How to help a 16 year old perfectionist?
My 16 year old daughter puts a ton of pressure on herself with grades and sports. She gets so nervous before a track meet that she cries or she gets so nervous about a test that she almost can't function. She does well but is really hard on herself if she isn't perfect. How can I help her relax and be OK with herself?
My wife wants to visit her family for Christmas but I don't want to leave my dad alone. What should I do?
I feel like I'm in an impossible situation. My wife says she feels like we need to take the kids to her parents house for Christmas and spend two nights there. It's about a 5 hour drive. Normally I'd be fine doing this but I'm concerned about leaving my dad home alone on Christmas. My sister is visiting her in-laws in another state so she won't be able to visit him and we don't really have any other family members he could spend the day with. He's 71 and it breaks my heart to imagine him sitting at home eating a TV dinner by himself on Christmas. Do I put my foot down and tell my wife we need to visit my Dad this year?
Watching Porn
For a little over a year I received CBT from a skilled clinical social worker about my built up shame in my struggle with porn Interestingly the more detached I became with the struggle with porn, the less the urge has power over me. I still struggle with it but a whole lot less. I feel that I am on a journey of recovery. Is that a sign of mental strength!
How do I deal with my parents constantly comparing me to my brothers?
I've worked on not comparing myself to other people but my parents compare me to my brothers all the time. They make more money and have more established careers. I don't deny that. But I get so tired of hearing, "Well, you should do this to be more like your brothers," or "Your brother would never have made that mistake." Sometimes I question my choices and at other times I question whether I should maintain a relationship with my parents if they can't accept that I'm different and it's not a competition. Do I need to grow stronger to deal with my parents or do I need to take a break from them to save my mental health?
Giving up alcohol for 30 days
I have tried to give up alcohol for 30 days a few times. I don't think I have an alcohol problem but I can't go 30 days straight so does that mean I really do have a problem? I mostly drink socially but sometimes drink after a stressful day and I convince myself I deserve to drink. If I can't go 30 days is that a real problem? And what do I do about it?