Relationships thrive on trust, communication, and shared responsibility. Whether the relationship is romantic, familial, professional, or platonic, healthy connections involve mutual effort and accountability. However, some relationship dynamics can leave one person feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and responsible for carrying the emotional or practical load of the entire relationship. One common but often misunderstood behavior that […]
AMFM Healthcare chief psychologist Dr. Meghan Marcum contributes to Parade’s exploration of people who think of pets as their children. The article considers how strong human-animal bonds can reflect caregiving, empathy, routine, loyalty, emotional awareness, and a meaningful sense of connection. Marcum explains that pets can play a valid emotional role and that daily care […]
Stress is no longer an occasional part of life for many Americans. It has become a regular, disruptive force that affects how people sleep, work, connect with others, and care for their mental health. To better understand how stress is showing up across the country, AMFM Healthcare surveyed 2,000 U.S. adults about their current stress […]
For many of us, validating experiences and emotions can feel like a relief. If people have told us we’re being “too dramatic” or to just “get over it,” validation helps us feel seen and heard. But sometimes, validation can become the reason we avoid anything uncomfortable. For instance, we might validate that we’re anxious in […]
Most of us aren’t looking for shortcuts for our mental health because we don’t care about our well-being. We’re looking for them to offer relief from depression, anxiety, overwhelm, or emotional exhaustion. We want quick-fix mental health solutions because we’re tired of finding it hard to cope every day. But while some of these so-called […]