What kind of impact does mental illness have on a marriage?
In today’s society, it’s becoming more and more common for individuals to be living with some sort of mental health condition or illness like anxiety or depression. And while there are many issues and conditions that present themselves in different, unique ways, oftentimes the effects on a marriage are very similar.
In addition to anxiety and depression, some people suffer from more extreme conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse problems. When these issues creep in without the proper treatment, their impact on a marriage and the individual can be fundamentally problematic. In some situations, the partner without the condition will have to pick up the slack for the other. And in many cases, couples will begin to suffer from tension and exhaustion within their marriage.
Our guest today is Dr. Nerina Garcia, a clinical psychologist with Williamsburg Therapy and Wellness in Brooklyn, NY. Nerina is here to give us some advice about how couples and individuals can learn to cope with mental illnesses within marriages while building a network of support.
To find out more about Nerina and her practice, visit her website or call (917) 816-4449.
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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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