Understanding a mother with borderline personality disorder can be immensely perplexing due to her unpredictable behavior and lack of consistency. She lacks the emotional tools to provide stable parenting, and whereas to other people, she may seem like a kind, likable, normal person, at home, it is a different story. At home, the borderline mother tends to be a whirlwind of unpredictable reactions, unable to provide solid emotional rapport to her child. One moment she may be loving, empathetic, [...]
What are cognitive distortions? Everyone uses cognitive distortions at some time while trying to make sense of life events. Cognitive distortions are known by other names such as faulty thinking, mistaken beliefs, core beliefs, and thinking errors. Cognitive distortions are a person’s misinterpreted perceptions that support their personal belief system about themselves, others, and the world around them. In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a personal belief system is a deep-lying acceptance of ideas that are usually rooted in a [...]
For many women, the signs of bipolar disorder have never been explained to them in a relatable way. From the outside, your life may look steady; you go to work, care for your family, and keep up with responsibilities. Yet, inside you might feel like you’re living two different lives. One version of you is full of energy, ideas, and confidence. The other version struggles with sadness, fatigue, and doubt. Moving between these extremes leaves you wondering why things [...]
Are you codependent? If you have any of the following traits, you may be struggling with codependency. Excessively relying on and prioritizing the needs, emotions, and well-being of others over your own Feeling the need to “fix” others Enabling other people, even when they do hurtful things to you or others you care about Depending on others too much for your own emotional needs Being afraid to stand up for yourself Inability to set healthy boundaries with others Having [...]
Learning how to cope with change begins with accepting that change is an inevitable part of life. All of us make plans, hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and strive to be content in whatever state we are currently in. The Bible has a small section of books known as Wisdom Literature. It includes the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, the Psalms, and the Song of Solomon. For today, let us look at a selection of Bible [...]
Knowing how to create healthy boundaries is as important as recognizing the need for those boundaries in the first place. Boundaries are the foundation of healthy relationships that guarantee both parties’ needs, wants, and safety are ensured. They provide rules of order and a blueprint that the relationship should be built from. Galatians 6:5 (NIV) says, “For each one should carry their own load.” Boundaries establish respect, care, and security, as well as prevent dependency, unfair dynamics, and toxicity. [...]
🎧 Listen to this article https://stoneoakchristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Stone-Oak-Christian-Counseling-Are-You-Coping-or-Escaping-Understanding-Whats-Behind-Teen-Drug-Abuse.mp3 Let’s be honest. No one wakes up and decides, “I want to mess up my life.” Teen drug abuse rarely begins with rebellion; it usually begins on a whim. It grows out of everyday feelings like stress, boredom, anxiety, or just being tired of your own thoughts. You try something that helps you forget for a while, and it works, at least at first, and that is what makes it easy to [...]
Life is full of adverse circumstances that can cause a person to feel anything from minor stress to crippling panic. Adverse circumstances can be related to finances, social interactions, work, marriage/family dynamics, life transitions, grief/loss, or health issues, to name a few. Stress Inoculation Training (SIT) is a practical type of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy created by psychologist Donald Meichenbaum. The purpose of Stress Inoculation Training is to help a client build resilience during adversity by learning coping skills to manage [...]
🎧 Listen to this article https://stoneoakchristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Stone-Oak-Christian-Counseling-Will-a-Bipolar-Diagnosis-Affect-My-Relationships-How-Do-I-Handle-It.mp3 When someone receives a bipolar diagnosis, it doesn’t just stay in the doctor’s office. It creeps into friendships, family ties, dating, and even workplace connections. People around you may not fully understand what the diagnosis means, and that gap in understanding can create tension. Some may worry about how to support you, while others may misinterpret your moods as personal attacks. This is not only frustrating but also isolating, because relationships thrive [...]
🎧 Listen to this article https://stoneoakchristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Stone-Oak-Christian-Counseling-Depression-in-Women-Can-I-Still-Be-a-Good-Mom-When-Im-Depressed.mp3 Motherhood teaches you to give endlessly, your time, your patience, your heart. But what happens when your emotional well runs dry? There are days when you wake up already tired. You look at your children and love them deeply, but the energy to keep up with their needs feels so distant. You probably just tell yourself to push through, to keep smiling, to keep the house running, yet inside, something feels broken. [...]
Anxiety can feel like a raging storm hovering over your life. In some ways, it can leave you on edge and emotional. In other areas, you can develop mood swings and anger. Chronic anxiety can also trigger physical conditions, such as high blood pressure, panic attacks, and heart disease. Learning to self-regulate your emotions with mindfulness exercises for anxiety can decrease your risk of developing these conditions by lowering stress hormones. Mindfulness Exercises for Anxiety The following is a [...]
Have you concluded that you are in an abusive relationship? Below are the criteria for narcissistic personality disorder in the DSM 5. This is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition) that psychiatrists and therapists use to diagnose mental illness. Traits of Narcissism Look at the criteria below and see if you are currently with someone who has these traits. Grandiose sense of self-importance. Exaggerates achievements and talents; expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate [...]
