Nearly 50 million Americans are affected by mental illness. Navigating mental health conditions and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be a confusing and draining experience for spouses. But this does not mean the end of your marriage — there is hope for your marriage even if it is riddled with mental illness.
Marriage
During some seasons, you might become bitter as a result of feeling like you’re doing more than your spouse. If this issue resurfaces often for you, Erin Smalley has some suggestions to help.
Don’t get tangled up in the notion that depression is a sin. Remember, you don’t need to deal with depression on your own.
Here’s how you can help your loved one out of the darkness of depression.
When living with a depressed spouse, changing your heart can be a long, slow process. Here are some suggestions to help you heal your relationship.
A marriage vow is a special and powerful promise — and we need it for many reasons. If you’re living together but you’re not married yet, consider the power of the vow.
There’s a reason traditional marriage vows have endured for centuries.
For my 12 year anniversary, I’ve highlighted 12 pieces of newlywed advice I wish I could share with the newlywed version of myself.
All couples fight. And it feels as if we’re fighting about something. But when we look at our conflicts, they can sound pretty insignificant. Big things don’t ensnare us as often as the little things.
Being stubbornly silent or verbally explosive during marital conflict doesn’t honor God. Finding balance in marital conflict resolution expresses honor and love for God.
Avoiding conflict in marriage isn’t fair to yourself or your spouse. Learning to embrace and resolve conflict healthily leads to a better marriage.
Maybe folks need a reminder that marriage is a “wonderful thing.” Maybe they need to see a married couple – you and your spouse – treat each other as valuable as King Tut’s gold.
If you believe in Jesus, forgiveness is a mandate. Especially when it comes to forgiving your spouse. You don’t get to opt out.
No one ever really outgrows their childhood fort. We all long for safety. As a dad, you can help your child build a fortress of faith.
Trees grow because they’re connected to a source of water that sustains them. Just like the tree, your marriage needs to stay connected to the Source — Jesus Christ.
There’s not necessarily any one right way to handle and resolve conflict – but, be assured that there are some mindsets, behaviors and attitudes you should avoid in this area of your marriage.
Healthy conflict can facilitate communication, understanding, trust and respect if we choose to manage our differences and disagreements in nourishing ways.
Forgiveness is vital in marriage. The key is to seek an apology after we truly understand our spouse’s heart. Here’s a four-part process to a sincere apology.
Empathy is more than feeling sorry that your spouse is burdened or troubled. Empathy takes place as you carry your spouse’s burdens.
Validation is safely allowing your spouse to share his or her thoughts and feelings. The message is that it’s okay to think and feel the way he or she does.