“Meet the Parents” and other romantic comedies ridicule parents’ disproval of their adult children’s choice of partner, but when the situation occurs in your personal life it’s no longer a laughing matter. In fact, it’s tiring, overwhelming, and can seem utterly hopeless. Parental disapproval can manifest subtly or boldly blunt and may come across as childishly passive-aggressive. Often, these actions place additional strain on the couple and, especially, their child. Most co

If you’ve been feeling a little hot under the collar lately, you’re not alone. The extreme heat affects our health and mood. Temperatures of 100 degrees create discomfort for everyone, but when the thermometer seems stuck at 100 degrees for days at a time, people stay inside and irritation, restlessness, and stress settle in. Hot and especially humid weather is associated with increased aggression and violence as well as elevated anxiety and depression. Studies from Northwes

Are there people you’re around that make you feel as though you’re being cast for a reality show? They react to everything with intense dramatic behavior, including childish, loud, or aggressive behavior that seems out of line with the situation? When you’re a magnet for dramatic people you often walk on eggshells. You find yourself drained after 15 minutes of being around them and everything seems urgent and in crisis mode. This negativity is dangerous for our mental health

Healthy relationships are defined by several important characteristics, but there’s one often overlooked trait: the way partners treat each other. As a human, it’s all too easy to assume that a person who loves or cares for you will automatically know what you like and how to treat you. However, this is rarely the case, and the discrepancies between expectations and outcomes lead to frustration and blaming when your partner fails to anticipate your needs and desires. More tha