Elizabeth Stone

Fear is one of the most detrimental forces in relationships. When you start to cling, you come off as very insecure.

Have you ever started dating someone and begun overanalyzing how things are going? I know I have, in the beginning stages of a new relationship it can be so hard to not go over everything repeatedly in a vain attempt to either gain control or divine the future.

I have never believed, “once a cheater, always a cheater.” I think that people are capable of making big mistakes that they regret and vow to never repeat. It really is possible to move on after cheating, but it takes a LOT of work.

I have to confess something. I hate the term “friends with benefits” with a passion. It sounds like you’re adding value to a business deal or buying a car.

I understand the temptation to get really excited when you finally meet someone you like.

Just make sure that you aren’t doing things that send people running for the hills without realizing it.

Ahh, fighting. How a couple argues can make or break their relationship.

You can either bemoan the fact that you attract weirdoes, or you can try to make the weirdo cycle shorter and stop attracting them altogether. Here is what I learned from this failed, embarrassing, hapless relationship.

One huge fear of mine has always been picking out the wrong person and getting stuck with them for good, too afraid to dump them because someone better might never come along. This is settling at its worst, and I’ve always been afraid that somehow I’ll get stuck there, half unhappy and half happy, wondering what I should do next.

You must remove all triggers that make you think of this person. As you’re doing it, it’s okay to cry, relive those memories and say goodbye. I promise this will all feel better soon.

Have you had your partner mention that you’re a control freak? Do you feel uncomfortable when things don’t go the way you would expect?

Relationship self-sabotage can stem from a variety of negative beliefs about one’s lovability, future and past relationships. If someone truly believes that aren’t deserving of love, they’ll make completely sure that they don’t maintain a happy relationship for long.

Constructive arguments demonstrate that you’re both still passionately involved in the outcome of the relationship.