Marital Conflict and Relationship Issues

What symptoms indicate a relationship issue that requires intervention?

Of course, symptoms of dysfunctional relationships will vary widely depending on the type of relationship as well as the interactions of those involved. Symptoms often present in the communications between relationship participants or result in behaviors exhibited individually. These symptoms may include:

• Ridicule and criticism
• Persistent arguing
• Neglect
• Abuse
• Violent behavior
• Sexual complications and/or infidelity

When untreated, relationship problems can spill over into the individual lives of the participants, creating new problems and further complicating the relationship. These resulting manifestations include:

• Stress and anxiety
• Eating disorders and/or obesity
• Hypertension and other cardiac concerns
• Depression

Significance of relationship issues

If we broaden our view of mental health for a moment, we will see that many of the observed mental health disorders stem from unhealthy relationships. Those suffering from psychological problems often do not possess reliable relationships that can provide stability through difficult times.

Accordingly, identifying and healing relational disorders early can help prevent subsequent mental health problems as well as other potential risks including divorce and spousal and/or child abuse.

How are relational disorders diagnosed, and what can be done about them?

Unfortunately, many relational disorder treatments focus only on symptoms, rather than the root cause. Marital counseling may provide some temporary relief of the visible problems, but to gain true healing, the underlying origin of the problem must be identified.

At Bridgepoint, we understand how the function of the brain can affect all aspects of a person’s life, including marriage and relationships. We focus on looking into brain function to understand why partners behave the way they do. When we begin to discern the source of any issue, we can initiate corrections to the negative behavior that is causing the relational disorder. We uncover these concerns by studying different parts of the brain and their function. As a quick analysis, here are the five primary areas of the brain and a very cursory view of how they affect us:

• Prefrontal cortex – responsible for judgment, focus, and impulse control
• Anterior cingulated gyrus – may contribute toward stubbornness and holding grudges
• Temporal lobes – relates to anger and abusiveness
• Basil ganglia and amygdala – control levels of anxiety and cautiousness
• Limbic system – deals with motivation and mood

It is obvious that a malfunction in any one (or more) of these brain areas will create dysfunction in a relationship. Once diagnosed, we can help provide the right form of treatment to generate healing and recovery for the brain.

We look forward to helping you and your partner identify and address any issues stemming from brain function and creating a more fruitful and healthy relationship.

Why Bridgepoint?

At Bridgepoint, we understand the need for living a healthy and productive life. Unfortunately, there are things that can interfere with our ability to enjoy life. Some of these are solved simply; some require a more involved process.

When working through your relationship concerns, we take into account the whole person and complete health – physical, emotional, and spiritual. Our trained and professional staff understands the deeper matters related to the health of your relationship. We are prepared to identify and address all aspects that contribute toward the issue, and we are confident in our ability to set you on a course of healing. Contact us today and book and appointment.