It all seems pretty straightforward – almost formulaic in a way. You lose someone you love. It feels terrible. You cope with the shock. You mourn and you grieve. You wait patiently…and subsequently impatiently…for the time to arrive when life will resume some semblance of normalcy. The time arrives, the pain finally “disappears”…and you continue… Continue reading Grief Delayed Is Not Grief Denied
Category: Relationships & Love
Are Friends Better for Us Than Family as We Age?
The power of friendship gets stronger with age and may even be more important than family relationships, according to research published online in June2017 by a Michigan State University scholar. A release from the university explains that In a pair of studies involving nearly 280,000 people, William Chopik found that friendships become increasingly important to… Continue reading Are Friends Better for Us Than Family as We Age?
Older Married Couples and Advance Directives
A study published in June 2017 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society examined the effects spouses had on the decision of older adults to have Advance directives (ADs), the legal documents you can use to state in advance what medical treatments you do or do not wish to have under certain circumstances. You… Continue reading Older Married Couples and Advance Directives
Virtual Support Groups Help Grieving Spouses with Depression
As the U.S. population ages, it’s estimated that half of women older than 65 are widows, while one-sixth of men of the same age have lost their spouses. Support groups have proved to be a helpful resource for those dealing with grief, but for older individuals, obstacles such as geographic location and physical immobility can… Continue reading Virtual Support Groups Help Grieving Spouses with Depression
Co-Parenting Communication: Rebuild Trust With Your Ex
You and your ex may have had your differences in the past, but let’s face it—you’ll never really “get along” now or anytime soon. Despite your differences, the fact is, while you two no longer have a romantic relationship, you do have children together. Which means you both need to put your differences aside and… Continue reading Co-Parenting Communication: Rebuild Trust With Your Ex
Older, Married LGBT Couples Happier than Singles
Although same-sex marriage has been legal for only a short time, University of Washington researchers say they are already able to detect health benefits among couples. For years, studies have linked marriage with happiness among heterosexual couples. But a study from the UW School of Social Work is among the first to explore the potential… Continue reading Older, Married LGBT Couples Happier than Singles
Five Tips to Regain Intimacy
Has your intimate connection to your spouse or partner weakened after many years together? Here are my tips for regaining intimacy: Learn to feel and express emotions – When we cut ourselves off from our day to day feelings both good and bad- we also cut the line to our libido. By paying attention… Continue reading Five Tips to Regain Intimacy
Older Adults Embracing “Living Apart Together”
A release from the University of Missouri in Columbia notes that since 1990, the divorce rate among adults 50 years and older has doubled. This trend, along with longer life expectancy, has resulted in many adults forming new partnerships later in life. A new phenomenon called “Living Apart Together’” (LAT)—an intimate relationship without a shared… Continue reading Older Adults Embracing “Living Apart Together”
Showing Your Love Can Ease Your Partner’s Depression
The more depressed your romantic partner may be, the more love you should give that person. That is the finding of research done at the University of Alberta in Canada and published in February 2017 in Developmental Psychology. A release from the university acknowledges that It can be tempting to pull back, but tough as… Continue reading Showing Your Love Can Ease Your Partner’s Depression
Don’t Speak: The “Censorship” of Grief
“Don’t speak I know what you’re saying So please stop explaining Don’t tell me cause it hurts” “Don’t Speak”, song and lyrics by Eric Stefani and Gwen Stefani When advising the bereaved (be it in-person or in writing), one of my most oft-repeated teachings is encouraging them to talk about their loss – their feelings,… Continue reading Don’t Speak: The “Censorship” of Grief
Elders and Intimacy: When Is It a Concern that Requires Attention?
We focus a lot on care for older individuals; Are they eating? Are they moving their bowels? Do they walk? Are they agitated? But what about intimacy? What about romance? When is there risk for an elderly person and when does a family member or caregiver need to butt in or butt out of an… Continue reading Elders and Intimacy: When Is It a Concern that Requires Attention?
What Do You Do When a Loved One Becomes Chronically Ill?
Sooner or later, it happens to all of us. A beloved friend or family member develops a chronic illness, and their life changes dramatically with that diagnosis and new restrictions. Of course, we want to be there for our loved one – to say just the right thing and offer help – but the sad… Continue reading What Do You Do When a Loved One Becomes Chronically Ill?
How a Man’s Facial Hair Affects a Women’s Attraction to Him
Research done in October 2016 and published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology suggests that women tend to find beardedness attractive when judging long-term relationships, perhaps as a signal of formidability among males and the potential to provide direct benefits, such as enhanced fertility and survival, to females. A release from the publisher explains that… Continue reading How a Man’s Facial Hair Affects a Women’s Attraction to Him
The Perilous First Dates: What You Need to Know
The first date is one of the most perilous parts of any relationship. People micro-analyze each other’s behavior and each tries to be on their best behavior. However, the good news is that peoples’ true selves are betrayed in ways they may not be aware of. Pay attention to some of these and you can… Continue reading The Perilous First Dates: What You Need to Know
When Parents Resume Dating – and What Their Children Have to Say
When our children were young, it seems like everything that we parents did was “right” – at least in their eyes. We were the omnipotent heroes, the sageS, the wisest among the wise. We had all of the answers before the questions were even asked. We fixed the impossible and solved the improbable. It was… Continue reading When Parents Resume Dating – and What Their Children Have to Say
Family More Important than Friends in Later Years: Study
For older adults, having more or closer family members in one’s social network decreases his or her likelihood of death within a given period, but having a larger or closer group of friends does not, according to a new study presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association. “We found that older individuals… Continue reading Family More Important than Friends in Later Years: Study
We Understand That Social Media Doesn’t Equal Social Interaction
If you worry that people today are using social media as a crutch for a real social life, a study done at the University of Kansas in Lawrence will set you at ease. An August 2016 release from the university explains that Jeffrey Hall, associate professor of communication studies, found that people are actually quite… Continue reading We Understand That Social Media Doesn’t Equal Social Interaction
Sweet Solitude: The Truth about a Fulfilling Single Life
Single people have richer social lives and more psychological growth than married people do. That’s the inexpected finding of Bella DePaulo, PhD, a scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara who presented at the American Psychological Association’s 124th Annual Convention in August 2016 in Denver. According to DePaulo, many single people embrace their single… Continue reading Sweet Solitude: The Truth about a Fulfilling Single Life