Podcasts Archives - Page 2 of 25 - Regional Psychological Services

Nov 5, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, ADHD, Anxiety, anxiety and covid, arguing, being a better person, braccio, cheating, controlling spouses, dealing with covid, Depression, difficult children, Divorce, drug abuse, fully licensed psychologist, infidelity, Love, loveless marriage, Marriage, neurotic behavior, obsessive compulsive, ocd, overcoming anxiety, psychologist, rehab, relationships, resilience, Self Help, SOCIAL SKILLS, substance abuse, succesful relationships, successful marriage, worry, worrying

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss THE TORTURED LIFE OF THE ENVIOUS PERSON

Subscribe to our page! 10-31-2023 Envy can be torturous to a person who constantly desires the good fortune they perceive someone else is experiencing and are very upset emotionally they do not have it. It is a case where a person does not look at the benefits and gifts they have in life but constantly compare themselves with others and do it in a negative way. They can be envious of someone they perceive as better looking, having better luck, having more wealth, having a better personality, coming from a better family, having a more attractive spouse, having a better circle of friends, or any other thing that someone could be envious. The result is that the person suffers a form of emotional pain because they do not have what the other person has. It can be positive if it inspires someone to try harder to achieve something. That would be a positive type of envy. But today we are talking about the type of envy that hurts the person emotionally, and from which some persons never recover in their lives as they constantly find things to be envious. It is the rather odd phenomenon of counting the blessings of others and underestimating their own. The end result is psychological hurt and frustration.The causes of envy are often low self-esteem caused by difficulties in one’s youth. They can relate to poverty or feelings of not being treated fairly at home and in life. There also are competitive persons who simply must be number one even in areas they clearly are not. It is not by accident that envy is considered one of the seven deadly sins. At its worst,envy can lead to mocking the person for their perceived superiority or one can use sarcasm and other passive-aggressive strategies to undermine the person that one has envy. Ways to overcome envy would include the following: 1. Count and appreciate your own blessings and achievements! 2. Develop a sense of happiness that others have their blessings. 3. Make envy positive by improving yourself in areas that previously caused envy. 4. never compare yourself with others except for self improvement. Love yourself! 5. Accept you are an envious person and determine to overcome it. 6. Make changes in your own life to help eliminate envy. 7. Seek and find spiritual satisfaction to help overcome worldly envy and be happier. 8. If you feel it would be helpful, seek out a trained therapist with a person who is experienced in helping persons with envy.

Oct 25, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, Anxiety, anxiety and covid, arguing, being a better person, braccio, cheating, controlling spouses, dealing with covid, Depression, difficult children, Divorce, drug abuse, fully licensed psychologist, infidelity, Love, loveless marriage, Marriage, neurotic behavior, obsessive compulsive, ocd, overcoming anxiety, psychologist, rehab, relationships, resilience, Self Help, SOCIAL SKILLS, substance abuse, succesful relationships, successful marriage, worry, worrying

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin discuss HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR DEALING WITH A DIFFICULT CHILD

October 24, 2023- A person is very fortunate who has not had a difficult child at one time or another during the period they were being raised. In my work with parents trying to learn how to deal with a difficult child, my point is not to find fault with parenting techniques that have been used up to that time, but rather to try to find the best way for the parents to be able to work with a difficult child in the here and now. An important thing to remember is that children do not misbehave simply because they desire to do it. There is a reason for the behavior. It can be a parent is too strict or too lax. There are many other reasons that the misbehavior can occur. The important thing is to try to learn why is your child being so difficult with you. If it is hard to determine from all the possibilities ranging from a child wanting to control the house to a child simply desiring attention and willing to accept negative attention versus no attention,do not worry. The important thing is to try the following strategies to help you and your child: 1. Recognize you are a parent and your job is to model good behavior and not allow you or your child to be rude or disrespectful. 2. Regardless of what has happened to the present, you need to set up boundaries on what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. 3. Keep control of your own emotions and not allow your child to create a sibling-like relationship with you that simply devolves into constant arguing and disagreement. 4. Seek out when your child is behaving appropriately and praise them at that time. The goal is to encourage and reinforce appropriate behavior. Too often the parent says nothing when the child is behaving appropriately for the risk of beginning a conflict. 5. Reward good behavior when possible with compliments and potentially with desired activities or things as long as it is not simply a child being good to receive rewards. It is important to remember that when children behave as desired,we often do good things for them and see it as appropriate. 6. Have few rules in the house and enforce them with consequences that the child is aware of with no surprises. 7. As possible, have family discussions where there can be agreements on what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior, and what are the consequences for inappropriate behavior. When this occurs, and you and the child are aware their activities have led to the resulting consequences,they then must accept the consequences as their own making. Successful family discussions relating to appropriate behaviors are not simple to do but something to work on as a family over a period of time. What are acceptable behaviors by you can also be part of the plan. 8.. Take into account your own temperament and personality when dealing with your child. It is very possible the temperament and personality of your child are quite different from you and this leads to a lot of the bumping heads that is occurring between you. Try to use an approach that takes into account the needs of your personality as well as that of your child. Understanding these differences can be critical in developing good communication between the two of you. 9. Recognize situations where there are high risks of problems occurring and plan accordingly for how you will react to them. 10. Make sure you focus on the problem of the moment and do not bring in previous problems lest the discussion become one of a list of problems and not a resolution of a current one. 11. Seek out a therapist who can help your child behave more appropriately and potentially do family counseling. 10. Seek out an experienced therapist in family dynamics who can help guide you to be a more effective parent for both you and your child.

Oct 12, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, Anxiety, anxiety and covid, arguing, being a better person, braccio, cheating, controlling spouses, coronavirus, dealing with covid, Depression, depression and covid, Divorce, drug abuse, fully licensed psychologist, infidelity, Love, loveless marriage, Marriage, neurotic behavior, obsessive compulsive, ocd, overcoming anxiety, psychologist, rehab, relationships, resilience, Self Help, SOCIAL SKILLS, substance abuse, succesful relationships, successful marriage, worry, worrying

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss BE PREPARED PSYCHOLOGICALLY FOR RETIREMENT

October 10, 2023:

BE PREPARED PSYCHOLOGICALLY FOR RETIREMENT

I have learned in my work as a psychologist over the decades that persons when getting ready to retire, often do it with planning about their physical and financial conditions. Without a doubt,these are important areas to evaluate when you consider retirement. The problem is too often persons do not think about what the impact retirement will have on them psychologically. For example, a job is more than something a person simply spends time at. No,a job impacts a person’s self esteem, friendships, and image to all persons they meet and interact with. Being a farmer, psychologist, bookkeeper , physician , governmental worker, factory worker, radio broadcaster, etc., is a major part of who they are. When they retire, they become a “retired person” and people see them as such. This can be fine for many persons, but many others do not realize the importance their job had on them in relation to status, levels of friendship, levels of authority and the constant interaction and challenges in the workplace. One needs to prepare for such a radical change to their lives. Even persons who did not like their jobs can miss the relationships and interactions that were meaningful to them on a day to day basis. I have known and worked with many persons who were not prepared for the significant changes that occur in their life after retirement. The “golden retirement years” can be depressing , lonely, and demoralizing when the person feels isolated,bored and even without purpose. They can even feel guilty at their failure to feel fulfilled with their retirement . A recent AARP study found 57% of retired persons say they had not prepared psychologically for retirement. The following are some suggestions to help a person be psychologically ready to retire: 1.Make sure you want to do it and are ready psychologically. 2.Do not let age be the primary retirement determinant. I will be 80 years old this week and have never thought a day of retiring. 3.See retirement as a new phase of your life with new goals and challenges. 4.Look for new dreams to be fulfilled. 5.Join new groups and rekindle old friendships. 6.Enhance family and spousal relationships. 7.Complete desired educational goals you desire to complete. 8.Meet with a therapist experienced in dealing with mental health of persons preparing to retire as well as retired persons. 9.Further develop your sense of spirituality and purpose in life.

Oct 4, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts Anxiety, braccio, cheating, children and covid, couples therapy, dealing with difficult people, Depression, Divorce, friendships, hope, infidelity, meaning in life, mental health and covid, professional help, psychologist, psychology, psychology of life, raising children, relationship, relationships, schools and covid, trust in relationships, wisdom

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss WHEN TO STAY AFTER AN AFFAIR

10-03-2023-

WHEN TO STAY AFTER AN AFFAIR

This is our third segment on affairs and their effects on relationships. We discussed why persons have affairs and what the person who had it can try to do to salvage the relationship. Today we discuss why the aggrieved partner chooses to stay in the relationship when the philanderer has true remorse and wants the relationship to continue. This remorse is the key first step in keeping the marriage together. Further factors would include the following: 1.Good friends who enjoy the company of each other and the sharing of their lives. 2. Similar moral and/or spiritual values. 3. Sexual attraction and sexual needs. 4. Children and the impact on them. 5. Common interests and joint activities. 6. Financial considerations. 7. Future joint dreams and goals. 8. Probability or belief spouse or partner will never again philander. 9.Emotional needs being met.10. Willingness to take part in counseling. 11. And most importantly,a strong bond of love.

Sep 28, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts Anxiety, braccio, cheating, children and covid, couples therapy, dealing with difficult people, Depression, Divorce, friendships, hope, infidelity, meaning in life, mental health and covid, professional help, psychologist, psychology, psychology of life, raising children, relationship, relationships, schools and covid, trust in relationships, wisdom

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM Rebuilding Trust After an Affair- subscribe to our YouTube page!

September 26, 2023 Last week we discussed why persons have affairs. Today we are going to talk about how the person who had the affair can help rekindle the love in the relationship if the partner is willing to give the marriage or relationship another chance. It is critical that the person who had the affair clearly has remorse for what has occurred and tries to do everything possible to convince a spouse or partner what occurred was truly a betrayal, and will never happen again. The process will predictably be very slow and frustrating to the person who simply wants to let the past go and move on. That is not how things work in rebuilding a relationship where betrayal exists. When a person loves someone and believes they are loved equally, betrayal and infidelity are devastating to the whole underpinnings of the relationship and it is very hard to convince them they truly are the primary focus of the love of the person. The following are suggestions to try to make this happen: 1.Total authentic remorse. 2. Great long term patience. 3. Recognition the questions will keep coming over and over again. 4. Doubts about the authenticity of your remorse may be questioned for a very long period. 5. Always explain where you are when questioned during the rebuilding of love and trust period. 6. The timeline for forgiveness and building a different but potentially better love relationship is with the betrayed spouse or partner and not the philanderer. 7. A therapist trained in working with partners is philandering relationships could be helpful. 8.Spirtuality could also be a strong foundation for the rebuilding of the loving relationship. 9.Be aware,the betrayed person may never get over the affair and the marriage may end; however,it will not be because you did not try to authenticity rebuild a loving relationship.

Sep 22, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts Anxiety, braccio, cheating, children and covid, couples therapy, dealing with difficult people, Depression, Divorce, friendships, hope, infidelity, meaning in life, mental health and covid, professional help, psychologist, psychology, psychology of life, raising children, relationship, relationships, schools and covid, trust in relationships, wisdom

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss WHY PERSONS HAVE AFFAIRS

September 22, 2023-

WHY PERSONS HAVE AFFAIRS

Most of us are aware of a person or persons in marriage or monogamous relationships that have intimate relationships with other persons. The opportunities are many in such a fast paced society. The electronic world we live in today allows these relationships to be sexual, emotional, and a combination of the two without being physically together. My purpose here is to talk about why persons do this. The reasons are amazingly varied and can range from shallow sexual relationships to intense online emotional and sexual activity. We will talk another time about how relationships can be salvaged when affairs occur. Reasons would include the following: 1.Persons with an incapacity to commit to a monogamous relationship and never will. 2. Risktakers who enjoy the activity and hope not to get caught. They like living on the edge. 3.Persons who get caught up in the moment and determine they are going to do what they are going to do and not worry about the consequences. 4. Compulsive sex addicts. 5.Those who have affairs while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 6. Persons who feel a lack of affection and the need to get it outside of the relationship. 7. A breakdown of communication between the spouses or partners that leads to the person feeling they need this and will get it one way or the other. 8. Poor self-esteem and the need to feel better about self by having another person pay them reinforcement and attention. 9. Concerns relating to conversations not taking place in the home and the need for discussion about them that only can occur outside of the home.10. Major physical or mental conditions of a partner such as severe pain, Parkinson’s disease, MS or dementia can lead to someone finding sexual and emotional satisfaction outside of the home. 11. Having children can lead to so much of the focus of the spouse or partner on the children, that the person feels abandoned and obtains sexual and emotional satisfaction outside of the home. 12. Physical separation for extended periods of time and the spouse or partner feels the need for in person sexual and emotional intimacy apart from the phone or visual communication…The point here is not to indicate any of these reasons, as well as many others, justify someone breaking the commitment to a marriage or monogamous relationship. The point is that affairs are incredibly common and it is critical that spouses and partners continually work on their relationships on a daily basis, and be aware that strong friendship is the glue that keeps relationships together. When persons take each other for granted, and do not treat each other like dear friends and let other priorities take precedence over their relationship, then affairs are often sadly the result.

Sep 15, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, Cognitive behavioral therapy, dave akerly, dave ramsey, dealing with death, dealing with finances in marriage, dealing with life situations, dealing with loss, dealing with regret, death of loved one, Depression, east lansing, finances, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, procrastination, psychologist, ptsd, retirement, talk radio, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss WHAT FAILURE TEACHES US- subscribed to our YouTube page!

WHAT FAILURE TEACHES US

9-12-2023- All of us experience failure at one time or another. How we react to it is critically important for future success. We will achieve our goals that can make us feel successful and satisfied psychologically if we do not allow failure to sabotage us. My point is not to say that failure is a wonderful thing we should seek. No, my point is that everyone has failures in life and successful persons have learned from their failures and have made better decisions which leads to the successes they have in life. When someone gives up and becomes sad, disappointed, and even disillusioned by failures, and chooses not to continue the fight, then failure becomes the ruling psychological victor and the person runs the risk of seeing self as a victim with little or no chance for real success and happiness in life. One needs to see failure as a learning experience and begin the ongoing fight for success. The following would include what can be learned from failure: 1.Accept failure is a part of life we all experience. 2. Recognize that continuing to do something is the beginning of success. 3. Failure is part of reality. 4. Do not focus on what might have happened but focus on what can happen by learning from the failure. 5. Accept whatever blame you deserve in the failure and never take on the role of victim. 6. Never give up. As long as you are alive, there is always the opportunity for success and overcoming failure. 7. As devastating as can be a divorce,not getting a promotion,losing out on a love or getting fired, the key is to learn from these experiences and make every effort to not have them happen again. 8. Manage your time more effectively,because many failures are the result of not appropriately prioritizing what needs to be done to be successful and wasting a lot of needed time. 9.See failure as teaching us what we need to learn, as opposed to what we do not know. 10. Reduce the pain of failure by simply seeing it as part of the process to being successful. 11. Do not allow others to define you by your failures. You define yourself by your overcoming failures and being successful…My point here is not to minimize the emotional pain that failure can cause. No,my point is that failure is the first step to success by changing the process that failed and trying a new approach to lead to success. It is a positive mindset in the midst of failure. You may have to accept many failures before you reach the success you desire. Ted Williams became a great baseball hitter by constant study of the opposing pictchers and finely honing his batting skills. The whole process you are using may need to be altered or you may need new goals and projects. To never give up is the critical ingredient for success and overcoming failure.

Sep 7, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, Cognitive behavioral therapy, dave akerly, dave ramsey, dealing with death, dealing with finances in marriage, dealing with life situations, dealing with loss, dealing with regret, death of loved one, Depression, east lansing, finances, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, procrastination, psychologist, ptsd, retirement, talk radio, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss OVERCOMING REJECTION-

OVERCOMING REJECTION

Rejection is a common experience that everyone experiences in their life to one degree or another. It is often accompanied with anxiety,depression and low self-esteem. It is a painful experience and how we react to it determines how we will overcome it and even use it to our advantage. Rejection can relate to love, family experiences, friendships , career opportunities/promotions, or a myriad of things that one encounters in life. The important thing is not to allow rejection to devastate your self-esteem. Sadly, this happens to many persons and they are never able to fulfill their potential to become that happy and successful human being that is within them. The following are things to do to help you overcome rejection: 1.Accept rejection is a part of life. 2.Accept how you react to rejection will have a strong influence on how happy is your life. 3.Accept what happened even as you do not like it. 4.Visualize a better future and do things to make it become reality. 5. Do not allow rejection to ever define who you are. 6. Grow from your experience and learn from it. 7. Avoid unproductive continuous thinking about your rejection. 8.Surround yourself with positivity. 9. If rejected in love, recognize the other person was not where you are, and be aware that was not the right situation for you. 10.Pamper self with understanding and compassion. 11.Recognize there is a rainbow and clear sunny skies ahead of the stormy life you are experiencing. 12.If bypassed for a job or promotion, recognize you were not prepared for the job or move on to a new position that will appropriately take into account your abilities. 13.Seek out friends who you can discuss your rejection with and who can help you navigate your feelings and give you better perspective. 14.Seek out an experienced therapist who can help guide you through your rejection in your current situation or maybe your overall outlook on rejection to help you function more effectively in life…Implementing some of these suggestions will predictably help you deal more effectively with rejection. With that said, rejection is painful and how we address it psychologically impacts how happy we will be in our lives.

Aug 31, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, Anxiety, anxiety and covid, arguing, being a better person, braccio, cheating, controlling spouses, coronavirus, dealing with covid, Depression, depression and covid, Divorce, drug abuse, fully licensed psychologist, iMovie, infidelity, Love, loveless marriage, Marriage, neurotic behavior, obsessive compulsive, ocd, overcoming anxiety, psychologist, rehab, relationships, resilience, Self Help, SOCIAL SKILLS, substance abuse, succesful relationships, successful marriage, worry, worrying

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TORTURE OF OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR(OCD)

August 29, 2023 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder(OCD) can psychologically torture a person with a constant cycle of obsessing on an act or thought,having severe anxiety about eliminating it and completing a compulsive act or thought to relieve the sometimes debilitating anxiety. While the OCD sequence can relate to a seemingly almost endless list of thoughts and behaviors,they very commonly occur with extreme cleanliness and hatred of dirt or germs,hand washing,hoarding,keeping things in a rigid or symmetrical manner, numbers, and making sure over and over again you have locked the door or turned out the lights. A good example is the person constantly washing their hands and can only relieve the belief their hands are not dirty by constantly washing them again and again in an endless cycle. I remember a house hoarder who could no longer put things in his house buying another house to reduce his anxiety! An important thing to remember is that everyone has some activities they are very concerned about completing and getting them right. Wanting to have an orderly room or clean hands would be reasonable things for a person to desire and do. It becomes a problem when the OCD symptoms begin to interfere in the life of the person and the resulting anxiety and attempting to resolve it with rituals and time consuming activities and thoughts impact negatively on a person’s life that a person meets the diagnosis of OCD. It also is important to note that OCD symptoms can overlap with anxiety , ADHD, and depression to name a few. It is not unusual for a person with OCD to have additional diagnoses. Over the years, I have talked to many persons with OCD and can verify the condition can really be torturous for the person psychologically. I have talked to persons who are so concerned about food in a restaurant that they will pick through it with a fork and knife to make sure there are no bugs or other forms of dirt in it. Others who will not go to a restaurant out of utterly unreasonable fears of food contamination. Additionally, I have known persons so obsessed with how safe the air they are breathing or the water they are drinking that they are never comfortable with them to the point they are always checking them. This negatively impacts on their ability to function in all areas of their lives…If you feel you have OCD or some of the symptoms are growing and interfering with your psychological well-being,now is a good time to obtain an evaluation by an experienced psychologist in OCD and and also talk to your family physician or pediatrician to take back control of your life. .

Aug 25, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, adhd children, Anxiety, braccio, children and covid, couples therapy, dealing with difficult people, Depression, Divorce, east lansing, friendships, hope, making friends, meaning in life, mental health and covid, professional help, psychologist, psychology, psychology of life, raising children, relationship, relationships, schools and covid, schools and mental health, therapy during covid, wils, wisdom

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR MEMORY

August 22, 2023 – We all have questions about our memory at one time or another. Oftentimes, memory issues can relate to high levels of anxiety, depression, prescription medications,drug and alcohol abuse,high blood pressure,brain injury,and the general stressors of life that make it difficult for us to remember things that are important or not important. However, it is also true that as we age problems with memory can become significant, and it is important that we notice when this occurs and determine what we will do to try to control the memory problems as best we can. Typical questions to ask would include the following: 1.Do you feel you have memory loss? If so, how? 2.Do you feel you have intermittent memory problems? If so, how? 3. Do you feel memory problems are causing you significant problems in your personal, marital, and/or professional life? If so, how? 4. Have you noted ongoing consistent memory loss? 5. Do you get lost walking or driving in neighborhoods you are very familiar? 6. Do you regularly forget common words you have used daily your whole life? 7. Do you sometimes talk “word salads” that you think are understandable but are not by others? 8. Do you ask the same question over and over again in brief spaces of time and have no idea you are doing it? 9. Who has noticed you may have memory problems? If so, what specific examples and concerns are mentioned? 10. Are you under significant stress in your life? 11.Do you have high blood pressure, insomnia, stroke history or other physical conditions that could relate to your memory loss?… If you answer yes to some of these questions, it is important you talk to your family doctor and a psychologist skilled in the assessment of memory problems to determine the extent of the problems and possible medical and mental health help to positively impact on the symptoms as much as possible.

Aug 21, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts ADHD, ASD, aspergers, assessments, autism, Love, psychologists, psychology, relationships

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss WHY ONE-SIDED RELATIONSHIPS ARE SO EMOTIONALLY DEBILITATING

August 22, 2023

WHY ONE-SIDED RELATIONSHIPS ARE SO EMOTIONALLY DEBILITATING

Being in a one-sided relationship can be devastating for someone emotionally. Persons enter into relationships with a goal of feeling more fulfilled by sharing a lifetime of experiences with someone. In the one-sided relationship, this never occurs. The person is constantly trying to meet the mercurial needs of the person that can never be met.The goal posts keep being moved, regardless of how hard someone tries. The end result can often be anxiety, insomnia, depression, hypervigilant, and never feeling fulfilled emotionally. There is a deep feeling of discontent and even hopelessness in the soul of the person that can be emotionally debilitating . It also can cause physical problems such as high blood pressure and headaches.Typical signs you are in such a relationship would include that you never feel secure, you feel poorly after interactions, you try to have a more meaningful relationship that never goes anywhere, you do not share your feelings with your partner, you will have constant feelings of rejection, you are always afraid of upsetting your partner and feel you are always walking on eggshells, you are always wrong and even sometimes called stupid, your self-esteem is shattered, you constantly make excuses for your partner , and cherish the few crumbs of kindness you receive in an ocean of torment as something that will occur more frequently but never does. Is this you to one degree or another? Then now is the time to understand why this is happening and what you can do to overcome it. No one deserves to exist in a one-sided relationship that only criticism,poor self-esteem and unhappiness are the rewards.

Aug 14, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, adhd assessment, ADHD in schools, adult add, Adult ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, dealing with life situations, Depression, east lansing, finances, finding jobs adhd, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, ohi in schools, procrastination, psychologist, talk radio, teachers understanding adhd, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss HOW TO DEAL WITH ABRASIVE AND ARGUMENTATIVE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE

HOW TO DEAL WITH ABRASIVE AND ARGUMENTATIVE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE

Abrasive and argumentative people are focused on their outlooks. They are always ready to challenge anyone at any time over their views. Anger is often present. They may have personality disorders like Narcissism and Intermittent Explosive Personality Disorder. Others are just difficult people annoying everyone they encounter with their know-it- all attitude. Some of them may be this way because they were always challenged and put down when they were growing up and this is their defense mechanism to always challenge others before they even have a chance to challenge them. Still others think they are always right and others need to know they are not very smart and it is their job to let them know this whenever they choose. it also is true that abrasive and argumentative persons often have low self-esteem They feel better finding fault with others as a way to build up their feelings of inadequacy. Regardless of the many possible causes, ways to defend yourself against such difficult persons would include the following: 1.Do not argue with an argumentative person when they make negative comments 2.Drop out of a discussion that obviously is going nowhere. 3.Understand that behaviors of abrasive and argumentative persons are the result of long ingrained inappropriate social habits. 4.In spite of the oftentimes hurtful nature of their comments,do not take them seriously. 5.Consider offering support for persons when they show remorse and ask for advice 6.Do not insist on arguing with the person when you can prove you are right and they are wrong. They will become adamant and angry. 7.Interact with them as little as absolutely necessary. 8.If necessary,make it clear you will not be bullied when there is no other option…If you follow one or more of these suggestions,it is still very difficult to have positive social interactions with such persons. You may have to interact if you work with them or they are family members,friends of them or friends of friends.The main thing is not to let them impact you and your view of yourself. They are long time abrasive and argumentative by choice from negative habits they formed in the past. They have to deal with their problems. It is critical in order for you to maintain positive self-esteem that you not have others take you down with their abrasive and argumentative ways. Only you can give credence to who you are.

Aug 3, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, adhd assessment, ADHD in schools, adult add, Adult ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, dealing with life situations, Depression, east lansing, finances, finding jobs adhd, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, ohi in schools, procrastination, psychologist, talk radio, teachers understanding adhd, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320AM discus WHEN “THINGS” DO NOT MAKE YOU HAPPY- Subscribe to our page!

August 1, 2023

It is a reasonable human desire to want things to make our life easier and more pleasant. It iscertainly true that having a nice home, car and other possessions such as electronic equipment,home furnishings, jewelry, and whatever else someone may desire to have can bring us a lot ofhappiness. It becomes a problem when we become obsessed with owning things and areconvinced by owning them we will be happy. And then,we are not happy after getting all these“things” we knew would make us happy. When this occurs,and it often does,persons need tofind internal aspects of themselves outside of their physical possessions to give greatermeaning to their lives. These would include learning new things,developing greaterspirituality,helping others,showing gratitude,focusing on being happy with what one has ratherthan always chasing the “thing” to make self happy,seeking out your purpose in life,find out whoyou really are,enjoying the moment one lives as it is all that is guaranteed in life,do not compareyour possessions with someone else,and enhance personal relationships with loved ones andfriends…A person’s world ruled by seeking happiness with owning “things” can be very lonelyand even downright depressing if one ends up alone or with shallow relationships because thisin effect can lead to the proverbial “love of gold” over personal development and lovingrelationships.

Jul 27, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, adhd assessment, adult add, Adult ADHD, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, dealing with life situations, dealing with regret, Depression, east lansing, finances, finding jobs adhd, focus, inattention, john braccio, neuropsychology, procrastination, psychologist, talk radio, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 discuss HOW TO OVERCOME TIME BLINDNESS

7-25-2023

How to overcome time blindness

Do you have the condition of TIME BLINDNESS? Even though a hallmark of ADHD,it is also common with persons with Autism, significant Anxiety,grief and Depression. It makes for a very difficult time for the person and those they interact with in all life activities. Punctuality is a trait highly respected and required to be successful in most settings. Is fact, approximately 15% of firings result from persons not being timely at work. Many persons with this condition may actually do a fine job, but lose their jobs because they are consistently late. Typical problems other than employment,even if with the best intentions, include constantly missing deadlines,not paying bills on time, forgetting important dates,not showing up for appointments or showing up very late or even the wrong time. This can be exasperating for other persons involved in their lives as well as for them. It can lead to not receiving a job, losing a job, hurting relationships and causing poor self esteem. Suggestions to overcome TIME BLINDNESS would include always wearing a watch,planning your day the day before in as specific detail as possible,do not allow the immediate interest of the moment to sabotage the day,avoid time traps electronic or with persons,have reminders to go off on your phone,start thinking of what you will do before the time you will begin,check off your daily activities as you complete them and add in breaks and additional time for projects to get them done and not end up rushing to complete them at the last minute.

Jul 22, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, add, ADHD, Anger, Anxiety, bipolar, career change, cognitive behavior, Cognitive behavioral therapy, dave akerly, dealing with death, dealing with finances in marriage, dealing with life situations, dealing with regret, Depression, east lansing, finances, focus, inattention, john braccio, narcisism, narcisist, neuropsychology, obsessive compulsive, procrastination, psychologist, ptsd, raising children, retirement, self esteem, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss WHY PERFECTIONISM OFTEN LEADS TO DEPRESSION

WHY PERFECTIONISM OFTEN LEADS TO DEPRESSION

If one thinks about it, it is not surprising that a perfectionist often ends up being depressed. Common symptoms of depression that a perfectionist experiences would include sadness, pessimism,negativity, painful memories of present and past less than perfect behavior,loss of pleasure,feeling guilty for perceived imperfections, poor self-esteem, very critical of self and feelings of worthlessness. Not all perfectionists experience all of these characteristics, but for sure, seeking and even demanding perfection in a very imperfect world can easily lead one to be unhappy with self, and then with most if not all other persons in their lives. Another cause of sadness for a pessimist is loneliness as they often have very poor relations with other persons. It is not bad enough that they expect perfection in themselves, but they also expect perfection in others. Because no one is perfect, and the perfectionist demands it, even slight imperfections can lead to anger and dismissal of persons as friends because they do not meet the perfectionistic standard…Strategies to reduce depression caused by perfectionism would include tolerance,humor,recognizing excellence is not a synonym for perfect,no one is perfect or anything else on earth,mindful positive thinking,replacing negative thoughts with positive ones and loving and accepting you as you are. A trained therapist aware of how to help a depressed person caused by their perfectionism might be considered and be helpful.

Jul 6, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts Anxiety and catastrophizing, Breaking the cycle of catastrophizing, Catastrophic thinking, Catastrophizing, Catastrophizing and stress, Challenging catastrophic thoughts, Cognitive behavioral therapy for catastrophizing., Cognitive distortions, Coping with catastrophic thoughts, How to stop catastrophizing, Managing catastrophic thinking, Negative thinking patterns, Overthinking the worst, Strategies for overcoming catastrophizing, The impact of catastrophizing on mental health

Dr John Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss FREE YOURSELF FROM CATASTROPHIZING

July 4, 2023

FREE YOURSELF FROM CATASTROPHIZING

Catastrophizing is when a person believes the absolute worst will occur even when it is not at all accurate to reality but firmly believed. An example would be when a person believes they are always going to flunk their exams and never do. Even though this proves to be true over and over again,their catastrophizing never ends and they are always suffering high anxiety and even depression from their unjustified fears. Another example would be the employee who always gets good reviews but always unreasonably believes they are on the verge of being fired. A further example would be when a well liked person believes they will surely say or do something that good friends will no longer like them. It never happens but this does not stop them from catastrophizing that it soon will. Persons who catastrophize often have low self-esteem and fears about themselves and the course of their lives. As a result, they often have problems in some combination in such areas as generalized anxiety, social anxiety, depression, phobias,OCD, PTSD, sleeping disorders, and exaggerated pain and other physical concerns. The following are suggestions on what to do to free yourself from the psychological and often physical problem areas that result from catastrophizing: 1. Work on controlling the inner critic and be kind to yourself. 2.Be mindful of your positive traits and behaviors and work on realizing catastrophizing is a bad habit that has been limiting your ability to be happy in life. 3.Seek out supportive persons who recognize the goodness in you and help you be more realistic in your life reality. 4.Get plenty of sleep to reduce fatigue and what I call “stinking thinking”. 5.Do self-care physically and emotionally to enhance your self-esteem. Daily exercising and something as basic as deep breathing can be very helpful. 6.Take a realistic view of yourself and see the harm that catastrophizing has done to you personally and physically and replace these thoughts with positive realistic ones. 7.Keep in your mind you are using a magnifying glass to look for problems in yourself and psychologically making the proverbial “mountain out of a mole hill”. 8. Write out positive affirmations about yourself, read them regularly, commit them to memory, believe them, and live your life based on their reality. 9.If you feel spirituality could be helpful, seek out a priest or minister for support. 10. As you feel necessary, seek out a therapist who is an expert in Cognitive Behavior Therapy/CBT to help you restructure your thoughts in a way to minimize and eventually eliminate catastrophizing. 11.Talk to your family physician about possible medication to help with areas most likely relating to anxiety and depression… It often is found the combination of medication and therapy can be very helpful for persons who have problems with catastrophizing. Persons who catastrophize and use some of the strategies listed here to overcome it can be on the road to freeing themselves from it. Then there will predictably be a rise in self-esteem and reduction in fear,anxiety and other areas of mental health and physical health that can result from catastrophizing.

Jun 28, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts Changing spouse/partner behavior, Conflict resolution techniques in partnerships, Diplomacy in relationships, Diplomatic approaches to addressing partner's habits, Effective communication in relationships, Negotiation strategies for relationship issues, Relationship diplomacy and compromiseBehavioral changes in romantic partnerships, Techniques for influencing partner behavior

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss DIPLOMACY IN CHANGING SPOUSE/PARTNER BEHAVIOR

June 27, 2023

The primary goal of a therapist is to help a person make the changes they have control of in their lives. An additional necessary component in a person’s life is to find ways to diplomatically request a spouse or partner to make desired changes they do not seem willing to make. Typical examples would be not being on time, not paying attention, always being on the cell phone or computer, not willing to discuss areas of concern, and maybe not even accepting there are problems, not eating together as a couple or family, not going out on dates, not worshiping together, or any other concern that can occur in a relationship. The important thing is how to address the area of concern diplomatically and not cause anger and resentment. These feelings may result, but the chances of them occurring are much smaller if you use diplomacy rather than what is perceived as a frontal attack mode. This is difficult to do because when we desire change and are not happy about something,it is too easy to appear to be attacking a person and not trying to find a resolution to a problem that is of concern to you. The first thing is to try to look at your area of concern from the perspective of your spouse. There may be a reason they are behaving the way they are and not willing to change. Once you fully understand the motivation, then it is important to determine the best way to diplomatically approach the area of concern and hopefully come up with a resolution that both of you find acceptable. It is important to present your concerns using the word “I” as opposed to “YOU”. For example, you can make a statement such as,“ I feel not connected to you when we are sitting together and you are constantly on your phone or on your computer and we are not having quality interaction”. Something not to say that could lead to an immediate confrontation would be, “You are disrespecting me by not interacting with me and always focusing on that ridiculous phone or computer. Your clueless insensitivity really makes me mad and even enraged.” The second statement will just lead to confrontation, and most likely there will not be a resolution; and if so, it will be one done with resentment that will cause problems in the relationship in one way or another. As a person who has worked with couples for decades, I have seen problems occur over and over again when diplomacy is not used when requesting a change in a spouse or partner. It also is important to note that even if you do use diplomacy after you have tried to put yourself in the shoes of your spouse to get their perspective, it is possible they will say no, and you must take this into account when you begin the discussion. There may be a change in the future, but for now you must realize this is a possible outcome. It also is possible you will get a partial change, but not the change that you fully desire. An example of this would be that your spouse is willing to spend an hour each evening with all electronics and other distractions off for quality interaction. You may desire far more than that, but must accept a partial change is better than no change. In life, success is best measured in the happy person by how much they gain and not how much they lose. That attitude combined with diplomacy can lead to many problem resolutions that otherwise could result in constant arguing and hurt feelings.

Jun 21, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, Anxiety, braccio, cognitive decline, cognitive functioning, Depression, east lansing, existentialism, hope, iq, meaning in life, professional help, psychologist, psychology, psychology of life, wils, wisdom

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 WILS discuss HOW TO ENHANCE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AS WE AGE

HOW TO ENHANCE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AS WE AGE June 20, 2023 A major concern persons have as we age is to keep our mental alertness and cognitive thinking abilities as finely honed as possible. Even though Alzheimer’s and dementia take a toll on millions of persons as we age, there is no reason we need to rush the process or try not to do whatever we can to keep our cognitive abilities to the highest level possible so we can live an independent life as long as possible. It is important throughout our lives to be active and using our brains. Even though an organ and not a muscle,the brain is like any muscle in the body and functions best when actively used. There is nothing worse for a person to do than to do nothing, and simply wait for life to come to them as they do not keep active physically or mentally. The person becomes like a dry leaf in the wind being blown from one place to another with no fixed direction. The obvious solution is to be active physically with a solid exercise routine, eat nutritious food, get enough sleep, and always be doing things to keep the mind active. Examples would be volunteering,maintaining employment,meeting with friends and family, church activities, social activities, card games,reading,learning classes, and any other activity that keeps us involved with people and keeping our mind sharp. These are the things we need to be doing. In reality,it is quite simple. But for too many persons, they choose what one might call “The road of least resistance”, and do not keep their minds in tiptop shape. My advice to them from a mental health perspective, which also impacts on them physically,is to keep both the body and mind in constant use as much as possible. While age can clearly have an impact on us physically,and as I stated earlier, there is no need we have to rush along the process; and as a result, lose years of life that could be filled with learning and enjoying life to the fullest. As I have often said, life is a one time shot for us to use the time that makes up our individual lives as best we can with the primary goal to be as effective and happy as possible.

Jun 15, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts ADHD, ASD, aspergers, assessments, autism, Love, psychologists, psychology, relationships

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss NEGATIVE IMPACT UNDIAGNOSED ASD CAN HAVE ON RELATIONSHIPS

June 13, 2023

NEGATIVE IMPACT UNDIAGNOSED ASD CAN HAVE ON RELATIONSHIPS

Persons with high functioning Autism Sprectrum Disorder or ASD can have difficulty in their ability to develop close relationships with others and vice versa. This is because high functioning persons with ASD often do not read social cues and have problems connecting socially with others. The social deficits and impairments lead to them often being mocked or seen as odd non-caring persons. This can particularly be difficult and painful in family relationships where parents,spouses,children or siblings strongly desire a close relationship and misinterpret their apparent aloofness as signs of lack of interest or even lack of caring or desired social availability. In reality,they often lack the soft social skills and awareness to have close intimate relationships. They also may be fearful of social relationships due to a lifetime of rejection and misunderstanding due to their inability to effectively socially interact. Things are improving for persons with ASD as we as a society are more tuned into the reality of ASD and it’s impact on the person. There are now an estimated 5.4 million adults with ASD. The awareness that high functioning ASD persons are our friends,acquaintances, family members and even parents can lead to more sensitivity and awareness of the issues they experience every day of their lives. Obviously,the symptoms vary in intensity and impact in their interpersonal relationships. Typical symptoms of persons with high functioning ASD would include the following: 1.Difficulty relating socially. This can include family,spouse and children. 2.Intense interest in certain things. 3.Great desire for predictable routines. 4.Problems processing emotional interactions. 5.Promlems expressing inner feelings. 6.Lectures rather than communicates. 7.Speaks in a monotone voice. 8.Often also can have anxiety,depression,ADHD and learning delays.

Jun 7, 2023 braccioj Blog, Podcasts 1320 am, Anxiety, cognitive behavior, dave akerly, dealing with family, dealing with guilt, dealing with life situations, dealing with regret, Depression, east lansing, emotional pain, guilt, john braccio, Parenting, psychologist, talk radio, wils

Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss Positive and Negative Guilt

June 6, 2023 Guilt is a very difficult thing for most persons to get right. Therapists will tell you that a good percentage of their clients suffer from some form of guilt. The problem is knowing what is positive guilt versus negative guilt. Positive guilt is when a person is aware they have done something wrong to another person and tries to make amends as best as can be done,and then let’s it go. This can be done by directly talking to the person and indicating they have done wrong and trying to do whatever can best be done to overcome the harm that has been caused and make things right. Problems occur when a person carries guilt even after they have done all they can to correct it. This does not mean the person has not done wrong, but to carry guilt for something that is resolved or cannot be resolved is a waste of time and can drag a person down. This does not mean the person does not have some bad feelings about what has been done, but is aware to carry guilt around will drag them down emotionally and interfere with their own psyche and interactions with other persons. It also can result in someone playing the role of martyr, which is not healthy for anyone involved. The martyr uses guilt to control a person with guilt that never ends. Negative guilt is the type that manifests itself with poor self-esteem, unrealistic expectations of what one can do, and often feeling guilty for things they have no control. An example would be something a mayor has done in a city that somehow the citizen feels they are guilty. To feel bad about something that a mayor has done is reasonable, but it is not reasonable to carry guilt and feel bad for something they have no control. It is a clear waste of time and can lead not only to poor self esteem but also anxiety,shame,social withdrawal,insomnia and depression. Another example would be if a relative or friend does something wrong and somehow the person carries the guilt for the act or behavior when in reality they have no control over what has occurred. A person with reasonable guilt is able to recognize when they do wrong and the recognition of what they have done and the attempt to resolve it will build strength, not only in themselves but in their relationships with others. This is the goal of a person who means well, but is aware that human beings fail and the best of us make mistakes that can hurt other persons. It is also important persons learn from what occurred and not do it again.

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