Is It Love or Lust?
Courtesy of Better Help Falling in love is an amazing experience for some and difficult experience for others. What further complicates it, however, is when you're unable to tell whether or not it is love or sexual attraction. For those of you who may get confused between the two when you first meet someone, here is an article that will help you recognize the difference between lust and love. What Is Love? Love is an unwavering affection that you have towards another person. It goes beyond basic attraction, and it builds a connection that involves caring for one another, wanting [...]
Friendship Before Sex: A New Plan for Finding Love
By Sara Goff Courtesy of Coalition for Divorce Reform “Young love is a flame; very pretty, very hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. The love of the older and disciplined heart is as coals, deepburning, unquenchable.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher (from RQ Relationship Intelligence by Richard A. Panzer) In my late twenties, I found myself in a two-year relationship, despite feeling marginally loved and never more insecure. “He must love me if we’re a couple and sleeping together,” I told myself. I wasn’t happy, wasn’t being honest with myself, but it was so easy to let sex cover the [...]
5 Keys to Successful Relationships
Like strong houses, good relationships need a solid foundation By Robert Taibbi L.C.S.W. Courtesy of Psychology Today So where to do couples get stuck in their relationships? In my long years of doing couple therapy, I’ve found that there are 5 key areas where couples struggle. If you are able to master these, you have a solid foundation for a successful relationship. See how well you do in each of these areas. #1. Speak up This translates into several issues. Speaking up as opposed to biting your tongue and walking on eggshells. Speaking up to let your partner know what [...]
The Wages of Infidelity
By Hugo Schwyzer Courtesy of ifstudies.org WARNING: Following essay includes an honest discussion of one man's infidelity and its consequences in his life and the lives of his children. It is a Sunday night at my ex-wife’s house, and I’m getting ready to say goodbye to the kids after a happy, rough-and-tumble afternoon. As I prepare to leave, my six-year-old son goes to the bookcase and pulls out a slim, black volume, clutching it tightly to his chest. I ask to see what he’s holding, and he hands it over, but not before kissing the image on the front. It’s [...]
The Science Behind Happy Relationships
By Sarah Treleaven June 26, 2018 Courtesy of TIME When it comes to relationships, most of us are winging it. We’re exhilarated by the early stages of love, but as we move onto the general grind of everyday life, personal baggage starts to creep in and we can find ourselves floundering in the face of hurt feelings, emotional withdrawal, escalating conflict, insufficient coping techniques and just plain boredom. There’s no denying it: making and keeping happy and healthy relationships is hard. But a growing field of research into relationships is increasingly providing science-based guidance into the habits of the healthiest, [...]
Parents help prep kids for healthier, less violent relationships
Warm, nurturing parents may pass along strategies for building and maintaining positive relationships to their kids, setting them up for healthier, less-violent romantic relationships as young adults, according to researchers. Researchers found that when adolescents reported a positive family climate and their parents using more effective parenting strategies -- like providing reasons for decisions and refraining from harsh punishments -- those adolescents tended to go on to have better relationship problem-solving skills and less-violent romantic relationships as young adults. Mengya Xia, graduate student in human development and family studies, Penn State, said the results -- recently published in the Journal [...]
“I learned about REAL LOVE…”
Bayonne HS Student Responses to LoveSmarts Education LoveSmarts Presenter Linda Doering: 11th - 12th-grade students participated in an anonymous presentations evaluation. These selected responses reflect the overall trend of student comments. None were negative: Female Student Responses I liked how Ms. Linda explained how relationships could fail and how you can make them last. It helped me think twice about any decision I will make with my partner… I think LoveSmarts makes you think about the choices you’ll make in the future; you can prevent any regrets and reach for a healthy and respectful relationship. 11th I enjoyed learning about real [...]
Bad behavior to significant other in tough times has more impact than positive gestures
Date: June 26, 2018 Source: Baylor University Summary: Refraining from bad behavior toward a significant other during stressful life events is more important than showing positive behavior, according to a new study. Compared with positive gestures, negative ones tend to trigger more intense and immediate responses, according to the study. And how a couple works together during trying times is associated with individual well-being as well as satisfaction with the relationship. "When people face stressful life events, they are especially sensitive to negative behavior in their relationships, such as when a partner seems to be argumentative, overly emotional, withdrawn or [...]