by Marty Brenner, CCDC

When times are good, having healthy relationships can be easy. However, when times are tough, we need the support provided by a productive, mutually beneficial, healthy relationship; it is from such relationships that we derive the sense of worth and validation that is needed to weather tough times. Tough times can lead to problems with anger, loss of control, or development of bad habits, such as, addiction to drugs or alcohol.

Contrary to what might be believed, it is very easy to learn how to develop a healthy relationship in tough times. A few inner directed and outward focused steps will help anyone build the kind of relationship that serves as a suit of armor and an anchorage in battling the turbulent seas of hard times. Click here to read more »

by Marty Brenner, CCDC

Depression, anxiety and chronic anger can have a devastating impact on a relationship, even destroying them. Aggressive behavior can have a negative spin on our efforts to communicate, leading to further misunderstanding and angry feelings. When alcohol and/or drugs are added into the mix it becomes worse.

People who have a tendency to become upset and further act out those feelings, often become more aggressive when they’ve had alcohol or other substances. In a research study involving a number of male social drinkers, in which some were given different amounts of alcohol, while some were not allowed any alcohol. It was discovered that those with alcohol in their system, tended to be more aggressive. Addictive substances such as, alcohol, have shown to fuel destructive rages, allowing addicts to express their angry feelings in abusive ways. It can also lead to unwanted or overpowering feelings of need or unfulfilled desires. Click here to read more »

Most of us have been depressed at some time in our lives but there are times when we find it hard to define or explain where the depression is coming from or what brought it on.

Depression is a psychological and emotional state that affects a person’s mood, his or her physical state and social interactions with others.

When someone is depressed, there is a chemical imbalance in the brain, and if severe or ongoing, needs medication and or counseling.

Anger on the other hand, is a very strong feeling of hostility or displeasure. You and I know when we are angry; we feel disturbed or hostile about an event, person or action and we desire some kind of resolution.

In addition, those who are more prone to bursts of anger, see much of life as stressful or threatening. When we feel anger, we often want to fight back with hostile words, actions; both verbal and nonverbal.

Sometimes we shout at others our displeasure or retaliate in ways that are unacceptable to those close to us and society. However, some of the time, we hold in our anger and before we know it, we feel depressed and either withdraw or act in a passive aggressive way through letters, email, shouting, etc.

Depression manifests itself in some of the following ways: being over tired, feeling ill, having little energy, having no desire to do things that once brought pleasure, insomnia, guilty feelings, overeating or having no appetite, irritable, worried and not being able to sleep. Click here to read more »

How Addiction Affects the Powerful

So many people wrongly assume that addiction is a problem that plagues the weak and the poor. Addiction does not leave anyone out. In fact, the rich and the powerful have their fair share of problems with addiction. They just have more resources to conceal and deal with the problems.

Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex or anger, addiction is as real for the homeless man living on the street as it is for the high school student, a nurse at your local hospital and a top executive or celebrity. People from all walks of life are insecure about the times we’re living in. The constant news of a worsening economy, lost jobs, the foreclosure crisis and war weighs heavy on everyone’s minds. Click here to read more »

The age in which we live is full of stressors that can build and trigger a slew of negative emotions.

Anxiety and frustration are everywhere in today’s society and the way in which we choose to deal with them can have a profound impact on our lives. What we choose to do with our pain is up to us.

Channeling it into a negative place can be devastating for us and others. Finding ways to cope with anger positively can improve the quality of our lives and relationships.

The bad news is everywhere, and hitting close to home for many of us. Who doesn’t know someone who is facing the loss of a job or the threat of foreclosure? Companies are downsizing and layoffs are happening.

Unemployment rolls are getting longer by the day. The downturn in the economy is old news. The fallout from this situation is what’s relevant now. The nightly news is profiling the everyday person who is facing homelessness and the ones who are a paycheck away from losing everything. The press has even recently reported on people who have taken their own lives after being foreclosed on.

What’s happening is that people feel they are losing control. And with that fear comes anger, anxiety, depression and desperation.

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