The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Brian Murray LMHC, NCC A person with a victim mentality is someone who is experiencing negative feelings and tries to hold others accountable for these feelings. They hold the belief that nothing can be said or done to improve their circumstances, which keeps them stuck in victim mode. They feel vulnerable around people and believe that others have malevolent intentions towards them. A victim mentality is also one of the key traits of a behavioral condition known as Codependency and also Dependent Personality Disorder.   Accountability and responsibility are absent in this person’s life. They do not take ownership of themselves. Instead, they try to get others to be responsible for them and their feelings. For example, “you make me angry” is a very common phrase they use. The truth is nobody makes you angry. People may say and do things that make you feel angry, but the anger belongs to the person experiencing it. So, if you are angry, you are the one who is accountab...

By: Matthew Sandford, LMHC When a marriage or relationship is over there is of course a lot of heartache, upheaval, and a strong longing for normalcy. The longing to not be in pain and to have stability again can lead anyone towards some poor choices. Let’s look us some of those decisions that can turn out to be detrimental or damaging, and then I’ll offer some suggestions for healthier alternatives. 1.      Using Substances Putting something in one’s body to alter their mood and enable them to go numb or avoid pain is an approach that has been around for thousands of years.  And although it provides absolutely nothing productive in the long term, it continues to be the go-to coping strategy for many. Look, if you have say one or two bad nights in which you cope by getting buzzed, it isn’t the end of the world (as long as you don’t drive or do something stupid, I guess I mean do something else stupid or dangerous). The problem is that when this appro...

By: Dwight Bain, LMHC The #AshleyMadisonHack, #JoshDuggar, #JaredSubway and #BillCosby scandals have stunned America the last few days. How could leaders who were so trusted and so well-liked have such dark shocking secrets? Why would someone who had it all- marriage, family, kids, money, career, fame, health- risk it all for fifteen minutes of physical pleasure? If they wanted another marriage partner they could have just legally divorced and gone on to date other people- right? Wouldn’t there have been an easier way to experience an intimate connection that wouldn’t have created so much scandal and shame for themselves and their families?             Reputation ruin comes after secret addicts are discovered by a marriage partner- or in the case of these respected leaders- outed by the media. It’s a major new story when these dark secrets are leaked to the press. But that isn’t new. Did you know there was actually an ancie...