Welcome to the Weekly Medius PsychNews. Every week, we select five thought-provoking Psychology articles from hundreds published in journals and other media. Psychology Drives Everything.
How to Know if You're in a Codependent Relationship:
Many people are confused by the word “codependency.” When they hear it, they think it simply means that a person is “clingy” and needy. But in fact, codependency is considered a specific and harmful mental and behavioural condition. It frequently has a generational pattern within families and is often referred to as “relationship addiction.” Changing the dynamics of a codependent relationship can be extremely challenging. But with the right resources and support systems, it is possible for partners to change their behaviours and transform their relationship into one that is healthier and respects and honours both partners’ needs.
Full article.
44 Empathy Statements That Will Make You a Great Listener:
If you ever watched the iconic show
Inside the Actor’s Studio, with James Lipton, you know all too well one of the notorious questions he asked during each interview:
“What’s your favorite word?” I used to wonder what my answer would be to this question if I were ever interviewed on his show. (A gal can dream.) Well, after some deep reflection, I think I’ve finally found it. You see, I coach couples regularly on how to reignite their relationships for greater love, connection, and fulfillment. And the number-one insight I offer is so simple, yet incredibly effective: In every intimate relationship,
empathy is the key to relationship success.
Full article.
Connected and Content: Managing Healthy Technology Use
Modern technology has put a world of information at our fingertips. While technology makes our lives easier in many ways, it has also created brand new kinds of stress for the 21st Century. According to this year’s results from the American Psychological Association’s annual Stress in America™ survey, more than eight in 10 Americans are very attached to their gadgets (81 percent say they are constantly or often connected to at least one device). Eighteen percent of adults identify technology as a very or somewhat significant source of stress, and 20 percent of American adults say technology causes the most stress when it doesn’t work. But it’s clear that technology is also something we rely on. Indeed, a 2013 survey by the American Psychological Association’s Center for Organizational Excellence found that digital technology helps people to be more flexible and more productive, and makes it easier to get work done. The trick is to take active steps to manage your technology use so the cons don’t override the pros. Full article.
5 Ways We Justify Negative Self-Talk and Why They’re Wrong:
“I’m so stupid,” Kasha muttered, “I always find a way to screw it up, always. This is why I never get anywhere in life…I’m just an idiot.” Since this was our first session, I allowed Kasha to finish her several-minute-long self-flagellation without interruption. She had initially scheduled the session to discuss other issues but an hour earlier, her boss called her into her office and chewed Kasha out for missing an important deadline; Kasha was too upset about it to discuss anything else. A general rule of thumb I use is that compared to the self-criticism a patient voices aloud in a session, what they say to themselves in the privacy of their head is always far worse. Given how harsh Kasha’s self-criticism sounded, I could only imagine how brutally savage her internal negative self-talk must be.
Full article.
Why Stress and Anxiety Aren't Always Bad:
People generally think of stress and anxiety as negative concepts, but while both stress and anxiety can reach unhealthy levels, psychologists have long known that both are unavoidable — and that they often play a helpful, not harmful, role in our daily lives, according to a presentation at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association. “Many Americans now feel stressed about being stressed and anxious about being anxious. Unfortunately, by the time someone reaches out to a professional for help, stress and anxiety have already built to unhealthy levels,” said Lisa Damour, PhD, a private-practice psychologist who presented at the meeting. Damour also writes a regular column for The New York Times and is author of the book “Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls.” Full article.
