can affect relationships in very negative ways and also lend itself to feelings of traumatization. I’m talking about bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder can feel like ongoing trauma, ongoing despair, ongoing thoughts about not being good enough. Imagine how such a sense of one’s self could affect relationships, platonic as well as romantic. Dr. Labelle’s program about Bipolar Disorder and Relationships might open my readers to new ways of having a relationship with people you know who have Bipolar Disorder.