Abusive Relationships: Recognizing The Signs And Knowing When To Ask For Help

Abusive relationships: recognizing the signs and knowing when to ask for help

By: Aricia Stefanakys

When we think of the word “abuse” we often think of the physical aspects of it. Many people assume that abuse is solely physical. Unfortunately, people don’t realize they are in an abusive relationship because of this misconception. More often than not, people are actually experiencing emotional abuse. Emotional abuse is the act of using words and non-physical actions to control, hurt, or scare you. This is a more subtle form of abuse that can be tricky to detect until the relationship grows deeper.

What are some signs of emotional abuse?

  • Love bombing
  • Insults / name calling
  • Possessiveness
  • Intimidation
  • Disrespecting boundaries
  • Yelling
  • Gaslighting

The abuser uses tactics like love bombing to trap and manipulate the victim into thinking that despite their actions, they still love and need them. Love bombing is the act of showering the victims with compliments and affection in the goals of manipulating them later. They often start with joking and teasing until it eventually progresses into mocking and insulting. Once the victim expresses they felt hurt by their actions the abuser gaslights the victim into thinking they are in the wrong and misinterpreted what happened. They attempt to make themselves look perfect in front of others, making it even harder for others to see the abuse that is going on within the relationship ultimately closing the victim off from friends and family. It can also be difficult for the victim to convince themselves to leave their abuser because they don’t want to see the worst in their partner. The abuser may even apologize for their actions and blame it on their past or simply having a “bad day”.  Eventually this can escalate into physical abuse with the abuser making threats to hurt themselves or others. Other forms of abuse can also be financial, sexual, and even spiritual.

If you suspect you are being abused here are some things you should do…

  • Reach out to a friend and ask them for advice
  • Keep the phone locked and by you at all times in case you need to call for help
  • Keep track of everything your partner does that may seem like subtle abuse
  • Visit Lila helpline to find support services near you
  • Visit the Safety Net project for safety and privacy tips to keep yourself safe online
  • Call the National Domestic Abuse Hotline 1-800-799-7233

Remember that you are not alone and there is always support out there. If you notice any signs of worsening abuse it might be in your best interest to leave the relationship as soon as possible. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Always put your safety first.

Sources:

If you or someone you know may be struggling with loneliness, or their mental health, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

Relationship: Emotional Attachment

By: Alina S. Ogoltsova

Emotional Attachment in Relationship

Healthy, secure relationships are sustained through open, respectful, and emotionally attuned communication. Yet many people grow up without consistent models of what such communication looks like in practice. When early relational environments lack emotional safety or clarity, individuals may enter adulthood without the skills needed to express needs, set boundaries, or navigate conflict effectively. When affection or relief is intermittently paired with relational toxicity, the nervous system can learn to associate stress with attachment. Over time, the body adapts to a cycle of heightened alertness followed by brief soothing, blending anticipation, relief, and bonding into one emotional experience. As a result, the relationship may feel intense or “alive” not because it is healthy, but because it repeatedly activates and calms the stress response. This conditioning can make similar unstable dynamics feel familiar or normal later on, leading someone to unconsciously seek them again. Emotional attachment in relationship is essential for pair bonding, trust, deep connection, and a sense of safety. However, relationships are not defined as ‘toxic’ by the presence of conflict, emotional intensity, or temporary distress, but by persistent patterns that undermine psychological safety, autonomy, and emotional well-being. A relationship becomes ‘toxic’ when connection is maintained through fear, instability, or emotional manipulation rather than mutual respect, consistency, and care. Then one or both partners rely on control, withdrawal, intermittent affection, or chronic invalidation to sustain attachment, the relationship shifts from being a source of support to a source of harm. Thus, ‘toxicity’ is defined not by how intensely partners feel for one another, but by whether the relationship consistently compromises emotional safety, identity, and agency. This often occurs when the relationship become the primary or sole source of validation, security, or meaning.

Why do people remain in unhealthy relationship despite recognizing the harm?

An individual may intellectually recognize that a relationship is “toxic”, yet still struggle to leave—or find themselves returning after the emotional intensity of separation. This difficulty is not a reflection of loving chaos, masochism, or personal dysfunction. Rather, some relationships fill a profound void by providing a sense of importance, belonging, or identity. Over time, the relationship can become intertwined with one`s sense of self, creating a feeling of wholeness through connection. In this context, leaving does not merely mean ending a relationship; it can feel like losing a newly formed identity—letting go of a part of oneself without knowing how to replace it with something equally meaningful. Furthermore, the absence of healthy parental models of a relationship can carry forward into adulthood, shaping insecurities, limited capacity for self-soothing, poor stress regulation, and a fragile sense of identity. These vulnerabilities increase the likelihood of forming unhealthy attachments, in which partner becomes the primary outlet for unmet emotional needs. When the partner resists, withdraws, or fails to meet these expectations, the individual may experience heightened anxiety, leading to increased clinging, control, or other maladaptive behaviors that perpetuate the cycle.

Over time, the partner`s autonomy may feel threatening or intolerable, as emotional stability becomes dependent on compliance and reassurance. This dynamic reinforces itself, not through genuine intimacy, but through emotional dependency that is misaligned with the demands of a healthy relationship and the realities of everyday life.

References

  Bowlby, J. (1969/1982). Attachment and Loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. Basic Books.

  Bowlby, J. (1988). A Secure Base: Parent-Child Attachment and Healthy Human Development. Basic Books.

  Freyd, J. J. (1996). Betrayal Trauma: The Logic of Forgetting Childhood Abuse. Harvard University Press.

  Gottman, J. M., & Silver, N. (2015). The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. Harmony Books.

  Herman, J. L. (1992). Trauma and Recovery. Basic Books.

  Siegel, D. J. (2012). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. Guilford Press.

  Van Der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.

Depression: The Significant Impact of Friendship

By: Nirvana Ramoutar

     Did you know that friendships and other personal relationships have a significant impact on your health? Studies show that adults with strong social connection have reduced risk for many health problems such as depression, high blood pressure, and an unhealthy body mass index. This is often overlooked and individuals do not believe that maintaining healthy relationships are as important as eating healthy and exercising. However if you think about how you feel when you spend time with a true friend where you are able to laugh, cry, and share intimate secrets with, you know how powerful friendships can be.

     Having close friends is undeniably good for us, but psychologists have found that “weak-tie” interactions with acquaintances, and even strangers, can give your mental health a boost. Something as small as complimenting a person, or bumping into a work friend you see once a week can make all the difference. Research has found that the people with more of these “weak-tie” interactions are happier than those who have fewer. We often avoid conversations with strangers as we fear awkwardness, but studies suggest that conversations with strangers tend to be less awkward and more connecting than people expect. To their own surprise, people also prefer having deep conversations with strangers rather than shallow ones.

How do you make friends as an adult?

  • Become a volunteer
  • Ask questions
  • Look for shared interests
  • Accept invitations
  • Reach out to neighbors
  • Take advantage of the virtual community
  • Join a YMCA

     Once again, friendships help you avoid feelings of loneliness; they increase your self-love, and help with personal growth. Loneliness and social isolation can be deadly, as it causes a risk for premature death in 26% of individuals, causing heart disease, dementia, etc. The significance of friendship goes a long way influencing both our well-being and physical health. Remember to cherish and maintain your friendships, and don’t be scared to start completely anew. You can do it!

If you or someone you know may be struggling with loneliness, or their mental health, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/ .

Sources:

Source for photo

Relationships: How does mental illness affect romantic relationships?

By: Mara Gonzalez

Romantic relationships are characterized as a form of connection through physical, emotional, sexual, mental attraction and intimacy towards one another. With strong feelings for each other, romantic relationships lead to strong commitment bonds. But romantic relationships aren’t always perfect. Over 40 million people in the United States, alone, are suffering from a mental disorder such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder (Stein). Mental disorders can affect a person’s life in many different ways, including a romantic relationship. Since intimate relationships require attention from both parties, the function and stability of the relationship can vary if one of the partners is affected by a mental disorder. As some of mental illness can affect day-to-day functions, relationships can be affected by the wellbeing of one or both of the partners.

Although every person diagnosed with a mental disorder can experience different symptoms, some common signs of a mental disorder can be loss of appetite and sleep, extreme mood swings, burnout, increase/decrease of certain emotions, unhealthy coping habits and/or unusual emotional outburst. One example of how the effect on the relationship can be seen is codependency. Due to the unstable emotions, the person affected by a mental disorder might need to rely on their partner for everyday things like needing help to:  

  • Stay balanced with a healthy eating style
  • Getting a good number of hours of sleep
  • Setting appropriate boundaries
  • Enabling healthy behaviors

A fear that is common amongst people with a mental health issue and their romantic relationship is pushing the other partner away. Dealing with a mental disorder is not easy, and can negatively consume a person’s life. The fear of pushing your partner away comes from not knowing if you would be accepted by your partner due to your mental health issue(s), if your partner is willing to help you and your needs, if your partner is okay with intimacy, and many more. Tory Miller, a Clinical Program Manager at Diversus Health, stated, “Sometimes we have our own stigma associated with disclosing our mental health struggles. We hesitate to share with our partner for fear of pushing them away”.

Disclosing a mental health disorder is important because it helps keep the trust and open communication, as well as having a stable foundation in the relationship. It can be seen as healthy to disclose mental health disorders so your partner is not confused by your symptoms and is able to provide adequate support for you and give you a safe place to be yourself. It is important to understand that all relationships have struggles and challenges, and it may be a good idea to establish reliance and healthy boundaries.

Sources: Stein, Catherine H et al. “Strengths, Struggles, and Strategies: How Adults with Serious Mental Illness Navigate Long-Term Romantic Relationships.” Community mental health journal vol. 60,7 (2024)

“How Mental Illness May Affect Relationships.” Edited by Diversus Health, How Mental Illness May Affect Relationships – Diversus Health, diversushealth.org/mental-health-blog/how-mental-illness-may-affect-relationships/.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling and Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ, or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) – 368-3700 or (212)-722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit https://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

Relationships: How to Maintain Long Distance Relationships

Relationships: How to Maintain Long Distance Relationships

By Colleen Susanto

Long distance relationships aren’t easy. We always want to be with the person we love, stay by their side, and spend time with them. Our emotional and mental well-being are very much important and relationships affect these.  A long distance relationship or LDR requires the proper attention for it to keep blooming. It’s easy to feel hopeless, but being in an LDR can bring out the best in partners.

As we all probably know, communication is the key. Whether in an LDR or not, it’s the backbone of a relationship and it becomes more crucial when miles apart. Set clear expectations on how to communicate with your partner. Another key is honesty. In an LDR, transparency matters even more. Talk about your feelings with your partner and open up about how you feel whether you feel sad, insecure, angry, or happy. Hiding emotions creates unnecessary tension between you and your partner.

Just because you are not next to each other, doesn’t mean you can’t share your world. Small gestures help create a sense of connection. You can talk about your daily experiences or send random pictures to make your partner included. Long distance relationships require patience, communication, and trust, but they can be deeply rewarding. When both partners put in the effort, distance can strengthen the bond rather than break it. Remember that it’s not the miles between you, but it’s the love between the two of you that does.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or relationships, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling and Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ, or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201)-368-3700 or (212)-722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit https://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

https://wellbeing.jhu.edu/blog/2022/07/22/how-to-have-a-healthy-long-distance-relationship/

https://bumble.com/en/the-buzz/longdistancetips

Self-Love: Learning to Love YourSELF

Self-Love: Learning to Love YourSELF

By: Michelle Cocone

February is known to be the month of love, spreading love to our loved ones. We spend a lot of time trying to share that love that we often forget about ourselves. It’s important to learn how to love yourself. It helps us lead a healthier life and have better mental health. When we don’t love ourselves, it takes a toll on us, possibly leading to depression, anxiety, or an eating disorder. There are many ways to show love to ourselves, here are a couple ways.

Shift Your Perspective

  • Focusing on the bad aspects of ourselves won’t lead to anywhere good
  • Shift your perspective towards a more positive outlook
  • Don’t always see the cons, recognize the pros as well, they need love too

Affirmations

  • Write out a list of what you like + love about yourself
  • Tell yourself that you appreciate all parts of  your body/personality
  • Embrace the beauty of it all
  • Remember your body does plenty of work to keep you going every day
  • Keep telling yourself all these affirmations throughout the low points you may have

Practice Self-Love

  • Focus on the hobbies that you enjoy
  • Pour yourself  into becoming better at your hobbies
  • Be kind to yourself, you only have one body, so take care of it
  • Learn to forgive yourself when you haven’t accomplished everything you hoped for
  • Learn to forgive yourself when you aren’t kind to yourself
  • It’s okay to say “No.” You don’t have to please others all the time.

The most important relationship you can have is with yourself.  You may have heard this saying once or twice but it’s true, “Learn to love yourself first so you can spread love to others.”  Make time to focus and nourish your own self. It doesn’t all get done in one day. As long as you work on yourself a little bit every day that’s all that matters.

If you or someone you know is struggling with self-love, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling and Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) – 368-3700 or (212)-722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit https://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

References

Improving every area of your life starts with self-love. Improving Every Area of Your Life Starts with Self-Love | Tony Robbins. (n.d.). https://www.tonyrobbins.com/ultimate-relationship-guide/how-to-fall-in-love-with-yourself?srsltid=AfmBOoq4CvACby5hWenBdEGAH5zBgxAPOtKzEvtobHDRZ6cGfT9MaFtn


Pomlett, M. (2020, December 21). Learn how to self-love. Psychological Health Care. https://www.psychologicalhealthcare.com.au/blog/learn-how-to-self-love/

Relationships & Long Distance: Strategies to Succeed

Relationships & Long Distance: Strategies to Succeed

By Caroline Buchanan

One of the ultimate tests for a romantic relationship is maintaining the relationship despite the distance. As a result, this could lead to distinct challenges and obstacles. While research from 2018 suggests that couples who live farther than an hour apart tend to break up, at least 60% of partnerships still make their long distance relationship succeed. What are these people probably doing to make it work? The best answer seems to be making the distance work for your relationship, and not working around it (Psych Central). There are strategies that can be implemented to help manage and avoid these common roadblocks.

Strategies:

  • Communication

Your communication method may be the key difference in whether your relationship lasts or falls apart. Phone calls or video calls should be used for heartfelt conversations or heavier discussions. Arguments in text based conversations can lead to misinterpreting the intention behind a message. Use texting mainly for casual contact such as “good morning” and “enjoy your day” type messages.           

  • Acknowledging Fear-based behaviors

 Long distance relationships tend to bring out fears: Fear that the other partner doesn’t care anymore or is going to leave you for someone else. While it’s not uncommon to feel these fears, it is important to recognize these negative thinking patterns. If you are open and clear in your communication with your partner, this may help prevent or subside fears. Let your partner clarify situations that may be bothersome to you.

  • Intimacy

 If you both are comfortable in your relationship, you could imitate the physical connection and enjoy pleasure together by trying erotic conversations, video sex, or phone sex. Make sure you are open and honest about your expectations in engaging in these activities.

While it requires intent and effort, maintaining love in a long-distance relationship is possible. Take the time to think about seeking the help of a mental health professional if you’re experiencing challenges or feeling anxiety in your relationship. This would help you develop specific skills to be able to establish secure bonds.

If you or someone you know is struggling in a long distance relationship, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

https://psychcentral.com/lib/how-to-make-long-distance-relationships-work

Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Being the Child of a Narcissistic Parent

Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Being the Child of a Narcissistic Parent

By, Dyami Efroimson

                Narcissistic Personality Disorder is characterized by having an inflated sense of importance. Those that have this disorder crave attention and admiration from those around them and have an obsession with others agreeing with their convictions. If these people feel as though they are not receiving this validation, they can be unpredictable in their reactions, sometimes lashing out at the people around them. Having narcissistic parents can result in an unstable household that leads to harmful personality traits in developing children. Some of these traits include

  1. Fawn Effect: This act of befriending and appeasing a perceived threat is also known as people pleasing and can manifest in children going along with whatever they believe will make their parents happy out of fear of retaliation. From this, their lives may begin to revolve around the happiness of others.
  2. Poor self-esteem: Because narcissistic parents desire to have the spotlight on them at all times, they may tear down their children and play off of their insecurities to then build themselves up, leading to their children holding a low opinion of themselves.
  3. Inability to set boundaries: After being trained to consider their parents wants and needs before everything, children of narcissistic parents can have trouble setting boundaries and doing what is best for themselves without feeling guilty.

                Although these traits can make transitioning into adulthood incredibly difficult for these children, it is possible for them to break out of these ingrained processes through therapy and can lead a healthy and happy life.

If you or someone you know is struggling with having a narcissistic parent or with their mental health please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling and Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

Sources:

https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-deal-with-a-narcissistic-parent-7373070

The Courage to Love Again-The Psychology of Heartbreak

The risk of loving someone is the fact that heartbreak may come one day. It is associated with singlehood, neurotic tendencies, and an anxious/avoidant attachment. After the heartbreak one starts the fear being hurt again or/and you start to believe that there is something about you that makes it impossible for someone to love you properly.

Romantic love activates in the caudate nucleus through dopamine.  Psychologist refer to this part of the brain as the “reward system”, emphasizing the idea that love does trigger emotion but essentially it is more of a motivational state, the motivation to obtain and retain the objects affection. This part of the brain lights up when someone is in love and when someone is a cocaine addict, meaning you are essentially an addict. Getting over your lost love will be tedious but well worth it. Researchers have found that if a person was no longer in love but still in pain from a break up their brain would still be in motivation mode, and expecting a reward. Hence why heartbreak can bring visceral pain, your body is not getting what it wants. The grieving person has numerous neural circuits devoted to the lost person, and each of these has to be brought up and reconstructed to take into account the person’s absence.

Specifically, the pain may be caused by the simultaneous hormonal triggering of the sympathetic activation system (fight-or-flight system that increases the activity of the heart and lungs) and the parasympathetic activation system (rest-and-digest response, social engagement system). It’s like heart’s accelerator and brakes are pushed simultaneously, creating the feeling of heartbreak.

What can help?

  • Give yourself time to grieve and reflect
  • Forgive the other person and yourself
  • Work on rebuilding good feelings about yourself and a life on your own
  • Avoid assumptions that keep you mired in the wreckage of your past relationship
  • Be aware of old relationship patterns
  • Be open to someone who is different
  • Give love time to grow

If you or someone you know is seeking therapy due to heartbreak, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/this_is_your_brain_on_heartbreak

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/complicated-love/202011/love-after-heartbreak

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/complicated-love/202011/love-after-heartbreak

Healthy Relationships: What does a healthy relationship look like

Healthy Relationships: What does a healthy relationship look like

By: Alexa Greenbaum 

As humans, we seek genuine relationships in which both parties are satisfied and attain benefits from being a part of the relationship. Every relationship is unique, and people come together for many different reasons, but the key elements to a healthy relationship remain. Healthy relationships bring out the best in you and make you feel good about yourself. However, a healthy relationship does not mean that it is perfect, no one is healthy 100% of the time. 

Healthy relationships manifest themselves as healthy communication and proceed at a comfortable pace that feels enjoyable to each person. There is a common goal for where both parties want the relationship to go. Trust is also a component of a healthy relationship. Trust can help you feel secure and give you the confidence that your partner would not do anything to hurt or ruin the relationship. When there is honesty, it can allow yourself to be truthful and candid without fearing how the other person will respond. Independence from a significant other can strengthen a relationship because it can give you the space to be yourself outside of the relationship. No one person can meet all your needs. Maintaining outside interests and relationships can sustain your own identity as well as stimulate and enrich your romantic relationship. Mutual respect is also critical. When there is respect, you value each other’s beliefs and opinions and love one another for who you are as a person.  

Overall, a healthy relationship does not only require trust, honesty, and independence, healthy relationships also require reciprocation and care. A good relationship is where both parties do things for each other and care about the relationship by voluntarily investing time and energy into the relationship. This means that there is equality within the relationship. The relationship feels balanced so that everyone puts the same effort into the success of the relationship. Equity allows both parties to maintain a meaningful emotional connection. Doing things for each other should be done out of kindness. Kindness means that you are caring and empathetic to one another. Kindness also means that you provide comfort and support, kindness makes each other feel loved and emotionally fulfilled. 

In times of conflict, taking responsibility and owning your actions and words, avoiding placing blame, and admitting when you make a mistake is critical in healthy relationships. Conflict can be healthy if handled correctly and respectfully. If conflicts are handled appropriately, it should not make couples fear disagreement. Healthy conflict is when parties within a relationship openly and respectfully discuss issues but confronting disagreement non-judgmentally. Lastly, a healthy relationship is fun. Fun in a healthy relationship means that you enjoy spending time together that you bring out the best in each other.

If you or someone you know is struggling in their relationship or another crisis, please contact our psychotherapy offices in New York or New Jersey to talk to one of our licensed professional psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or psychotherapists at Arista Counseling & Psychotherapy. Contact our Paramus, NJ or Manhattan, NY offices respectively, at (201) 368-3700 or (212) 722-1920 to set up an appointment. For more information, please visit http://www.counselingpsychotherapynjny.com/ .

Sources

10 Signs of a Healthy Relationship

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/relationship-help

Image Source

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/relations/counseling-for-couples-as-part-of-a-healthy-relationship/