toxic relationships Tag

5 Things You Need to Know About Cheating, Affairs and Infidelity

BY CATHY MEYER

Affairs are as old as marriage itself!

The union, in marriage of two members of the opposite sex is a tradition that has been around since men were living in caves. So have extra-marital affairs. Since almost the beginning of time, humans have believed that marriage was important in maintaining a cohesive, healthy society. Another belief that was collectively held about marriage was the idea that the union was to be monogamous. Despite this belief, some human beings can’t seem to live a monogamous lifestyle. Research has shown that affairs are as old as marriage itself.

Why Are Relationships So Hard?

by ALETHEIA LUNA

Lying, cheating, stealing, manipulation, bullying, abuse, isolation, rejection, divorce …

Relationships are undeniably tough, and for most of us they present the most hard-earned lessons in life. But why are relationships so hard to deal with? How come most of us struggle to ever find someone we feel truly loved and accepted by? And why are we always struggling to live harmoniously with our significant others?

WHY are relationships so hard and even impossible for many of us to keep and maintain?

Why Are Relationships So Hard, 

Why I Got Caught Up in the Drama of an On-and-Off Relationship

By Monica Viera

“One reason people resist change is because they focus on what they have to give up instead of what they have to gain.” ~Rick Godwin

Dave and I met earlier this January. I was immediately attracted to his aquamarine eyes and his tattoos. I met him on the eve of my twenty-sixth birthday and, based on our interaction, I assumed we’d have a casual fling. Things didn’t end that simply, to my surprise.

When we were lying in bed together that first night, holding hands, he turned to me and asked if there was any chance we could get to know one another without sleeping with other people.

The Top 7 Reasons We Stay in Bad Relationships

By Vishnu

“Some of us think that holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go.” ~Hermann Hesse

She knew it sooner than I did. And more intensely than I did.

I, on the other hand, may have considered our differences but never thought of them as deal-breakers. I tried to justify the many struggles we had between us and believed that our marriage could work despite the challenges.

I had this feeling things would get better and stayed hopeful no matter how bad our relationship got.

I told myself that her extraverted personality and my more introversion could work together.

When the Euphoria Fades: Dealing with the Highs and Lows of Love

By Hannah Brooks

“We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.” ~Sam Keen

When we fall in love, we feel excited to experience some of the most joyful moments of our lives. Because love is supposed to be the source of the best feelings, right? But what about when that relationship churns up some hard stuff and leaves you feeling hurt, annoyed, sad, and irate?

For many of us, especially deep-feelers like me, when we start to experience these inevitable lows in our relationship,

Great Things Can Come from Letting Go (and Other Lessons from Infidelity)

By Kayla Albert

“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.” ~C.S. Lewis

My eyes leapt open sometime after 2am and, after feeling the empty space next to me, I knew.

The cell phone I laid on the pillow beside my head was silent, my previous text messages left unanswered. Panic swelled in my throat as I frantically dialed his number, calls separated by no more than thirty seconds.

Checking phone logs and driving past houses at night had never been something I pictured myself doing.

How to Let Go of Resentment and Forgive Your Ex

By Tiffaney Kennedy

“I used to be afraid of the pain letting go of the past would cause, until I realized how much pain holding on has caused.” ~Steve Maraboli

Getting over the pain of a bad relationship is never easy.

Even when I finally felt more in control of my feelings, the pain from my past would still spill over into my present.

I would constantly compare my new partner to my ex who had torn my heart apart. Even though I had moved on from that relationship, I was too afraid to fully trust my new partner for fear of being backstabbed again.

Why Insecurity & Approval-Seeking Lead to Unhealthy Relationships

By Lauren Golombek

“Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have.” ~Robert Holden

As a child I was carefree and enthusiastic. Aren’t most kids? At some point, though, life began to impact me and to affect how I felt about myself.

For as long as I can remember, I was a chubby kid. I began using food as a means of coping, and my family didn’t seem to see it as an issue. Coming from an Italian family, food was correlated with love.

As I moved into my adolescent years,

What I’ve Realized Since Being Cheated On

By Chris Schurke

“Sometimes walking away is the only option because you finally respect yourself enough to know that you deserve better.” ~Unknown

When I was cheated on, I was hit by an ongoing blizzard of conflicting emotions.

There were the initial tears that I failed to hide from anyone. There was a cold ruthlessness as I told her that I couldn’t be with her after what she did. There was a wave of misery, there was a wave of anger, and all of it was dotted with periodic moments of calm and even gratitude that she was finally out of my life.

If You Always Date People Who Aren’t Good for You, Read On

By Renée Suzanne

“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” ~Stephen Covey

Just a few short years ago, I sat across the table from a lovely man on a first date. It had taken a couple months to get there due to our busy schedules, but it seemed to be worth it. He was easy to talk to and seemed like a great guy.

During the course of the evening, we discussed what we were looking for and he told me that he was still married,