Without regular care it is possible to lose both, and also one is likely to undergo a great deal of pain if maintenance is left too late!
The other day I found myself watching an episode of “Embarrassing Bodies” or equivalent, where some poor individual had allowed his teeth to get to such a sorry state that they were all loose and bleeding and his gums were swollen and inflamed – it was painful to watch! I wondered to myself how anyone could let things get to such a bad state before he took some action – did he not look in the mirror every day and see the seriousness of the situation? Did he not panic on a regular basis and was that not sufficient to make him take some action and visit the dentist, as scary as that prospect may be?
In my psychology practice I often get a similar feeling when couple s come to see me as a last-ditch attempt to save their relationship. Often things have got to such a bad state that they are on the verge of separating or getting a divorce. I also wonder why the couple did not get some help sooner, when there would have been a much better prognosis for saving the relationship.
The moral of the story is: relationship health is similar to dental hygiene. If you keep vigilant and deal with problems when they first appear, the changes of remaining intact and fully functional in the long-term is greatly enhanced!
In my next post I will give my suggestions for maintaining, and even improving, your key relationships.