Committed Relationships
How do I know when it's time to turn a casual relationship into a serious one?
You both know when it's time to turn a casual relationship into a more serious relationship. It's something that nobody says; you just know. It happens. You end up spending more time together than when your relationship first started. You end up having more in common. That's what a serious relationship is all about.
What's the secret to a healthy romantic relationship?
The secret to a healthy romantic relationship is honesty. Another secret is communication - not being afraid to say what's on your mind. Respect each other when in a romantic relationship. Have admiration for the person you're with. Having a healthy romantic relationship means you're really covering that person's back, taking care of them and thinking about them before you think about yourself.
What are signs that I'm in an unhealthy romantic relationship?
There are a lot of signs that will tell you that you're in an unhealthy romantic relationship. For example, if the person you're in a relationship with is sarcastic all the time, and then they say, "Oh, I was just kidding," and they make hurtful comments to you. You can tell if you're in a bad relationship with another person if you're sad all the time - if your heart is heavy, if you're just not enjoying it and you're not enthusiastic. That gives you the sign that you're really in a place where you shouldn't be in this relationship. You're also in an unhealthy romantic relationship if you don't have a lot in common - if you find that your lives are so separate and that there's nothing that really brings you together.
How do I know if I'm falling in love?
Many people think that falling in love is that wonderful feeling with butterflies in your stomach, but that feeling is just endorphins. That's when you have a crush on someone or you're infatuated with the person. When you're really in love with a person, you know because you respect them and you admire them. If you're falling in love with someone you go out of your way to help that person and they go out of their way to help you, too, if it's mutual. Love is a completely different thing than just butterflies and feeling that the top of your head is flying off. It really is about respect and admiration.
How do I know if my girlfriend or boyfriend really loves me?
You really can tell if somebody loves you or they don't love you. If they love you, they're willing to go out of their way for you. They're willing to do anything for you. And they're also willing to do things that they really don't want to do, because that's true love.
How long should I date someone before having sex?
Many people ask, "How long should I date someone before I have sex with them?" It depends on the couple. It depends on the individual. If you just want to look at someone as a hook up then sex can happen anytime. If you really want to have a meaningful relationship, you need to take your time and really get to know that person before you engage in sexual relations with them.
What do I need to know about my partner before we have sex?
Before your first sexual encounter with a new partner, you really need to do a lot of things. Number one; you need to be responsible. You need to find out their sexual history. You need to definitely talk about use of birth control as well as a way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. You also need to find out what each of your expectations are in the relationship. Does somebody just want a hook-up, or do they want to have meaningful relationship with you?
How do I go about bringing a new sexual dimension into my relationship?
If you want to bring a new sexual dimension into a relationship you've got to talk about it in detail. You've got to communicate, really communicate on an emotional level. How the other person would feel about introducing a sexual dimension to a relationship, and how they would feel afterwards, is very important.
How can I tell if my someone is cheating on me?
There are a lot of obvious signs that you can tell if your boyfriend or your girlfriend has been cheating on you. For example if they leave a paper with somebody's phone number around, you know something is going on, or if they're on a phone call too long and they wont tell you who they're talking to, that's an obvious sign. But there are some other signs as well; if they tend to accuse you of cheating - sometimes when you point the finger at a person there are three fingers pointing back at them. So they may be guilty of that. Also their body language may give it away for. If you ask them where they've been or if they've been with somebody, they may look up, they may look around, they may shrug their shoulders, they may bit their lips, and they may also stammer and hamper around in terms of what they're going to say. They are not always telling you the truth.
How can a romantic relationship survive infidelity?
A romantic relationship can definitely survive infidelity. First of all, one has to get to the root of why the infidelity happened. There has to be honest and open communication. You need to go to a therapist in order to get somebody who's non-biased and can help you work out what these problems are. And finally, to regain and rebuild that trust, you have to really have that honest communication with one another.
If I cheat on my girlfriend or boyfriend, should I confess?
If you cheat on your girlfriend or boyfriend, it's a good idea to confess. Why? Because of sexually transmitted diseases: you don't know what's out there and even though you are protected, you may very well not be. Secondly, if you're cheating, confessing could help to address what the underlying causes of the problems are in your relationship so you can talk about it. Telling your boyfriend or girlfriend that you've cheated really helps build the relationship back, because you've been honest and you're able to now go on.
