Tag: SOCIAL SKILLS

    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM HOW TO RAISE SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN- Subscribe to our YouTube Page!

    January 31, 2023 In an age where there is so much competition for the attention of our children, it is important that good parenting take place through monitoring and screening all the input coming in from all directions. This occurs when parents are aware of what is needed to help their children be as successful as they can be in all phases of their lives. The following are the types of traits and skills that need to be reinforced and modeled to have the best opportunity for our children to succeed: 1.Honesty. 2.Self-control. 3.Confidence in self. 4.Curiosity to learn. 4.Perseverance. 5.Positive mantras to live by. 6.Empathy and understanding of others. 7.Optimism versus pessimism. 8.Ongoing honest and sincere encouragement and affirmations for positive behaviors and attitudes. 9.Consistency in rules,routines and expectations. 10.Help develop authenticity on who they are as they grow and develop. 11.Learn to celebrate success of others and not be jealous. 12.Always try again, after the many failures everyone encounters in their lives. 13.Accept their own mistakes and do not blame others. 14.Trying to do your best is being successful. 15.Be reasonable in self expectations. 16.Take time to smell the roses and enjoy the quiet moments of thinking and spiritual development. 17.Make time to help others in a way that can have a positive impact. Just one smile can change the course of another person’s day. 18.Help develop strong personal interaction skills. 19.Reasonable use of computer usage. 20.Encourage positive and supportive friendships. They are critical to a person’s future success. They fuel and reinforce each other in their successful lives.

    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss HOW TO EMOTIONALLY WEATHER THE DEATH OF OUR LOVING PARENTS

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    There are few things in life more emotionally painful and harder to get over than the death of our loving parents. I personally have lost both parents and think of them and our experiences together on a regular basis since their passing 41 years and 24 years ago respectively. Even for those who had rocky relationships with their parents,the loss is still very significant. The person in effect is an orphan losing their life giving parents who not only brought them into the world but often raised and loved them unconditionally up until their deaths. While grieving is a very personal thing,the emotional pain is intense and loaded with emotional minefields. The following are suggestions on how to emotionally deal with the death of loving parents: 1.Take care of your own emotional needs. Be aware your emotions will be on an emotional roller coaster. 2.Crying and emotionally letting it all out is fine. 3.Do not let anyone but yourself determine how you will grieve and how long it will last. The course of grieving is totally unique with each person. 4.Talk and reminisce with family and friends about your parents. 5.Find ways to remember your parents with memories and physical momentos of theirs. 6.Set up future family get togethers as positive anchor points to remember your parents as a family. 7.Be open to asking for emotional support. No one is a totally self-sufficient island. 8.As you feel appropriate,seek out support groups for grieving to interact with persons experiencing similar grieving experiences. 9.As you feel appropriate,seek out an experienced therapist familiar with parental loss grieving.

    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss STOP OVERSHARING INAPPROPRIATE INFORMATION IN SOCIAL INTERACTIONS WHEN FEELING SOCIALLY AWKWARD AND SOCIALLY ANXIOUS

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    January 4, 2022

    Let us begin by eliminating the narcissist who always wants to share information with an often seductive and always deceitful purpose in mind. The oversharing of persons who have social awkwardness and social anxiety has nothing in common with the self-serving communications of the narcissist. In fact,I have often found persons who are socially awkward and socially anxious are very sensitive and caring persons…A common problem for the socially awkward and socially anxious person is to overshare information in an inappropriate manner that makes the other person feel uncomfortable and makes them afterwards upset with themselves about how much information was inappropriately shared. This happens when someone may be anxious when the conversation does not seem to be going anywhere and they feel the need to fill it in with information that may go far beyond what would be appropriate in such a situation. For example, if in the checkout lane at the grocery store and someone asks you how you are and you start talking in detail about all the problems you are having with your spouse. This would not be appropriate. To do this with a co-worker or acquaintance would be worse. Persons do this often without thinking about possible negative consequences in relationships or making other persons uncomfortable when sharing too much about themselves. This information can even be used against them. Some persons also do this too often when trying too fast to move along a relationship and turn the person off. Another reason persons do this who are socially anxious is they worry about how they are being perceived and feel the need to be liked and wrongfully believe this can be best done by giving what they erroneously believe is an authentic presentation of how they are feeling. Being authentic is quite different from sharing information that is not appropriate. If this continues happening to you over and over again even when you start picking up cues they are uncomfortable with all the information you are sharing,this can become a big problem with the quality of your social interactions and even friendships. If this is a problem you are having, and it is more of a common problem than you might think, the following are suggestions on what to do to limit oversharing inappropriate information: 1.Think before you speak. Always have in mind what are appropriate and inappropriate things to say. 2.If in doubt or anxious about where a conversation is going or if there is silence, simply have some questions to continue the discussion rather than rambling on giving too much information. 3.Slow down the pace of the conversation when you are speaking to have more control over what you say. Too often,persons ramble on because of the need they feel to continue the conversation. 4.If using social media, think before you send messages to better determine what is appropriate to say or not say. 5.If you realize you are entering into a conversation that is going the wrong direction, shift the conversation and try to talk about something else. 6.Keep a journal of your conversations and see if there is a pattern to who and what you overshare and when you do it. You can use this information to help you not do it any more or at least begin to make it occur far less frequently. Your journal is a link into yourself to try to analyze and find why you are sharing the information with persons and start better monitoring the information you share at a global level. This will over time hopefully lead to a new communication style with persons. 7.You are far better off to feel awkward in a conversation and not overshare than feel guilty for what you said. 8.Talk to family,friends and persons you trust and ask them when they feel you have overshared information that could be seen as inappropriate and/or negative for you. 9.If you feel the need,seek out a trained therapist who can role-play with you on conversations you have had where you feel you have overshared information and learn techniques to overcome this problem. 

    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss MAKE 2023 THE YEAR WE BECOME WHO WE BELIEVE WE CAN

    December 30, 2022- Too many persons,including psychologists,believe personalities are more or less set in adults and even adolescents and do not change. I do not accept that view at all. If someone has a vision of who they want to be and will make the necessary changes,they can do it. I have seen it in many persons I have worked with over the years both as a psychologist and one traveling the road of life. While Rome was not built in a day,making fundamental changes in self requires hard work. For example,one does not go from being deceitful on a daily basis to stopping in one day. The same is true of the person who is sarcastic and hurtful of others. The chronic inappropriate flirt and philanderer also do not change overnight. However,change can occur with a strong beginning if the person declares those behaviors are not only who they are not but are toxic to them as persons. Step one is to determine who you want to be and know you can be that person. That vision of yourself is always in your mind and your thoughts and actions are directed to being that person. Who we are and how we behave are the most powerful tools we human beings have to determine who we are and the course in life we will take to that end. Whether small or major character remodeling,use 2023 as the launchpad to be who you choose to be for the rest of your lives. Go for it with super gusto! Your future begins now.

    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss how to ENJOY CHRISTMAS WITH THE WARM HAPPY OUTCOMES OF CHRISTMAS MOVIES

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    We know that Christmas is the celebration by Christians that God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to earth to die for us so we could have the opportunity for an eternity of happiness with him in heaven. Christmas also is a time that is very stressful for many persons due to costs, family pressures, and just a lot of seeming chaos with so many expectations on persons. The American Psychological Association reports that 38% of respondents in a study reported higher stress during the holidays. With that said, movies about Christmas teach us the lessons of Christ with examples of love, sacrifice,family, unity,kindness and happy endings during the Christmas time. The classic of Scrooge becoming a loving and caring person in the CHRISTMAS CAROL is representative of the best of what Christmas can mean in terms of love and finding purpose in life. Current movies, as strongly represented by the Hallmark Movies,give so much joy to persons who are looking for purpose, love,positive relationship outcomes,and meaningful relationships. They may be quite predictable, but the Hallmark Channel has clearly found a market with millions of persons watching them. I must admit for years I have enjoyed watching them during this time of year with my wife. I also believe from a mental health point of you it is good therapy for people to see examples of happy endings where individuals and families find each other, reunite and persons fall in love looking forward to a lifetime of happiness together. This is a form of therapy that can be helpful for all of us. Let us enjoy the birth of Jesus Christ and the love he represents,regardless of our beliefs,as a time to watch good feelings movies during the season of Christmas. Be joyful and seek spiritual renewal and happiness in your life! For those who also want some joyful positive music between uplifting movies to add to their Christmas spirit,my classical favorite is JOY TO THE WORLD by Mario Lanza and my pop favorite is IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR by Andy Williams. Find and play yours!

    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM WILS discuss HOW PARENTS BUILD AND RESILIENCE IN THEIR CHILDREN

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    In the aftermath of the COVID 19 pandemic with the loss of personal interactions in the school setting and with family and friends,multitudes of young persons have not only suffered academic loss but also suffer to one degree or another with anxiety,depression,PTSD,phobias,poor resilience,poor emotional strength and general fears about life and their future. In such an environment,it is essential parents work as hard as they can to built emotional strength and resilience in their children to not only address problem areas but help them develop life skills to overcome them. Parental behaviors to this end would include the following: 1.PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING. 2.MODELING STABILITY THROUGH GOOD PROBLEM SOLVING WITH RESULTING RESILIENCE . 3.CLOSE COMMUNICATION WITH SCHOOL PERSONNEL AS NEEDED. 4.COUNSELING AS NECESSARY. 5.CLOSE CONTACT WITH CLERGY CONSISTENT WITH YOUR FAITH. 6.TUTORING SUPPORT AS NEEDED. 7.SHOWING UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. 8.DEVELOPING STRONG FAMILY COMMITMENT AND ATTACHMENT. 9.ENCOURAGING HEALTHY FAMILY AND OTHER SOCIAL INTERACTIONS. 10.EXPLAINING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REASONABLE AND UNREASONABLE BELIEFS AND CONCERNS. 10.HELPING BUILD RESILIENCE TO LIFE’S PROBLEMS THROUGH EFFECTIVE PROBLEM ANALYSIS AND SOLUTION.

    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss OLDER PERSONS(65 AND OLDER) AND DEPRESSION

    Subscribe to our YouTube page!- November 8, 2022

    No one is immune from depression. It impacts everyone to one degree or another in one’s lifetime. The problem with persons 65 and older is that they are often having to deal with issues that younger persons do not. Most specifically, it would include problems with their physical and mental abilities, loss of a spouse, family location,loss of employment, lack of mobility,death of friends, poor memory,loss of status and accepting mortality… Not that all of these things happen to one person at the same time or that they always cause depression. But over time they do tend to occur in some combination with most persons as the cycle of life progresses. The following are important things to do to help alleviate the sadness and depression that can occur in older persons due to the issues mentioned above: 1.Exercise and keep as physically fit as possible. 2.Have regular medical check ups to make sure you are physically as healthy as possible. 3.Seek out counseling as necessary to help you with the changes of life that occur in your aging process that cause you depression. 4.Accept changes that can cause depression will occur and plan accordingly as best you can. 5.Finely hone your spiritual and/or internal resources to help you find purpose in your life from what you have experienced and what you intend to experience in the latter stages of your life. As always,make each day count. 6.Continue to be as involved as you can in church and any other activities. 7.Cultivate and keep in contact with friends you have known over your lifetime. Talk to persons you may not have talked to for decades. 8.Become more communicative with your spouse,family and persons close to you. 9. Resist isolation. Be as active as you can. 10. Do puzzles and any other intellectual activities to keep your mind sharp…Aging is a process we all go through as we live our lives. The important thing is not to have great fear and resulting depression but do whatever you can to find meaning in your life through maximal physical, intellectual and emotional involvement. As you age do not focus on the disabilities or limitations you have but rather focus on what you can do to make as much impact as possible on yourself and others. The road of life can be difficult but it can always be meaningful and something to look forward to. GO FOR IT WITH GUSTO!!!!!!

    Dr Braccio & Mike Austin of 1320 AM discuss SUCCEED BY CONFRONTING THE FEARS OF YOUR WORST CASE SCENARIOS

    August 16, 2022

    The dreams and aspirations of so many people are destroyed by their own worst case scenarios. Common worst case scenarios could include:1.The perceived humiliation of being turned down for a date with a potential life partner. 2.Not applying for the “perfect job” for fear of being rejected. 3.Not moving to your dream location for fear of not succeeding and returning home as an humiliated failure. 4.Not seeking a prized degree or training program for fear of humiliation and ridicule for not completing it. 5.Not standing up for self out of fear of severe retaliation. 6.Staying in a dull and no hope for promotion job out of fear of failing and being fired at another job and the family going on public assistance. 7.Constant fear of living the “imposter phenomenon” where in spite of your ongoing success you will be found out and humiliated as not up to your job and fired or demoted…The examples can go on and on. The remedy is to focus on the prize and accept possible roadblocks as you voyage forth to fulfill your goals and dreams. When life is coming to a close,people do not lament they tried and often did put their dreams into reality. No,they lament unfulfilled dreams because of their worst case scenarios. 

    Dr Braccio & Rich Herl of 1320 AM discuss WE NEED POSITIVE SELF-EFFICACY TO FULFILL OUR DREAMS

    July 26, 2022

    Positive self-efficacy is the belief one has the capacity to complete activities in effective ways. A person with positive self-efficacy encounters a problem, looks at the factors that need to be resolved and attempts to complete them. Even though the person may fail, they will more realistically analyze why they failed rather than the person with negative self-efficacy who will be convinced not only that they did not have the ability to complete it but never would have the ability. Positive self-esteem is a positive view of self while positive self-efficacy is the belief one can successfully complete an activity. The person with positive self-efficacy does not see problems in the current life-space as something to be fearful of or to try to run away from,but rather as opportunities for resolution and challenges that can make life more interesting. The person with positive self-efficacy works relentlessly to be the quarterback while the person with negative self-efficacy,regardless of ability,prefers to sit in a chair and watch the quarterback play rather than risk certain perceived failure if they attempted to become the quarterback.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 AM WILS discuss POSITIVE MEMORIES REDUCE DEPRESSION

    July 5, 2022

    POSITIVE MEMORIES REDUCE DEPRESSION Psychologists have known for some time that positive thoughts and memories produce positive persons. The ability to remember and focus on positive thoughts in one’s life accurately and intuitively point out the obvious: Positive thoughts and memories reduce depression. If a person focuses on negative memories, the present is going to be depressing and the future will look the same because the future will be filled with the current present negative memories and so it goes on and on in a never ending cycle. One must cognitively restructure or consciously replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts in order to have a chance for positive self-esteem and a life free or with far less depression than the person who focuses on negative thoughts. This brings me to the fact that after nearly 400 segments with you Dave, this is the last PSYCHOLOGICALLY SPEAKING segment we will do together on WILS 1320 AM radio. It has been a great ride and it is hard to believe how quickly the past 7 1/2 years have gone. The memories from the segments will always be positive as I have greatly enjoyed doing them with you and the hope is they have been enjoyable for you and helpful for our listeners. I simply want to give a shout out THANK YOU and HOORAY to you for your superb professionalism and wish you the best in your continuing successes. We will continue the nearly 30 year long-term relationship we have had since your days as the Sports Director and News Anchor at WLNS-TV 6. Our interactions are a significant part of my positive long term memories that will keep coming back as emotional nourishment to keep depression on the ropes!

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly discuss CARING FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS

    June 21, 2022

    We live in an age where millions of spouses,children and siblings look after beloved members of their families. In 2020,53 million Americans were offering unpaid care for adults with health or functional needs. This was an increase of 9.5 million from 2015. The most common caregiver is one spouse looking after the other. Another very common combination is a child or children looking after a parent. Too often, these caregivers are taken for granted and other family persons or caring non-family are not aware or minimize the problems they are experiencing or choose in some cases to ignore. The odds are quite high we have a family caregiver in this situation or know of one. The common issues caregivers have would include problems with managing time, physical and emotional distress, depression and isolation, financial concerns, sleep deprivation, guilt and fear of asking for support. Things that other family members, dear friends and caring persons can offer include the following: 1.Help with every day chores and needs. 2.Emotional/psychological support. 3.Help with healthcare needs. 4.As desired,give good advice. 5.Try to help them recognize their emotional and physical health are also priorities. 6.Make sure you do not use guilt in your support. 7.If asked,seek out support persons or agencies that can be of support. 8.Availability.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly Discuss THE MACHIAVELLIAN MANIPULATOR IS VERY HARD TO IDENTIFY

    June 28, 2022

    Unlike the narcissist, common bully and sociopath who are relatively quickly found out to be who they are,the situation is very different with the Machiavellian Manipulator who skillfully pretends to fairly live within agreed upon social rules and norms. They often very cleverly work within the system to achieve maximum success for themselves regardless of the negative consequences for others. Because they deceitfully but effectively use all the correct words and techniques to advance,they are particularly hard to identify and often by the time they are identified their evil deeds have succeeded at your expense. Even after it happens,others may not be aware of what has happened and will continue to be part of their evil designs. The best way to determine if you are interacting with a Machiavellian Manipulator is to observe,listen to comments of others,discretely talk to others and observe outcomes from interactions they have with others. If you ever encountered one, you certainly are aware of how difficult they are to identify because they are seemingly working and interacting with others with the same agreed upon norms everybody is working under. A concise definition of manipulation is using inappropriate psychological techniques with other persons to control their thoughts and actions. It can happen in any setting. It is most common in close relationships such as family,spouses,friendships and work settings. Typical manipulation techniques would include using the following: Guilt. Blame. Complaints. Playing innocent or ignorant. Gaslighting. Lying. Bullying. Mind games. Insecurities/Weak spots,Mockery. Judging. When these techniques are skillfully camouflaged by the Machiavellian Manipulator,victims can be amazed and shocked when they learn what has or is negatively happening to them. If one is in such a relationship with a Machiavellian Manipulator,it is important to seek out supportive friends, colleagues and professional support to minimize the damage done to you socially,psychologically,personally and/or professionally.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 AM discuss BE A HAPPY INTROVERT

    June 14, 2022

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    It is pretty well known that in Western Society the extrovert(EXTERNALLY DIRECTED)is praised and often seen as the ideal. This can needlessly lead to the introvert(INTERNALLY DIRECTED)developing low self-esteem and seeing self as less than the extrovert. Because extroverts and introverts clearly seem to be wired differently, it becomes important for each person to accept who they are and nurture their particular characteristics. The following are typical characteristics introverts have which need to be cherished,nurtured and enjoyed as opposed to being seen as negative: 1.Need for less social interaction. 2.Greater interpersonal intimacy. 3.Enjoyment of being alone. 4.Strong emphasis on self-development. 5.Enjoyment of solitary activities. 6.Desire for meaningful conversation. 7.Greater social distance for internal peace. 8.Purposeful life with a sense of simplicity. 9.Strong sense of independence…The fact many introverts are quite satisfied with themselves is something to keep in mind if you are an introvert or someone you love and care for is and has low self-esteem because of it.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 AM discuss THE REALITY OF PROLONGED GRIEF DISORDER

    June 19, 2022

    The killing of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde,Texas and other senseless killings along with the million deaths resulting from COVID clearly has Americans tuned in to the grieving that individuals have who have lost children, friends, family members and even acquaintances. There has also been a public grieving where millions of Americans have joined with family and friends in the grieving process. Our grieving will end over time. That does not always happen for family and close friends of persons who for whatever the reason have lost loved ones. To be killed by a psychopath predictably would lead to the most intense grieving possible. Yet the length of time a person grieves totally depends on the person. It has often been said wrongly that grieving that lasts more than a year is a psychological problem. That is absurd and even very insensitive to the grieving person. Personally,I can state my parents never fully got over the death of my 2 year old brother in 1943 from childhood meningitis. Fortunately, DSM V has just recently added the diagnosis of Prolonged Grief Disorder. There are many persons who can need years and even a lifetime to overcome grieving for a loved one. Symptoms would include such characteristics as the following: 1.Disbelief it could have happened. 2.Intense longing for the person. 3.Identity confusion where the person feels not whole without the deceased person. 4.Avoiding reminders of the deceased. 5.Emotional numbness. 6.Intense loneliness. 7.Feeling life is meaningless. 8.No desire to meaningfully interact with people or with life. 9.Intense despair…The intensity of these feelings do not subside but can stay in force for years. The person with Prolonged Grief Disorder needs sensitivity and patience from friends and family. Additionally,clergy and trained therapists with grieving expertise can be helpful as deemed appropriate by the person.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 AM discuss GRUDGES ARE BAD FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 AM discuss GRUDGES ARE BAD FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH March 2, 2021 A grudge is maintaining anger, resentment, hurt, sadness, and/or bitterness if someone is believed to have wronged you. This can range from something as small as a perceived negative look to a major betrayal. Most persons, even if they do not admit it or feel their grudge is legitimate and not a grudge, have them at one time or another in their lives. In fact, many persons live most of their lives with them. When they become time-consuming in your thinking and cause you to have a lot of pathological anger, there is clearly a need to examine yourself and find a way to eliminate them. Anger is often a major component of a grudge. Anger is far more destructive to the person with it than the person that is the object of it. Holding a grudge is like hitting yourself with a hammer to show your anger at someone. Obviously, the person being injured is the person with the hammer and not the object of it. Forgiving and letting go of a grudge is not forgetting or overlooking a wrong that has occurred, and maybe the person has not apologized for it, it is rather a way to get on with your life. You cannot let grudges overwhelm you and allow them to negatively impact on you and your relationships. It frees you to live a life without anger and bitterness from grudges which are replaced with peace and an open heart to interact with others. You choose not to ruin the present which of course can lead to ongoing damage in the future.

    THE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL PAIN OF SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 discuss THE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL PAIN OF SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER 2-23-21

    Anxiety is a common human trait that can actually be helpful in our lives as we encounter the normal stresses of life. When meeting new people, giving presentations or interacting with others causes us to become anxious to the point we cannot function in our own lives, this is when we have Social Anxiety Disorder . With this condition, we are filled with fear, embarrassment, anxiety produced physical symptoms and self-consciousness so we become fearful of being negatively judged by others. An estimated 7.1% of persons in the United States have had Social Anxiety Disorder the past year. For adults, females have a frequency of 8% and men 6.1%. For anyone who has had it or suffered from it, the emotional and even physical pain that result can be debilitating. About one in eight persons have had Social Anxiety Disorder at one time or another. It is the third most common mental disorder in the United States. More than 75% of persons who suffer from it first experience the symptoms when children or early childhood. The following are the key elements that professional treatment entails: 1.Educational awareness of the social anxiety sources and symptoms. 2.Counseling, particularly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. 3.Medication as deemed  appropriate. Particularly effective have been the SSRIs. These would include Zoloft, Celexa, Prozac, Lexapro and Paxil.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly Discuss on 1320 AM to TREAT EVERYDAY AS VALENTINE’S DAY AND SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE EMOTIONAL AND SEXUAL COMPONENTS OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP.

     2-16-2021- Valentine’s Day is a special time of the year when couples share their love for each other with loving cards, comments and gifts of such things as chocolates and flowers. Solid relationships clearly are stronger when each member of the couple is aware there is gratitude, love, caring and a general awareness of the importance of the relationship. When this occurs,then the natural outcome is enhanced emotional and sexual compatibility that  only gains strength as the couple develops deeper and more meaningful love over the years. Celebrating such events as anniversaries, birthdays,special days in your relationship and any other potential time to celebrate together the importance of your love for each other and the relationship will only enhance it. Too often people live in what becomes a boring routine relationship and true gratitude and love can become dimmed and the result is a loss of emotional and sexual satisfaction  which can lead to withering and even an ending of the relationship. It is important to not allow this to happen and that each person in a relationship never forget why they are together.  They are building a life together that can include children, a home, fun and work activities together. While these are all important aspects of a successful relationship, the showing of gratitude and acts of love will ensure loving times together on an ongoing basis. These are essential to have a positive emotional and sexual long-term relationship. That is why I am suggesting each day be treated as Valentine’s Day. You will see the results will be a greatly enhanced relationship based on strong and mutual emotional and sexual compatibility and desire.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 AM discuss WHY DAYDREAMING CAN BE PSYCHOLOGICALLY HELPFUL IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVING

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 AM discuss WHY DAYDREAMING CAN BE PSYCHOLOGICALLY HELPFUL IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVING2-2-2021

    WHY DAYDREAMING CAN BE PSYCHOLOGICALLY HELPFUL IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVING. In a world that is often boring and sometimes even painful much of the time for many persons, the ability to daydream about various things can be very psychologically helpful in day-to-day living. This could be particularly true during this time of COVID. This excludes daydreaming that leads to confusion with reality that can lead a person to not be able to live a normal life by confusing daydreaming with reality or using it to not live in reality. The following positive examples where daydreaming or even fantasizing can be helpful psychologically would include the following:  1.Help us relax/keep calm when life has us on overload. 2.Help us better achieve our goals by daydreaming(visualizing) our accomplishing them with the positive feelings that would result. 3.Creating role models we can try to become.  4.Daydreaming about what might happen if changes in current life trajectory are made. This can lead to major life changes. 5.Identifying with fictional or real life persons can help a person feel a closeness that can be helpful in a life with few meaningful human relationships. 6.When mired in the process of completing school work or work related training for advancement to a desired work/educational outcome,daydreaming about finally obtaining the desired goal can help inspire us  to keep working to accomplish the goal.

    Dr. Braccio & Dave Akerly of 1320 AM WILS HOW TO HAVE A CIVILIZED CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE YOU HAVE STRONG DISAGREEMENTS.

    Dr Braccio & Dave Akerly 1-26-2020

    HOW TO HAVE A CIVILIZED CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE YOU HAVE STRONG DISAGREEMENTS. The suggestions made here are based on situations where there is not a risk of physical or emotional abuse. Skill Sets that  allow you to have a civilized discussion with someone you have strong disagreements are hard to find and develop in this world of the “cancel culture” where you eliminate someone you disagree with and never try to find common ground. I suggest the following strategies to use to have a civilized conversation. I must add  personal disagreements go back as far as Cain and Abel. 1.Always respect the other person. 2.Accept your fears and concerns openly and honestly in your conversation. 3.Always respect the views of the other person as you present yours. 4.Be open about where you got your information if arguing a point on research. 5.Never use words like idiot, stupid, ignorant, imbecile, etc. in your discussions. This will quickly ruin the discussion and maybe the relationship. 6.Sincerely show your understanding of the other person’s position even if you disagree. 7.Never use sarcasm or pointed jokes that are meant to humiliate. That will quickly end the conversation. 8.Never be a know-it-all. Conversations and relationships can end quickly with a know-it-all. 9.Always voice appreciation to the person you strongly disagree with for the respect they have shown you in your conversation. That will lay the foundation for future civilized conversations. 10.Use of “active listening” where you encourage the person to get all their feelings out on a matter  with no judgment on your part. The goal is to fully understand the position of the person even if you totally disagree. This is a hard skill to develop. 11.Never forget you can control what you say and how you say it. That is not the case for others.

    Dr Braccio Discusses on 1320 AM WILS: WHY PERSONS WHO WANT A RELATIONSHIP WILL NOT TAKE A CHANCE ON LOVE

    January 19, 2021

    Dr JohnBraccio discusses with Dave Akerly of 1320 AM WILS:

    WHY PERSONS WHO WANT A RELATIONSHIP WILL NOT TAKE A CHANCE ON LOVE

    There are so many lonely and unhappy persons who will not take a chance on love. The following are reasons they will not:  1. Finding flaws in potential partners. 2.Letting “perfect” ruin good and very good potential relationships. 3.Fruitless comparison with  ex-partners or spouses. 4. Letting the fear of rejection supersede the possibility for a loving relationship. 5. Setting rigid requirements that eliminate many promising potential partners…My advice is to be reasonable and give love a chance. In most cases, the rewards of a long term loving relationship are worth the risks.