After discovery, one question echoes louder than any other. Was it something I did?Was I not enough?Did I miss the signs? For partners of men struggling with sex, porn, or process addictions, self-blame often arrives immediately. Even when logic says otherwise, the nervous system searches for a reason that restores a sense of control. This […]
Tag Archives: relationships
12-Step Programs, Family, Mental Health, Relationships, Sex Addiction
What Is Betrayal Trauma? Signs and Symptoms
12
Feb
Feb
Betrayal trauma does not look like weakness. It looks like hypervigilance.It looks like emotional numbness.It looks like anger that appears out of proportion.It looks like someone who cannot stop replaying what happened. For partners of men struggling with sex, porn, or process addictions, the discovery itself can be traumatic. The nervous system experiences the betrayal […]
07
Feb
Feb
Many men are not afraid of intimacy. They are afraid of what intimacy requires. They want connection. They want closeness. They want to be known. And yet, when relationships begin to demand emotional presence, something in them shuts down. This pattern has a name. Intimacy anorexia is not the absence of desire for love. It […]
Addiction, Family, health and wellness, Partners, Recovery, Sex Addiction, sobriety
Setting Boundaries: A Script for Wives
17
Jan
Jan
When your husband is struggling with addiction, boundaries can feel confusing, scary, and emotionally loaded. Many wives know they need boundaries, but they do not know what boundaries are supposed to sound like, how to communicate them without escalating conflict, or how to follow through without feeling cruel or abandoning. Boundaries are not punishments.They are […]
23
Aug
Aug
Blended families are formed when two people start a life together and bring children from previous relationships. Each blended family encounters its own set of problems and requires its own unique solutions because of the complex mix of the members of the blended family. Adjusting to a new family dynamic can take time, but with […]
08
Feb
Feb
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, you may be wondering what you can do to make your loved one feel special given all you have been through together. Now is a good time to embrace the pleasurable aspects of your relationship and focus on positivity. If you need help thinking of some gift and date […]
03
Feb
Feb
Forming romantic relationships after addiction can be a challenge. You may struggle with lower self-esteem even in sobriety or just feel uncomfortable bringing up your past in a “getting to know you” setting. It is okay to feel uncomfortable when meeting new people after going through something so traumatic. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, […]
24
Jan
Jan
Are you having difficulty becoming or staying aroused? There are several psychological and biological factors that may be contributing to this roadblock. Most of the time this sort of situation is out of your control. So how do you take back control of the intimacy you experience in your relationship? Recharge your libido with these […]
13
Jan
Jan
Opening up to a partner about past or present trauma is a huge relationship hurdle to work through. We want the people we love to support us through the toughest of times, but vulnerability is scary. We may fear rejection once we reveal hardship and the more negative sides of our lived experiences. Trauma is […]
10
Dec
Dec
When a spouse or partner develops an addiction, it affects both people in the relationship. While the addicted person may suffer a great deal, the brunt of their addiction lands squarely on the people around them. Neither person may know what to do, complicating the situation, and increasing the odds that the relationship may not […]