"There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds." Laurell K Hamilton Mistral's Kiss
From the outside looking in, it is easy to say, but he had so much why couldn't he find the help he needed. From the inside looking out, a lot of the ... Views: 1412
"Whenever one person stands up and says, "Wait a minute, this is wrong," it helps other people do the same." Gloria Steinem
Wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a world where everyone had a strong moral compass? How safe would we all feel if everyone followed the golden rule and treated others, ... Views: 1299
People-pleasers are at risk in the domains of finance, love, sex, family, and friendship.
How is it that we can manage a successful business but still have a failed personal life? Extending a hand to others after taking care of yourself is how we make the world a better place for our ... Views: 1040
" Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." Steve Jobs
Someone recently asked me the definition of Codependency, so let's take a look at what we can see to help uncover this complicated phenomenon. The visual I have is someone who is suppose to be driving his own ... Views: 1296
So many women I interviewed when writing my book reported saying yes to sex just to get the sex over with and have the person go away. Others reported saying yes to sex to have the person like them. Others reported gaining weight so they wouldn’t have to say no to dating and sex. Many reported ... Views: 1444
(We all need Strong Minds!) "Unless you try to do something beyond what you have mastered you will never grow." Ralph Waldo Emerson
The most important asset one can have is a strong mind. Forget all the material things many think are so important and would be lost without; a strong mind is ... Views: 1507
"What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do." Tim Ferriss
How did we become a society that cannot hear the word No? Why are we so sensitive to being told No? There is yes and there is No, there is night and day, dark and light, yin and yang, and on and on. So to be balanced ... Views: 1455
Prepare to Fight
When one person only wants to control and sabotage during the divorce, mediation is usually not an option and a waste of money. I have seen victims of emotional abuse in their marriage be victims of mediation because they are the only person bringing adult behavior to the ... Views: 1366
Physical/aggressive bullying is easy to identify. We can all see the broken bones, blood, and bruises. This type of bullying is most often chosen by men.
As a therapist, it is usually pretty easy for me to ask certain questions to get the information that physical abuse is indeed happening. ... Views: 1980
Living without a backbone sets you up for severe consequences in the domains of health, finances, career, friendships, romance, recovery and your dignity for starters.
What does this mean? How can this be? It means you don’t know how to advocate for yourself and even worse you have insidious ... Views: 1457
In Part One: https://www.recovery.org/pro/articles/challenges-to-having-a-holiday-in-recovery, we discussed many breakdowns reported to me by clients which can ruin the holidays. Now we will look at some tools to deal with those breakdowns. As I said in Part One having a strong mind is an ... Views: 953
It is 2016 and we are seriously off track!
1. Delete Hate
Today, beginning today, please, we must all stop saying, writing, cheering, promoting, and engaging in hate. It is such a sign of fear, ignorance, insecurity, prejudice, and an outdated belief. We need different ideas, backgrounds, ... Views: 1029
People-pleasers are at risk in the domains of finance, love, sex, family, and friendship.
How is it that we can manage a successful business but still have a failed personal life? Extending a hand to others after taking care of yourself is how we make the world a better place for our children ... Views: 1155
This summer in particular, we had some pretty spectacular athletic competitions in England, France, and more recently, Rio. Whether you follow cycling, tennis or any of the competitions that took place in Rio, it is hard not to be inspired and learn from some of the stories.
Stories and ... Views: 1561
Unfortunately, there are several types of people who are going to be contentious in a divorce and they have to be handled differently. And many personnel involved in the divorce process do not prepare or educate the spouse of a contentious person correctly. If you have ever been told or if you ... Views: 815
Who is a Sociopath?
"Sociopaths/Psychopaths are fun, exciting, seductive, charismatic, impulsive, sexy, AND unfortunately, individuals diagnosed with an anti-social personality disorder." — Dr. Anne Brown
What does this mean to you? After you have been drawn into their world, then you ... Views: 804
(A simple way to let go with dignity)
"The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread." Mother Teresa
If schools had offered a course called "Breaking up is hard to do", I suspect we all would have enrolled. Why aren't we taught these difficult challenges ... Views: 1366
Dear Mom and Dad,
Please remember my life has been turned upside down and I never had a vote. I don't have a rulebook to negotiate waters totally unfamiliar to me. It is really hard for me to understand that my family has broken up. I feel scared that I will loose one or both of you. I don't ... Views: 962
This question fascinates me because I have observed over many years many journeys where people struggle with this task (myself included.) Let’s take a look at some of my speculations and see what your thoughts might be on why this is so challenging.
Our History and Teachings
For women, it is ... Views: 1988
Should I leave my relationship? This question is probably one of the top ten reasons people have come into my practice asking for help. I am a therapist who prefers to work preventatively. I would like someone who is in the market for a relationship to already be in therapy. A good therapist can ... Views: 1508
“Sometimes, you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes, in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.”
In our article about Leaving a Narcissist, I spoke about knowledge being your best weapon. Only with knowledge about what is happening, how it is happening, and how to counter ... Views: 1616
People-pleasers are at risk in the domains of finance, love, sex, family, and friendship.
How is it that we can manage a successful business but still have a failed personal life? Extending a hand to others after taking care of yourself is how we make the world a better place for our children ... Views: 1166
“It comes from saying No to 1000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do to much.” Steve Jobs
Are you beginning to see where we need our tools, ability to say No, ability to make requests, ability to speak our truth in order be a good leader, and in order to be able ... Views: 1375
People-pleasers are at risk in the domains of finance, love, sex, family, and friendship.
How is it that we can manage a successful business but still have a failed personal life? Extending a hand to others after taking care of yourself is how we make the world a better place for our children ... Views: 1055
"If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything." Gordon A Eadie
Why do I need a backbone? I just have my simple little life. I don't aspire to be famous. Hmmm! Everyone's simple little life is going to be given an opportunity to take a stand for something, someone, some ... Views: 1476
Honor your children by fighting for your marriage and if you decide to divorce, do it with dignity!
If you are at the point of asking this question, you have some distinctions to consider.
Never threaten your partner with divorce to get his/her attention. Never make the divorce decision ... Views: 1151
Take Your Recovery From Narcissistic Abuse To The Next Level!
From the safety of your home learn trauma-transforming steps to not only empower you but also make notable reductions in the vast array of trauma symptoms.
What would it be like to have an action-oriented roadmap for recovery ... Views: 826
No one plans on getting divorced when they get married, and yet that is a possible outcome for some. If you have spent your life mastering people pleasing, always saying yes, being diplomatic, and putting everyone else's needs before yours, you will suffer tremendously if you are confronted with ... Views: 1191
1. Physical Abuse
In theory, in this country, no one can touch you as adults in any way (physically or sexually) without your permission. At the horrendous end of the spectrum of physical abuse are the stories we hear about the beating, burning, rape, mutilation, sex slaves, etc. and at the ... Views: 1206
April is Divorce Recovery Month! We asked a number of contributors to the DivorceForce Community for their input on "divorce recovery" and here is part 1 of some of the responses we received.
**Anne Brown PhD RNMSCS http://www.backbonepower.com - Make a list of 2-3 things you want to be ... Views: 1271
Backbone Tools: From Codependency to Dignity
If you grew up in a family with lots of dysfunction e.g. alcohol, anger, illness physical or mental, Borderline/narcissistic (it is all about me), or any other phenomena other than adult people being normal loving parents to their children you may ... Views: 927
"You must do the things you think you can't do." Eleanor Roosevelt
There are women all over the world risking their lives to become educated. We must support them. How can we do that? We must begin to lift the veil of unconsciousness. We can't pretend the emotional/physical abuse that is ... Views: 1236
Our History
When we look at the history of women as it relates to men, we see that it has only been in the last 100 years that we were given rights. Before we had rights, women and children were the property of men. Men could do with us whatever they pleased, whenever they pleased. This ... Views: 1028
Recap
So, to recap Part One, we discussed our history as women as it relates to our relationship with men and how up until the middle to late 20th century we didn’t have laws to protect us from abuses. Women, along with children, were the property of men. Men could abuse us with no ... Views: 1069
How do I know if I am acting codependent or loving? This is an excellent question and often confusing for many for different reasons. Let’s look at the definitions of codependent and loving and see what we find.
Love: An intense feeling of deep affection. For the purpose of this article, we ... Views: 851
Remember our question from Part One: How do I know if I am acting codependent or loving? Also, let’s review our definitions of “codependent” and “loving”:
Love: An intense feeling of deep affection. For the purpose of this article, we will include some more distinctions of ... Views: 799
Most of us know or have known someone we care about who has come under the influence of a perpetrator using him/her for self-serving purposes.
Very smart, educated, healthy people can, for some unknown, reason come under the spell of opportunistic, toxic, and insecure people. It is very ... Views: 2164
Take the time for a self-journey. Getting on a journey with your self requires courage, consciousness, feedback from a trusted advisor, vulnerability, insight, and the refreshing ability to apologize for starters. Knowing your strengths and challenges, competences and incompetence’s, where you ... Views: 1028
A child’s letter to his divorced parents.
Dear Mom and Dad,
The operative word here Mom and Dad is My events. You are a guest here and I ask you to act accordingly. My events include but are not limited to:
1. My teacher’s conferences.
2. My athletic events.
3. My musical recitals.
4. ... Views: 816
Should I leave my relationship? This question is probably one of the top ten reasons people have come into my practice asking for help. I am a therapist who prefers to work preventatively. I would like someone who is in the market for a relationship to already be in therapy. A good therapist can ... Views: 1098
Remember Sociopaths are opportunists and you are at risk for being that opportunity for him. I need five commitments from you if you want to avoid the wake of destruction that comes from dating a Sociopath.
1. Commitment to your Heart:
Healing a broken heart takes time in pain and sorrow. ... Views: 2902
Remember Sociopaths are opportunists and you are at risk for being that opportunity for him. I need five commitments from you if you want to avoid the wake of destruction that comes from dating a Sociopath.
1. Commitment to your Heart:
Healing a broken heart takes time in pain and sorrow. ... Views: 979
It's April, your divorce papers are signed, and it's a new chapter, scary, exciting, change, and your choice if you recover or crash land!
Let's make a list of things to remember.
1. Change is good.
2. Keep a journal.
3. Make a schedule for time when the children are with you AND for when ... Views: 1245
Divorce with dignity! Be committed to be on the healing in two years not five year track! Children want to be normal again, not kids of those divorcing parents who are always fighting. Believe in yourself and what the future holds! Lean into the divorce, move through one step at a time, don't ... Views: 1397
"You are confined only by the walls you build yourself!"
Rationalizing is something we do when we don't want to face the truth.
Rationalizing is something we use to make what just happen ok in our eyes.
Rationalizing is a tool for survival when things are too bad to ... Views: 948
What is this phenomenon “I need to make everyone in the world like me or people-pleasing?” This is a tough concept because in one-way people-pleasers are nice to be around. If we look deeper we have to ask at what cost? People pleasing can affect both men and women. The history of women, ... Views: 930
Join Us For A Queen Adventures Signature Ladies Night !
Topic: A Date With Danger
Are you single and dating? Do you think you could be in a relationship with a narcissist or married to one? Do you have a daughter or young woman in your life that you want to love and protect?
If the ... Views: 4166
Who is a Sociopath? Sociopaths/Psychopaths are fun, exciting, seductive, charismatic, impulsive, sexy, AND unfortunately, individuals diagnosed with an anti-social personality disorder.
Dr. Anne Brown
What does this mean to you? After you have been drawn into their world, then you are going ... Views: 822