Let's Talk Relationships (Page 33)

Amber Brooks

By: Amber Brooks

Editor: Lillian Castro

Updated:

Relationships have incredible upsides, in fact too many to list here. But they can also be a lot of work if we’re being honest. We know the dynamics of romantic partnerships can feel somewhat like a mystery, especially if it’s your first or your first serious one in a while.

So to ease things up, our experts have agreed to provide key insights into navigating the ebbs and flows of relationships, and how they can add value and joy to our lives.

Our expert-backed content provides readers with the advice to approach relationships with intention, effort, and understanding. Whether you’re in a relationship or dating to find one, our experts want to guide you to take healthy steps toward meeting your goals.

We’ll recommend the best dating apps and sites for getting serious and discuss the steps you should take to settle down and commit. Our authors also cover the five love languages, attachment styles, codependency, and more helpful tips, so you can love better and live fuller.

1118 Results

What Our Experts Say:

961.
Is it Dumb to Wish for the Kind of True Love as in the Movies?
Dr. Wendy Walsh

Dr. Wendy Walsh

Reader Question: Is it dumb to wish for the kind of true love as in the movies? -Randy (Wisconsin) Dr. Wendy Walsh's Answer: Movie love is so tidy, isn’t it? Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl again. Bring up thundering music, zoom in on passionate kiss, fade to happily ever after. Randy, is this really what you want? A simple plot formula designed to inspire hope and stir up a quiet desperate...

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962.
I’ve Become Close to Another Guy. How Do I Know Who is Right for Me?
Dr. Wendy Walsh

Dr. Wendy Walsh

Reader Question: I have been dating my current boyfriend for four years and was pretty happy with our relationship. Recently I have become really close to this other guy who is a friend. I constantly talk and think about him. I know we both share feelings for each other, but neither of us has fully admitted to it because we know I am in a relationship already and that I still love and have feelings for my current...

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963.
4 Things Not to Say at the Thanksgiving Table
Kara Pound

Kara Pound

Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks, gorging on turkey and sides and, if you’re in my family, getting into heated religious and political debates until you want to stab someone with the meat thermometer. All kidding aside, Thanksgiving can be either a time to shine or a time where everyone leaves the dinner table whispering “It’s never gonna last” for new couples For women going to their boyfriend’s...

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964.
How to Introduce Your Senior Mate to Family During Holidays
April Braswell

April Braswell

With Thanksgiving opening up the November and December holiday season, if you’re a senior single with a new beau or lady friend on your arm, you are facing the modern dating dilemma of mature singles, that quandary of how to introduce your new senior mate to your family this holiday season. Forget the logistics of divorce diplomacy and whose house you are visiting for the meal. That is its own challenge for...

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965.
10 Percent of Couples Argue Who Sleeps Where
C. Price

C. Price

If you argue with your partner over which side of the bed you each sleep on, you’re not alone. A recent study shows that 10 percent of couples argue over who sleeps where. The study was conducted by the Premier Inn hotel company, which polled 2,000 U.K.-based adults on their sleeping habits, with one in 10 reporting the struggle over who gets the left side and who gets the right side of the mattress resulting in...

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966.
What to Do if You Don’t Want to Get Remarried
Kara Pound

Kara Pound

Women get married for a variety of reasons: religion, love, kids, money, stability, tax breaks — the list goes on and on. But for women over 50 who are widowed or divorced, getting remarried isn’t necessarily on the top of their bucket list. What should a senior woman do if she doesn’t want to get remarried? Let’s look at three important questions and shine a little light on how a woman over 50 should deal with...

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967.
We Haven’t Defined the Relationship. What’s Your Advice?
Dr. Wendy Walsh

Dr. Wendy Walsh

Reader Question: I have spent the night with the same girl for multiple weekends in a row. I called her this week and she told me she was putting makeup on to go out to have a drink of wine with another guy, but she insisted it was casual. She then sends a text asking if my feelings were hurt because she was going out with another guy. She has made a few statements here and there about how our relationship hasn’t...

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968.
He Never Wanted Commitment. Can a Person Pretend to Like You?
Dr. Wendy Walsh

Dr. Wendy Walsh

Reader Question: I dated a guy for seven years and we did everything together. He cooked for me, bought me gifts, took me to his country, but we've never actually said we were dating. When I asked him about it, he said he had no feelings for me, nor did he ever have any intentions of a commitment with me. That was six months ago and I have not heard anything. Is it possible for a person to pretend they even...

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969.
If My Best Friend Has a Girlfriend, How Do I Get Our Friendship Back?
Kara Pound

Kara Pound

When people are in the beginning stages of a relationship, it’s not uncommon to ignore or reduce communication with friends. After all, you’re falling in love, you feel like you can conquer the world, and there is nobody else on the planet you’d rather spend your time with. So ladies, what if you’ve had the same best friend (who happens to be a guy) since third grade and now that he’s found a girlfriend, he’s...

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970.
Study Says Virgins Have a Better Shot at Long-Term Happiness
C. Price

C. Price

Is there a connection between the age you lose your virginity and the chances you’ll have a happy, satisfying relationship later in life? According to a recent study, a connection does exist, but the actual conclusions may surprise you. The University of Texas study determined individuals who lose their virginity at a later age are less likely to marry and may have fewer romantic partners as a whole, but when these...

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971.
23% of Men, 19% of Women Say They’ve Cheated
C. Price

C. Price

Who’s more likely to cheat — a man or a woman? Culturally, we’d normally think men are more likely to philander, but over the last couple of decades, women have been catching up to them, according to research. A recent study from Indiana University found that when it comes to cheating, the gender gap has all but disappeared. Twenty-three percent of married men and 19 percent of married women reported having an...

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972.
NIH Funds Study to Link Obesity with Relationship Styles
C. Price

C. Price

Can your relationship’s dynamics make you fat? One study, funded by the National Institute of Health, aims to find out. Associate Professor at the University of Arizona Emily Butler is leading a study examining the way different relationship dynamics may influence habit formation. Butler suspects romantic relationships aren’t given enough credit when it comes to how individuals within those relationships develop...

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973.
Office Romances Costing UK Businesses Millions, Study Reveals
C. Price

C. Price

How common are office romances and what are these romances costing employers? The answers to both question may come as a surprise. A pair of surveys conducted by NotAtWork.co.uk and IllicitEncounters.com intended to pull back the veil on the sort of office relationships we all suspect yet rarely find concrete evidence of. The two UK-based studies, one named “Are Office Romances a Good Idea” and the other “Impact of...

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974.
Lesbians, Listen Up: Two Dates Does Not Mean We’re a Couple
Mary Gorham Malia

Mary Gorham Malia

Are you listening to this? Two dates doesn’t mean we’re a couple! That’s way too soon, even if the sex is great. It’s was too early to consider yourself attached to someone, who honestly, gay girls, is an almost total stranger. Now she might be the hottest stranger you’ve been able to get two dates with in a long time. She might be the nicest, kindest and gentlest woman you’ve spent a few hours with in...

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975.
How Do I Get Him to Like Sports Other Than Football?
Nick Slade

Nick Slade

There’s no guarantee you will be able to get him to truly like many other sports if he’s an “all football all the time” kind of guy. You will never like Home Depot as much as DSW or the strip mall on the corner as much as the Galleria. There are just qualitative and stylistic differences that can’t be replicated. But it’s worth a shot. The way we learn to like something is to understand it. The way you get him to...

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976.
Real-World Advice for Lesbian Love
Mary Gorham Malia

Mary Gorham Malia

If you’ve spent any time browsing the net for advice about lesbian relationships, you’ve probably run into plenty of advice that was just plain impractical. Ideas like taking your sweetie for a weekend get-away or preparing a homemade gourmet meal are great, but not everybody can do those things. What’s worse, these ideas miss the point. Fortunately, there are a lot of ways you can create a sense of closeness...

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977.
She Has Problems With Depression. Do I Give Up?
Dr. Wendy Walsh

Dr. Wendy Walsh

Reader Question: I've been dating a girl for a while, but she has a lot of problems with depression and hasn't wanted to see anyone for a while. She says she still wants to see me but that she's having a hard time at the moment. I'm trying to be patient with her, but I'm starting to find it hard and really don't know what to do. I really like this girl and don't want to give up. I'm pretty sure she is genuinely...

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978.
When Should You Leave Your Toothbrush at His Place?
Nick Slade

Nick Slade

Dating is a game of give and take. At first look, women often seem to be the “givers” and men the “takers.” But, upon closer examination, the truth is revealed. Women are the masterminds in the windowless white van offering candy to their weak and gullible prey. In the short term, of course, men often turn the tables and steal the candy before the woman gets what she really wants — a relationship. But the...

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979.
Why Married Women Drink More Than Their Single Counterparts
Dr. Wendy Walsh

Dr. Wendy Walsh

Marriage has long been known to curb men’s drinking, but new research reveals the opposite is true for married women. A walk down the aisle may make a woman more likely to drink alcohol. But it’s not because she’s unhappy. Why do women who’ve tied the knot drink more than their single, divorced or widowed counterparts? According to Corinne Reczek, the lead sociologist of the new study, women are more likely to...

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980.
I Want to Be With Her Again. What Do I Do?
Dr. Wendy Walsh

Dr. Wendy Walsh

Reader Question: I used to date this girl named Jessica. We were planning on spending our lives together. One night while we were dating, I went to a basketball game and this girl started to converse with me. We got really close but nothing else happened. Jessica’s friend took a picture of me and sent it to her, and then Jessica broke up with me. I now date the girl because I needed closure after Jessica. She now...

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981.
How Do I Get a Guy to Commit?
Nick Slade

Nick Slade

Guys fall in love very differently than women, and commitment is a totally different proposition for them. You cannot nag or guilt a man into committing — at least, not if you want the commitment to be healthy and lasting. Just give him all the rope he needs and let him decide when it’s time to hang himself. For men, love is initially something beautiful that happens between the sheets. He will not realize that he...

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982.
How to Tell a Senior Woman You Want to Be Exclusive
Nick Slade

Nick Slade

That “fear of commitment” you probably felt as a younger man has been replaced by a warm confidence and perhaps even some excitement about getting emotionally involved with that fabulous mature woman you’ve been dating. The thing is, this time around, she is more likely to be the one with cold feet when it comes to taking things up one level. Exclusivity is not a total commitment, like getting engaged. But it is...

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983.
How Do You Know He is “The One” to Settle Down With?
Bethany Heinesh

Bethany Heinesh

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been searching for "The One" since you were old enough to date. You probably developed a checklist, a physical description and a number of other criteria that would help you identify Mr. Right when he came along. If you’re in a relationship and you believe you may very well have met the man of your dreams, you’ve probably begun considering the idea of settling down with...

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984.
My Wife Left Me. Do You Have Any Advice?
Dr. Wendy Walsh

Dr. Wendy Walsh

Reader Question: I’ve been married for 29 years but was blindsided by my wife's announcement that she met someone, doesn’t love me anymore and is leaving. For a sensitive gentleman (I'm 66), I am kind of lost. My wife was everything. I never socialized much before and am now in a city with no friends. Do you have any advice for me about how to be single besides being positive and confident? -Daniel...

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985.
Having Trouble Getting Over Your Divorce?
Dr. Wendy Walsh

Dr. Wendy Walsh

Let’s face it. Divorce is tough. Known as one of the greatest life stresses, a breakup — especially one involving children — can cause debilitating pain. But why do some people seem to recover more quickly while others wallow in anger, sadness and anxiety for years? Might those quick-to-get-back-on-the-horse divorcees have been less in love? Less attached to their partner? More callus about the whole...

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986.
3 Dating Mistakes Men Make
Lauren Hostert

Lauren Hostert

Dating can be difficult for both males and females. Differences in needs and communication styles can leave men feeling suffocated and their fairer counterparts feeling ignored. Love is hard to find, and it’s disappointing when a genuine connection becomes complicated by semantics. Before you write off your newest lady friend as unreasonable, here are few mistakes you might be exhibiting that leave her feeling...

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987.
Are There More Homosexuals Now That The Door is Open?
Dr. Wendy Walsh

Dr. Wendy Walsh

Reader Question: Are there more homosexuals now that the door is open to it? Do you find this (open homosexual lifestyle) a threat to the traditional family and traditional family values? Why or why not? -Robert (Texas) Dr. Wendy Walsh's Answer: I don’t think more gay people are suddenly increasing in our species. I just think that as our culture is become more accepting and loving, more gay people feel safe...

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988.
How to Know Your Boyfriend is Cheating for Gay Men
Sam Stieler

Sam Stieler

Cheating often means the end of a relationship. Even if a couple decides to stay together after one cheats on the other, there’s a good chance your relationship won’t be the same as it was beforehand. If you and your partner communicate exceptionally well, then cheating might ultimately strengthen your relationship, reaffirming your commitment to each other and causing a re-evaluation of both of your...

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989.
What to Do When She Likes You More
Nick Slade

Nick Slade

We all went through it in high school and junior high. While we were hopelessly crushing on the head cheerleader, there was always some not-so-blossomed young girl in glasses and braces waiting to say "hi" to us as we were leaving social studies. We didn’t really know what it was about our scrawny bones that infatuated her so much and caused her to stalk us with her wide-eyed beaming smile and dedicated attention....

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990.
Is 15 Years Too Much of an Age Difference?
Dr. Wendy Walsh

Dr. Wendy Walsh

Reader Question: Is 15 years and 10 months too much of an age difference for a man and woman to marry (the man 77, woman 61)? -Bill (South Carolina) Dr. Wendy Walsh's Answer: Nope. Marry her. Congratulations. No counseling or psychotherapy advice: The Site does not provide psychotherapy advice. The Site is intended only for use by consumers in search of general information of interest pertaining...

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Amber Brooks

By: Amber Brooks

Editor-in-Chief

Amber Brooks is the Editor-in-Chief at DatingAdvice.com. When she was growing up, her family teased her for being "boy crazy," but she preferred to think of herself as a budding dating and relationship expert. As an English major at the University of Florida, Amber honed her communication skills to write clearly, knowledgeably, and passionately about a variety of subjects. Now with over 1,800 lifestyle articles to her name, Amber brings her tireless wit and relatable experiences to DatingAdvice.com. She has been quoted by the Washington Times, Cosmopolitan, The New York Post, and AskMen, among others.

See Amber's full bio »

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