Author: Ashley Laderer

Contributor

Should You Get Back Together With Your Ex?

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
Woman holding out dried flowers

There’s a saying that goes, “Sometimes God sends an ex back into your life to see if you’re still stupid.” Well…that saying’s definitely a little harsh, but it’s got a point.

Exes are your exes for a reason. Either you dumped them, they dumped you, or you came to a “mutual” agreement that things weren’t working out. However, breakups are rarely a clean break, and exes oftentimes find their way back into your life — especially through reminders on social media. Continue reading Should You Get Back Together With Your Ex?

When One Person Controls the Relationship

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
A bird, quite possibly a finch, eats from the hand of a man

It would be nice if every relationship had a straight 50/50 power dynamic split…but those in relationships will tell you that’s probably not the case in their partnership. Relationships should be about a shared, equal bond, where partners are teammates who make compromises and share power, rather than a coach versus team member dynamic. Right?

Continue reading When One Person Controls the Relationship

Chemistry or Consistency: What Makes for a Better Relationship

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
Color in water

The night of my first date with my ex, I felt strong, instant chemistry. The butterflies in my stomach felt more like large birds, and each kiss felt like 4th of July fireworks. Actually, even just looking at him made me feel fireworks!

We became official, and from there…it went downhill. Why? We were lacking consistency and things that came along with it, like trust. Once I wasn’t so blinded by chemistry, I realized we weren’t compatible and there were aspects of the relationship that were not healthy. When it came down to it, we wanted different things in life. There were parts of him I could not accept and parts of me that he could not accept. Continue reading Chemistry or Consistency: What Makes for a Better Relationship

5 Impulsive Behaviors That Are Destroying Your Mental Health

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
A woman dances in a record store

A lot of the time, impulsive people truly can’t help their behavior. In fact, some folks are genetically predisposed to impulsivity, and a handful of mental illnesses such as borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder are characterized by impulsive behaviors. You don’t have to have a mental illness to act impulsively, but engaging in such behaviors might be wreaking more havoc on your mental health than you thought.

Here are 5 examples of (many different) impulsive behaviors that could be destroying your mental health.

Continue reading 5 Impulsive Behaviors That Are Destroying Your Mental Health

6 Ways to Make Positive Change Before You Hit Rock Bottom

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
A man approaches the end of a ladder with a large drop beneath him

If you’ve hit rock bottom before, you know how much it sucks…and you probably want to make sure you never get to that point again. Maybe you remember the warning signs you felt the last time, and now you’re sitting here thinking, “Oh crap, I feel a breakdown coming on!” Well, that’s your sign that you gotta protect yourself and prevent that nervous breakdown from actually happening.

Unfortunately, it’s not so effective to just sit around and wish rock bottom away. When we feel ourselves declining, we have to be proactive and take steps to make positive changes and pick ourselves up — before the worst actually happens. Here are 6 ideas to get you moving in the right direction.

Continue reading 6 Ways to Make Positive Change Before You Hit Rock Bottom

A Guide to Teenage Mental Health

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
Woman laying on a table

Being a teenager’s rough. You’ve gotta juggle homework, extracurricular activities, friends, dating…and not to mention, you’re probably pretty busy maintaining your image on Instagram. It’s totally normal to feel stressed out, angsty, or sad sometimes. But it’s important to be able to check in and ask yourself — is this run of the mill teenage stress, or is it something else? Continue reading A Guide to Teenage Mental Health

Trust Me, Having a Mental Illness Isn’t Fashionable

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
A wall mural of a woman whose face is separated

I lived most of my life in shame of who I was — diagnosed with conditions I’d never share even with some of my closest friends. Labels I’d never dare think about wearing across my chest or around my neck out of embarrassment. But now, these same labels I avoided for years have become *deep inhale* A FASHION STATEMENT! *sharp exhale* What in the world has changed?

Continue reading Trust Me, Having a Mental Illness Isn’t Fashionable

Why Other People’s Accomplishments Sometimes Make You Feel Terrible

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
woman standing in front of waterfall holding sign that says i'm here not you

Have you ever become spiteful after hearing about someone else’s accomplishments, and felt like a complete jerk? Maybe you’ve felt your heart sink a little bit when someone shares their own good news in the form of an “I’m so excited to announce…” Facebook or Instagram post. Chances are, yes, you’ve felt a little terrible at least once when you’ve watched someone’s success from the sidelines. You find yourself looking at your phone, feeling like a failure, even though you’re not!

Continue reading Why Other People’s Accomplishments Sometimes Make You Feel Terrible

6 Ways to Bounce Back After a Relationship Meltdown

Author By Ashley Laderer, Contributor
Posted:
A man lays next to a candle in the dark

Relationship meltdowns happen to the best of us (and they’ve certainly happened to me).

As humans it’s only natural that we make mistakes, have freak-outs, and overreact sometimes. Lots of things can cause us to have a meltdown, from fear of abandonment to jealousy issues. We can’t control the past, and once we freak out, what’s done is done. Luckily, we can control how we act after we have a meltdown, and that’s what’s going to make all the difference.

Here are 6 steps for bouncing back after having a relationship meltdown.

Continue reading 6 Ways to Bounce Back After a Relationship Meltdown