Romantic relationships play a major role in our mental health, with a third of Americans reporting that intimate partners are the #1 cause of their mental health issues. Relationship anxiety can manifest as lack of trust, hypervigilance, and poor impulse control. Anxious feelings and behaviors can become a self-fulfilling prophecy,…
There will come a time when someone with a mental illness — like depression, anxiety, or PTSD — needs your help. While mental health conditions require proper treatment from a mental health professional like a counselor or psychiatrist, you can provide help in the form of comfort, reassurance, and support….
Sometimes, we aren’t sexually attracted to our partners from the get-go—and it can cause us to worry about our overall connection. While it might be worrisome, the lack of a physical connection isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker; instead, it can take time for someone to feel sexually attracted as they get…
Many people have close relationships with their parents — in fact, some consider their mother or father their best friend. But that isn’t always the case. There’s a less fortunate narrative: Some people hate their parents. They don’t just lack that connection or disagree with their parents from time to…
Red flags in romantic relationships are a popular subject—but what about our friendships? Friendship red flags are real and can be an indication that your friendship is toxic or at least needs some work. If you spot manipulative or controlling behavior in your friendships, it’s important that you set boundaries….
The human-animal bond is so deep-rooted and self-evident that most scientists neglected to study it for decades. We now know that the loving relationships between domesticated animals and humans are bidirectional, bestowing health benefits on both man and beast. Though only some pets are officially called emotional support animals (ESAs),…
We all get jealous sometimes—but worrying obsessively over your significant other’s sexual and romantic history is known as retroactive jealousy, an unhealthy relationship habit. Retroactive jealousy can be triggered if you have an anxious attachment style, bad experiences with past partners, or even childhood trauma. Common signs of retroactive jealousy…
Relationship conflict comes from an infinite variety of sources, but lifestyle differences can be especially hard to manage. There are practical ways to deal with compatibility issues between vegetarians/vegans and carnivores, significant others with low sex drives and high sex drives, and couples from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Communication, compromise, and…
Small actions or behaviors that skirt the boundaries of our relationship and test the limits of our partner’s trust are known as micro-cheating. When we know something will hurt our partner (i.e flirting with coworkers) and we do it anyway, that behavior is ultimately unhealthy for our relationship’s long-term health. …
Financial infidelity involves engaging in dishonest spending habits while in a relationship by lying about or otherwise concealing purchases and bills from your partner. Spending habits can be tricky to discuss, and admitting that you aren’t always the best with your money isn’t easy to do, either. But the potential…
When I first met my now-husband’s friends, we all went out to dinner. When we were eating dessert, one of the wives said, “I have known several girlfriends through the years, and he never shares his dessert with anyone. He must really like you!” I laughed, thinking she was kidding….
If you’re thinking of turning your castle into a potential lion’s den by hooking up with your roommate, you need to follow some guidelines. Take it from someone who has been there: Roommate sex is complicated. The proximity principle is a psychological bias that can heighten your attraction to the…