The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By: Brian Murray LMHC Narcissists have a unique way of looking at the world. Their way of thinking and perceiving is different than almost 90% of the world around them so they can be hard to understand and even more difficult to love. Their emotions can become intense and out of proportion with the situation they are faced with due to their skewed perceptions and beliefs. Because of these underlying deviations from cultural expectations, their behavior comes across as arrogant, boastful, intense and they have difficulty with interpersonal functioning. These enduring patterns are lifelong and can usually be traced back to adolescent or even childhood. Narcissist behaviors are inflexible, lack empathy and have a strong need for admiration. Even if they haven’t done anything to deserve special recognition, they still expect to be treated as such. Some people who are not savvy to the ways of a narcissist may challenge the narcissistic behaviors and this is where trouble b...

By: Nate Webster, IMH Our emotions are more like their own living creature than many of us would like to admit. We have to feed them and let them out and we also need to listen to them and give them time to vent. But many of us have a love-hate relationship with our emotions. Sometimes our emotions awkwardly make messes all over life, and other times they feel so locked up in a chest we’re not sure how we’ll ever pry them out! Well, many things contribute to what I like to call a “Complex Emotional Life” or CEL for short. Below are four behaviors that may be keeping you in your CEL. Your emotions aren’t a hurdle, they’re a compass: If you want to get out of your CEL, start paying more attention to what your feelings may be saying instead of trying so hard to make them go away. If you’re always anxious, think about what may be scaring you? Maybe you find yourself sad, reflect on how your needs are not being met. If you treat your negative feelings more like a compass that may b...

By Matt W. Sandford, LMHC So, I was driving into work today and I took some back roads so to speak. On the way a car in front of me had signaled to turn right and slowed down and then slowed all the way to a stop, without turning, so that they were sitting in the lane in front of me. I did what seemed wise, since no cars were coming and chose to go around them. But, as I went past the driver of this car became very upset at me and laid on his horn. He continued to stay there in the road and fumed at me as I went along up the road. It got me to wondering, “what the heck was that about?” I reviewed myself and could not think of how I had deeply offended him that would provoke this level of response. I have had my share of irate and rather crazy people on the road. I’ve had a young man get out of his car and threatened to fight me while I was pumping gas at a gas station. I’ve had a water bottle thrown at my car. I’ve had someone spit on my windshield. I’ve had a bike rider bang on...

By: Christine Hammond, LMHC Divorcing a narcissist is grueling because they refuse to be on the receiving end of someone leaving them. Their superior narcissistic ego will not allow the possibility that there might be something wrong with them. So they try numerous push away abusive tactics followed by pull closer romantic methods to keep the spouse from separating. But, in contrast, if the narcissist decides to go then there is no stopping them. Due to the exhausting nature of divorce, it takes careful planning on how a spouse goes about the divorce. Done well, the process will be much easier and met with far less resistance. Follow these steps before confronting a narcissist. 1.        Recognize ending. There will be a point where enough is enough. Decide ahead of time what the boundary is and then have the courage to stick to it. For instance, a limitation could be multiple affairs. Once the second affair is discovered, consider this the poin...

By Aaron Welch, LMHC, NCC     For much of the world the holidays are a time of joy, peace and goodwill towards men.   We have songs like "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," "I'll Be Home for Christmas," and, as the title says, "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays."   However, for more people than we'd like to admit, this last title reflects the emotions of sadness and anger, rather than peace and good will.   The truth is that a high percentage of people see the holiday season as a time of year when they battle depression, when old feuds re-emerge, and when they feel more stressed than any other time.     It is safe to say that the holidays are a time when all emotion tends to get amped up to new levels.   If you're happy, you tend to get happier during the holidays.   If you are struggling with anxiety, what time of the year can be more anxious than a season where traffic is a nightmare and finances...

  Brian M. Murray, MS, IMH   It may sound contradictory for an angry person to be more assertive, however being more assertive can help release built up anger. Anger is a normal emotion and we all experience it at one time or another. However there are times when we have a tendency to hold things in regarding issues in life such as a perceived injustice or the lack of boundaries. When anger goes unexpressed for too long it can turn inward, manifesting in resentment and compulsive behaviors. It is not uncommon for anger held on to for long periods of time to turn into depression. Other symptoms of mismanaged anger can be strong use of sarcasm, isolation, substance abuse, relationship problems and a general sense of the loss of self. Anger manifested outwardly is much more obvious. It appears as rage directed at inanimate objects, e.g. road rage and yelling or becoming abusive toward others. Since anger is a common emotion, the idea of dealing with it is not to e...

By Chris Hammond Have you ever felt as though you were doing everything you could, yet no matter how hard you tried, things got worse and worse?   Are you caught in a trap that leaves you feeling helpless, frustrated and discouraged?   Do you find that your behavior, which you believe is careful and cautious, is perceived by others as obsessive and often repels instead of drawing them closer?   Certain emotions such as fear can add fuel to an obsessive cycle that leaves you feeling trapped and out of control. It all starts with a painful event such as abuse by a relative, abandonment by a friend or rejection from a job.   Each of these events can spark fear directed at another person for their part in the event or directed at you for failure in handling the event properly.   This feeling of fear is uncomfortable so you counteract it with a desire to over-control yourself, others or your environment.   So you turn to the obsession of your...