How To Make A Difference For Others, And For You
What I do for a living offers constant perspective. I hear every day about what can happen in people’s lives, both the good and the not so good. I hear about tragedy, abuse, and I hear about tremendous courage in the facing of it. But I also hear about the kindness of others. How a...
167 SelfWork: Is It OCD, GAD, Bipolar, BPD or Perfectly Hidden Depression (PHD)?
There are certain diagnoses that may be co-occurring with perfectly hidden depression (PHD) or could be confused with PHD. And the last thing I want is for anyone to label themselves PHD or identify with PHD and stop there – when instead, you may need to recognize that you’re experiencing...
How Can You Be Vulnerable As An Adult When You Were Never Safe As A Child?
It’s no wonder why being vulnerable is so hard for so many. You learn to feel safe in the families you grow up in. If you were lucky you saw two fairly healthy parents who supported each other’s strengths, who had compassion for one another during their inevitable struggles, and who...
166 SelfWork: Finding Your Way Back to Love
Valentines can hold as much angst for people as the holiday season. And if you have conflict or estrangement or alienation within your relationship, then that pain can become more distinct. Today we’re going to focus on what can cause these kinds of problems. But as usual, we’re also focusing on...
Four Skills To Keep Long Distance Relationships Thriving
When people think of long distance relationships, the images first conjured up are usually those of romantic partners living far apart from each other. However, long distance relationships can take many forms.
165 SelfWork: The Deep Mourning of Sudden Death: When Time Will Not Stop
Kobe Bryant’s family is only one of the many families who have to face an extremely harsh tragedy – the traumatic death of someone they love. There is a difference in this kind of grief from others, because it’s traumatic in the most pure sense. One second your world was safe,...
What is the Best Valentines Gift You Can Give Yourself?
In the second grade, I was elected “Valentine Queen” of my class. I wore a glittery paper crown all day long and dreamed of future ascensions. Miss Pine Bluff. Miss Arkansas. Miss America. I remember the surprising happiness that seeped inside of me, wondering finally (after all of...
164 SelfWork: Coping with the Fear of Depression’s Return
I’ve had several people write to me lately and explain that they are just pulling out of a slump or even worse, clinical depression. And they’re scared. Is there a time frame for what’s supposed to happen after a major depression has struck? How do you deal with some of the destructive choices you...
Five Ways to Keep Fairy Tale Relationships From Becoming Nightmares
After a bad break-up or a divorce and your relationship is over, you often look back and wonder, “What was I thinking? How did I not see this coming? How did I ever think this was going to work out well?” It’s true, of course, that hindsight is 20-20. But what causes you to miss...
163 SelfWork: Emotional Growth: An Exercise In Self-Compassion
In today’s SelfWork, we’re going to be talking about how to enrich your emotional life through self-compassion. So many people tell me that they don’t know how to begin to risk feelings that have been suppressed for years. But when you do, you expand the emotions available to you, and enrich your...
Dr. Margaret’s Book Now Available!
I'm thrilled to announce my new podcast has earned over three quarter of a million downloads! Join thousands of subscribers and tune into SelfWork. It's available here on the website under the tag "SelfWork" and for subscription on iTunes. We talk about similar things as here, but go even further in-depth. Hope you'll join those who listen weekly!
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