It always surprises me where mushrooms appear. Out of the side of a decaying log. From the dark soil where last season's leaves have been left to rot. Sometimes, even bursting through dung left behind on a forest path. Something once considered waste - lifeless, discarded, and forgotten - suddenly becomes an opportunity for new growth. In this way, mushrooms make me think about what happens when relationships fail.
Healthy intimate relationships require that both partners see each other and love what they see. Sometimes, needy individuals see what they want to see in others, rather than seeing who they really are. This causes them to frequently experience and express disappointment with their partners. If your partner is chronically disappointed with you, you are in an unhealthy relationship that is harmful to your mental health.
Self-soothing advice is all over the internet, much of it in the form of warnings to avoid potentially damaging sorts like "shopping therapy" or bingeing on Ben and Jerry's, or worse, vodka martinis. Instead, experts suggest using the "good" ones, which seem to run the gamut from stimulating your vagus nerve to hugging yourself. Among the University of Miami's recommendations to faculty and staff in their current summer newsletter is "tapping."
