The Wise Lesbian Guide to Getting Free from Crazy-Making Relationships & Getting on with Your Life

The Wise Lesbian Guide to Getting Free from Crazy-Making Relationships & Getting on with Your Life
Author: Amber Ault Ph. D.
Publisher:
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2013-12
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9780982605318

Is your relationship "always about her?" Does it seem condemned to an endless break-up/ make up cycle? Do your friends think your girlfriend is bad news? If you are stuck in a confusing, exhausting, crazy-making relationship and looking for a way to make sense of your girlfriend's self-centered, erratic, or volatile behavior, you need The Wise Lesbian Guide to Getting Free from Crazy-Making Relationships and Getting On With Your Life. In one small volume, Amber Ault, Ph.D., MSW spells out how three "personality disorders" (Narcissistic, Anti-social, Borderline) account for much of the toxic "come here/go away" "I love you/I hate you" and "it's all about me" drama that keeps good women in relationships that are great every once in awhile but wretchedly crazy-making most of the time. While other books explore the rise of narcissism, surviving the abuse of psychopaths, and responding to people who have borderline personality disorder in general, this book takes a lesbian-specific look at the devastation these personality disorders can cause in relationships and the special challenges facing women in same-sex partnerships with personality-disordered women. In The Wise Lesbian Guide to Getting Free from Crazy-Making Relationships and Getting on With Your Life, Dr. Ault, a clinical sociologist and psychotherapist, draws from clinical literature and experience, expertise in LGBT culture, and a series of interviews with lesbian and queer women who have survived relationships with toxic partners to help you determine if the trouble you are experiencing in your relationship is rooted in a partner's personality disorder. She reviews common toxic relationship dynamics, the costs of staying with personality disordered partners, common personality disorder patterns, and why you might have been vulnerable to getting involved with a personality disordered woman. Perhaps most importantly, she provides specific skills you need to use if you are preparing to exit a toxic relationship, and detailed strategies for recovery, once you are free. Every person deserves to be in a happy, joyful, supportive relationship. As we move into an era in which same-sex partners have access to legal marriage, it is perhaps more crucial than ever that we clarify our expectations for same-sex relationships and become skilled at choosing partners with the capacity to fully participate in mutually respectful, reciprocally supportive, life-enhancing relationships. You deserve to be in a relationship that promotes your happiness, health, and peacefulness. If your current relationship undermines your ease, well-being, and productivity, this book can help you get clearer about what is not working and how to take action so that you can open yourself to the possibility of having the relationship happiness you deserve.

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die
Author: Sarah J. Robinson
Publisher: WaterBrook
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2021-05-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0593193539

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

The Five Step Exit

The Five Step Exit
Author: Amber Ault
Publisher: Next Generation Books
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2015-10-01
Genre:
ISBN: 9780982605332

In The Five Step Exit, clinical sociologist Amber Ault offers readers clear, practical, and straight-forward strategies for exiting toxic relationships and moving into robust recovery. Written in a warm and accessible style, The Five Step Exit offers partners in toxic relationships a unique and practical resource: a rational five-stage process for planning and executing an exit, responding skillfully to the dramatic challenges that you may face when you make your courageous move, and recovering your happiness, health, and joy as you put a difficult relationship behind you. Dr. Ault's Five Step Exit recognizes the commonalities among the crazy-making behavior patterns psychologists identify as narcissistic, anti-social, and borderline personality disorders, as well as the subtle differences between them. She has written a book designed for significant others and spouses of people across these categories, including partners in heterosexual, same-sex, and queer marriages and dating relationships. Organized into five sections that give you strategic guidance, explicit steps, and heart-centered practices, The Five Step Exit offers comfort, encouragement, and wisdom to anyone preparing to make the liberating move of leaving a toxic relationship in the interest of living their best life possible.

The Sense of an Ending

The Sense of an Ending
Author: Julian Barnes
Publisher: Vintage
Total Pages: 158
Release: 2011-10-05
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0307957330

BOOKER PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A novel that follows a middle-aged man as he contends with a past he never much thought about—until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance: one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present. A novel so compelling that it begs to be read in a single setting, The Sense of an Ending has the psychological and emotional depth and sophistication of Henry James at his best, and is a stunning achievement in Julian Barnes's oeuvre. Tony Webster thought he left his past behind as he built a life for himself, and his career has provided him with a secure retirement and an amicable relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, who now has a family of her own. But when he is presented with a mysterious legacy, he is forced to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world.

Elsa's Wholesome Life

Elsa's Wholesome Life
Author: Ellie Bullen
Publisher: Plum
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2017-07-25
Genre: Cooking
ISBN: 1760554871

Ellie Bullen's hugely popular blog Elsa's Wholesome Life is a veritable explosion of colour, sunshine, coastal living and delicious plant-based recipes. Her first cookbook features more than 100 of her go-to dishes, from nutritious granolas and powerhouse smoothies to flavour-packed salads and soups, hearty curries and burgers, and drop-dead delicious sweets. A qualified dietitian and nutritionist, Ellie explains everything you need to know about adopting a plant-based diet, including how to: - get enough iron, vitamin B12 and calcium - achieve the right balance of carbs, proteins and good fats - shop smarter and get more organised in the kitchen - enjoy a lifestyle that is better for you and the environment Ellie's food is fresh, flavoursome, nutrient-dense and - above all - fun. If you ever needed a reason to eat less from a box and more from the earth, this is it! This is a specially formatted fixed-layout ebook that retains the look and feel of the print book.

Seriously...I'm Kidding

Seriously...I'm Kidding
Author: Ellen DeGeneres
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Total Pages: 146
Release: 2011-10-04
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 0446585033

~b~>With the winning, upbeat candor that has made her show on of the most popular and honored daytime shows on the air, beloved talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres shares her views on life, love, and American Idol. "I've experienced a whole lot the last few years and I have a lot to share. So I hope that you'll take a moment to sit back, relax and enjoy the words I've put together for you in this book. I think you'll find I've left no stone unturned, no door unopened, no window unbroken, no rug unvacuumed, no ivories untickled. What I'm saying is, let us begin, shall we?" Seriously... I'm Kidding is a lively, hilarious, and often sweetly poignant look at the life of the much-loved entertainer as she opens up about her personal life, her talk show, and more. PRAISE FOR Seriously... I'm Kidding "DeGeneres's amiably oddball riffs on everything from kale to catwalks to Jesus will make fans smile." -- People "Whatever the topic, DeGeneres's compulsively readable style will appeal to fans old and new." - Publishers Weekly "Fans will not be disappointed...[DeGeneres's] trademark wit and openness shine through and through." -- Kirkus/DIVspan

Husband, Liar, Sociopath

Husband, Liar, Sociopath
Author: O.n. Ward
Publisher:
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2015-09-17
Genre:
ISBN: 9781508737681

Could you or someone you know be married to a sociopath? The author of this book was, but it took her twenty years to figure it out. She wrote this book to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to other people. Onna thought the classmate she married was her Prince Charming-kind, honest, loving, and intellectually vibrant-but she was wrong. That "spark" she felt wasn't true love, it was a trap-custom designed to ensnare her. Onna's repayment for investing twenty years into her marriage and unwittingly providing her husband with a façade of normalcy was ongoing gaslighting and chronic emotional assault, all twisted and framed so she would attribute them to her own apparent shortcomings. By the time she understood what was really happening, her emotional, physical and financial health were in peril. Why did her husband do it? Because that's what sociopaths do. Sociopaths are far more common than most people imagine. To help others recognize the subtle warning signs that they might be in the crosshairs of a well-camouflaged sociopath, Onna shares her story while detailing the techniques her ex-husband used to control her behavior and erode her self-esteem. She also explores the psychological research regarding why such methods are so effective, why it is hard to understand what is happening while you are in the situation, why the cumulative effect is so ruinous, and, more importantly, why you must escape if you suspect you are in a similar situation. This insightful, cautionary tale is a must read for men and women alike.

Love Is for Losers

Love Is for Losers
Author: Wibke Brueggemann
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2021-02-23
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0374313989

This is a laugh-out-loud exploration of sexuality, family, female friendship, grief, and community. With the heart and hilarity of Netflix's critically-acclaimed Sex Education, Wibke Brueggemann's sex positive debut Love Is for Losers is required reading for Generation Z teens. Did you know you can marry yourself? How strange / brilliant is that? Fifteen-year-old Phoebe thinks falling in love is vile and degrading, and vows never to do it. Then, due to circumstances not entirely in her control, she finds herself volunteering at a local thrift shop. There she meets Emma . . . who might unwittingly upend her whole theory on life.

The Queer and Transgender Resilience Workbook

The Queer and Transgender Resilience Workbook
Author: Anneliese A. Singh
Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2018-02-02
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 1626259488

How can you build unshakable confidence and resilience in a world still filled with ignorance, inequality, and discrimination? The Queer and Transgender Resilience Workbook will teach you how to challenge internalized negative messages, handle stress, build a community of support, and embrace your true self. Resilience is a key ingredient for psychological health and wellness. It’s what gives people the psychological strength to cope with everyday stress, as well as major setbacks. For many people, stressful events may include job loss, financial problems, illness, natural disasters, medical emergencies, divorce, or the death of a loved one. But if you are queer or gender non-conforming, life stresses may also include discrimination in housing and health care, employment barriers, homelessness, family rejection, physical attacks or threats, and general unfair treatment and oppression—all of which lead to overwhelming feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness. So, how can you gain resilience in a society that is so often toxic and unwelcoming? In this important workbook, you’ll discover how to cultivate the key components of resilience: holding a positive view of yourself and your abilities; knowing your worth and cultivating a strong sense of self-esteem; effectively utilizing resources; being assertive and creating a support community; fostering hope and growth within yourself, and finding the strength to help others. Once you know how to tap into your personal resilience, you’ll have an unlimited well you can draw from to navigate everyday challenges. By learning to challenge internalized negative messages and remove obstacles from your life, you can build the resilience you need to embrace your truest self in an imperfect world.

Why Does He Do That?

Why Does He Do That?
Author: Lundy Bancroft
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 436
Release: 2003-09-02
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 9780425191651

In this groundbreaking bestseller, Lundy Bancroft—a counselor who specializes in working with abusive men—uses his knowledge about how abusers think to help women recognize when they are being controlled or devalued, and to find ways to get free of an abusive relationship. He says he loves you. So...why does he do that? You’ve asked yourself this question again and again. Now you have the chance to see inside the minds of angry and controlling men—and change your life. In Why Does He Do That? you will learn about: • The early warning signs of abuse • The nature of abusive thinking • Myths about abusers • Ten abusive personality types • The role of drugs and alcohol • What you can fix, and what you can’t • And how to get out of an abusive relationship safely “This is without a doubt the most informative and useful book yet written on the subject of abusive men. Women who are armed with the insights found in these pages will be on the road to recovering control of their lives.”—Jay G. Silverman, Ph.D., Director, Violence Prevention Programs, Harvard School of Public Health