Employee Assistance Program

Winter 2022

Love In The Real World

Valentine’s Day paints an idealized version of love, but in the real world, love isn’t all hearts and flowers. Even healthy, loving relationships run into stormy waters that need to be navigated. Relationship problems are among the main reasons people turn to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for help. Here are common problems we hear:

• Loss of trust – Large problems like infidelity or addiction take a huge toll on trust, but smaller, everyday problems can erode trust over time, too.
• Differences in priorities – Early in a relationship, goals may be aligned but over time, uncomfortable differences can surface about career, family, or values.
• Distractions – Being absorbed in work demands, social media, friends, and hobbies can leave one party feeling neglected or unloved.
• Money – Spending, savings, and debt can often lead to arguments and stress.
• Family matters – Child rearing, caring for aging parents, and extended family can be sources of conflict.
• Crisis and trauma – Coping with death, loss, chronic illness, or surviving a natural disaster can all put extreme stress on a relationship.

Good news: With effort, most relationship problems can be resolved. Your EAP provides couples and family counseling to address ongoing problems and help improve communication. We also offer help for debt, financial planning, family issues, and other problems that can lead to conflict.

Plus, you can tap into a wealth of self-help resources for interpersonal relationships under Work/Life Benefits at the EAP website.