Abuse in a relationship can take so many forms beyond the typified physical abuse, there can be dangerous behaviors that can touch on emotional, social and spiritual aspects of the person who is being abused.

Most often, all of these different aspects of dangerous relationships are interrelated and come into play at different points during the destructive cycle. Relationship abuse is defined as any behavior that results in emotional, social, or physical harm to another person. It is never acceptable to inflict or to accept being harmed in the context of any type of relationship. This applies to family, friends, acquaintances or dating.

Some of the terrible impacts from dangerous and/or abusive relationships are a reduction in physical and mental health. People who have endured abuse experience a distortion of their self-worth, self-confidence, freedom and social support.

Join Dr. Grand and Nick in delving into how to identify some warning signs, and overcome the impact of these dangerous relationships that can manifest in so many different aspects of our lives. 

One of the foundations for having a healthy relationship is respecting the boundaries that each person has communicated. This goes beyond being polite and involves listening intently and honoring what the other person requests.

This is especially applicable regarding what is and what is not acceptable to the person. When we tell another person what we are OK and not OK with, it establishes a boundary that should not be crossed. If we ask the person not to do something and they do it anyway, it could be a sign of an unhealthy relationship. 

Boundaries are your personal rights and are very similar to the Bill of Rights written in the Constitution of the United States. Below are 10 individual rights that every person on planet earth should have. If we can honor and be honored by other people in these ways below, we will understand and practice good boundaries in our relationships.

Each person has the right to:

1.      feel good about who they are.     

2.      express feelings.

3.      express likes and dislikes.

4.      pursue life interests.

5.      become more.

6.      say “no” to whatever violates his/her values.

7.      be a human and make honest mistakes.

8.      be treated with respect.

9.      be heard and taken seriously.

10.   feel worthy and valuable.          

The real question is, “how does a person go about setting appropriate boundaries in their life”. Boundaries allow you to have your own personal space and your own independent life. Boundaries help you to be yourself rather than what someone else wants you to be.  

Join Dr. Robert Grand and Nick Sweem in this discussion on how and why to set boundaries throughout your life, from work and school to dating and family. 

Lets be honest, sometimes we let our emotions get the best of us.

Its easy to understand the function and purpose of some positive emotions, nothing can feel better than being joyous or being completely at peace in the moment but what is the function, purpose and traps that we find in some negative emotions. More importantly, how can we find our way out of these traps, recover from the negative emotions that sometimes can seem to control and inundate our lives.

Emotions are necessary and useful to our lives for multiple reasons. They make us aware that something is going right or wrong. Unfortunately, our emotions drive our behavior and for this reason we need to better understand and acknowledge them. Tragic circumstances and experiences can sometimes damage or distort our emotions.

For those that fall into this category, we can recover if we are honest about where we are, and then seek help to resolve the negative emotions. Having better relationships can start with a change in our actions. Sometimes the changes that we make spur on change in others. Let it always begin with us and remember that our behavior is the only thing that we have control over. In our recovery we will analyze behaviors and emotions that tend to cause or contribute to unhealthy conditions in our lives.

Join Dr. Robert Grand and Nick Sweem as they talk about the role, purpose and healing that can be found in our emotions. Discover the path to healing and understanding with the help of our Lord.