Is your marriage built on an unhealthy foundation of substance abuse and false feelings?
Maybe you met your partner at a bar. Things went well, the alcohol helped to take off the nervous edge and before you knew it you were both head over heels in love.
Throughout dating and even into marriage substances were always around to take off the edge and increase your confidence. It wasn’t long before the euphoric feelings of the substance were so closely mixed with your feeling towards your spouse that it was nearly impossible to separate the two.
“If you think about the social gatherings of our society most of them have some sort of drinking component to them. Dancing, going to dinner, bowling or going to a baseball game or sporting event…even movie theaters are selling micro brews…it seems like everything you do has a drinking component to it,” says Dr. Metz.
What does this say about the strength and resiliency of these marriages? Is it possible to take the substances away and have the relationship survive? Diving head first into this controversial topic is Dr. Kevin Metz.
Dr. Metz earned his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology and his undergraduate degree is from UNC Chapel Hill. Dr. Metz is in private practice, working with Lepage Associates in Durham, NC.
To find out more about Dr. Kevin Metz and Lepage Associates, you can visit them online or call 919.572.0000 for an appointment.
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If your partner left you tomorrow, could you survive the betrayal?
When we were in school we had teachers who sat us down every day, year after year, and passed along piece after piece of information for us to retain and use as functioning adults.
Well, that was then and this is now. Who is there to teach us the life lessons we need as adults? Who is there to be our teacher when it feels like our entire world is crashing down around us?
Some form of intimate betrayal is a common fear among couples. From those who cause the pain to those on the receiving end, couples are unsure of how to battle the betrayal and come out on top.
Kathy Cato is educated in Marriage and Family Counseling and has a private practice, TriVista Counseling, in Raleigh, NC. Kathy is trained in the Imago and Gottman methods of couples counseling and is founder of the Holding Hands Program, a counselor-hosted meeting series that works to resolve problems and strengthen relationships through open communication and integrates individualized online assessments of each couple. Kathy has helped hundreds of couples work through betrayal in their marriages. In this episode, Kathy will share her ideas about betrayal and whether it can be overcome.
To find out more about Kathy Cato, visit TriVista Counseling online or call 919-710-7145 for an appointment.
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Lack of attention does not have to mean lack of a relationship.
Is an undiagnosed case of ADHD to blame for your spouse’s lack of attention to your relationship? The acronym ADHD summons several images to mind. We’re more likely to think of overactive children unable to concentrate in school, not our full-grown, adult partner. The truth is that ADHD is a condition that does not discriminate based on age, the effects of ADHD are just as likely to manifest in adults. However, many adults are not even aware that their behavior could be linked to a medical diagnosis. Have you ever felt like a parent to your spouse, always micromanaging and making sure they do what they promised. It is possible that your spouse has ADHD. Perhaps, on the flip side, you feel as though your partner is always nagging you and constantly repeating themselves. It is possible that you have an undiagnosed case of ADHD. In this two-part series of Stay Happily Married, we’ll uncover how to spot the signs of ADHD in your spouse, as well as how an undiagnosed and untreated case of ADHD can eat away and destroy a marriage.
Dr. Susan Orenstein received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Temple University. She is a licensed psychologist and Director of the group private practice, Orenstein Solutions, in Cary, NC. Susan specializes in adult relationship issues and has worked extensively in treating couples in situations where ADD and ADHD effect one partner. Susan has been happily married for 23 years and her husband and she co-facilitate the PAIRS couples workshop, where they continue to refresh their own communication skills in front of workshop participants. To find out more about Susan Orenstein and her practice, Orenstein Solutions, you can call 919-428-2766 for an appointment.
Click here to listen to part 2 of this special.
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