Bad Relationships—and the Compulsion to “Stand By Your Man”

John and Elizabeth Edwards.
Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Elliot  and Silda Spitzer.
Politicians may do it publicly, but the compulsion to have an affair hits one out of every five marriages.
But why the compulsion to stay with your cheating spouse? Here’s a few answers…
The Truth about Love, Lust and Commitment
Of the 70,288 respondents to a recent [...]

Why You’re NOT Having Sex—and 12 Things You Can Do About It

If you go by what you see on TV, or what you read on the surveys posted in gossip magazines and online dating services, we should be having sex as often as we brush our teeth. But Hollywood and Madison Avenue aside, seriously now:
When was the last time you had sex?
Job and money stress. Weight [...]

Stop Stalking Your Ex! Here’s Why, and How

You’re not only broken-hearted, you’re a woman scorned. And you’re obsessed, too—with what and whom he’s up to, now that’s he’s kicked you to the curb.
Honey, face facts: he ain’t coming back, and it’s time to move on. Here why, and how:
Why You Shouldn’t Be Stalking Him
First, there are the legal issues about stalking: Because [...]

Spice of Life / The Menage-a-Trois: Is Three Company?

Mr. Right Now has come to you with a proposition: Want to help him fulfill his ultimate fantasy?
How can you say no?
But hey, not so quick! Turns out you’re not his only dream girl. If you agree, you get the honor of sharing him. And he’s sharing you, too—with her.
Is that what this relationship [...]

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Several years back, there was a great episode of Seinfeld where Elaine was dating a man who kept getting physically assaulted by women everywhere they went.  She came to find out he was a “bad breaker-upper.”
Rarely does a relationship, or even a casual dating situation, end with the drama we see on television and in [...]

Sex and the SMW: “Why does everyone try so hard to set me up on dates?”

The simple answer is that they just want to see you happy. And since, in our friends’ and family’s minds, we’re happiest when we’re in love, is it any wonder they try so hard to play matchmaker?
You and your best friend may be joined at the hip, but she can still get it wrong when [...]

His Lips Unzipped: Single Gal, Married Guy, and the Pitfalls…

I’m head over heels in love with a guy who works in my building.  I’ve got to tell you he’s terrific in every way except—for the fact that he’s married. Our little conversations by the water cooler have become longer and he suggested that we meet for drinks after work. I know I’m on thin [...]

Mad Men, Rad Women: Who Won the Battle of the Sexes?

Camelot. The Pill. Women’s Lib. The Sexual Revolution. In the 1960s and 1970s, the boomer generation brought a different sensibility to love, lust, relationships and marriage. Today’s hit TV shows are putting it in perspective for us who weren’t there.
Or are they?
These two television programs, the Emmy award winning, Mad Men and Swingtown, seem to [...]

Marriage Over 40: More Boomer Singletons Are Shedding Spinsterhood

Marcia Cross. Gloria Steinem. Sandra Bullock. And of course, that television sensation, Carrie Bradshaw.
All of these high-profile women are part of a growing trend: women who marry for the first time after the age of forty.
While census records show that the number of Americans between the ages 45-55 who claim to have never married [...]

Carbon Copy Men

Q: “Why do I always choose the wrong guy?” —Alicia K., San Diego, CA
A: One woman after another has asked for my help with a similar problem:
The men they select turn out to share a core trait that ultimately short-circuits the relationship.
They might all be too controlling or too dependent or addicted to work [...]

Next Page »