Years Of Light, Years Of Love
By: Colin Auschrat, MA, Registered Psychologist
October 2026
By: Colin Auschrat, MA, Registered Psychologist
October 2026
This week marked the anniversary of the death of Edgar Allan Poe, a master at capturing the darker, more turbulent corners of the
human psyche.
Among his many haunting observations on the fragility of emotion, Poe once wrote:
"Years of love have been forgot in the hatred of a minute."
As a psychologist, I often see how this tragic dynamic plays out in relationships.
Halloween season reminds us of monsters & sudden scares, but the real specter that threatens our most cherished connections is the
sudden eruption of unmanaged anger.
It takes years of patient dedication, intimacy & care to build a strong partnership, yet during an intense conflict, emotional
flooding can make us feel possessed by impulsive resentment, threatening to dismantle that foundation in an instant.
When emotional stress spikes, your body enters a fight or flight response. Your heart rate surges, logical thinking fades into the
shadows & rational communication becomes nearly impossible. In this flooded state, a single harsh moment can leave lasting scars on
your bond.
Fortunately, you don't have to let angry impulses haunt your relationship. Practicing simple unflooding exercises can pull you back from the edge & help bring your emotions back under control.
By learning to recognize emotional flooding & taking proactive breaks, you protect the valuable connection you've spent years
nurturing from being damaged in a single moment of anger.
We acknowledge our main practice is located within Treaty 6 Territory and within the Métis homelands and Métis Nation of Alberta Region 4. This place is a traditional meeting ground and gathering place for multiple First Peoples including the Nehiyawak (Cree), Anishinaabe (Salteaux), Niitstapi (Blackfoot), Métis, Dene, and Assiniboine, whose footsteps have marked these lands for centuries. Our online service spans what is today called Alberta and the Northwest Territories, which include Treaties 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11.
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