MedWorm Tags: infidelity

Is Non-Monogamy The Key To An Affair-Free Marriage?

World of Psychology — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 18:45:28 +0100

With each new sex scandal splashed across headlines, it’s become impossible to hide from the realities of marriage, i.e., monogamy is hard. And with so many high-profile persons seemingly shirking fidelity, it’s easier for couples unsatisfied in their relationship to start wondering if these cheating politicians just may have the right idea. It’s these concerns and questions that The New York Times Magazine took on when reaching out to leading sex-advice columnist, Dan Savage for their recent exploration of monogamy and marriage. Savage tells the Times that many of us have a hard time admitting that being monogamous is difficult. He believes that when people treat monogamy as the sole indicator of a successul marriage, it casts unrealistic expectations for not only themse...

Porn, Strip Clubs, and Flirting Don’t Always Lead to a Cheating Affair

Genetics and Health — Thu, 05 May 2011 21:55:37 +0100

I read an interesting post this morning on Betty Confidential about whether or not lap dances can be considered cheating, which got me thinking about all the other murky, gray areas surrounding infidelity. Of course, when you or your partner actually have sex with someone outside your relationship, that’s generally recognized as being unfaithful, but are there other things we do all the time (perhaps without even realizing it) that border on having an affair? To find out, I caught up with Dr. Julie Elledge, a psychotherapist, sexpert, and friend of Blisstree who loves giving us the goods on solutions to all kinds of relationship dramas from her professional point of view: Should we consider porn cheating? Explicit sexual images have been around for as long as we can record the presen...

Porn, Strip Clubs, and Flirting Don't Always Lead to a Cheating Affair

Genetics and Health — Thu, 05 May 2011 21:55:37 +0100

You Can Have Hot Sex and Real Intimacy In Your Relationship

Genetics and Health — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:36:20 +0100

Recently, psychotherapist, sexpert, and Blisstree friend Dr. Julie Elledge has talked to us about a slew of subjects relating to relationships including sexless marriages, open marriages, and sex addiction, not to mention other fun stuff like lying, cheating, and infidelity. Today I have some questions for her on sex and intimacy in a committed, long-term relationship including the deal with acting out sexual fantasies, and whether the term “meaningful sex” is always a part of marriage — and how maybe it really shouldn’t be. And because the weekend is almost upon us, I hope you’ll have the opportunity to personally experiment with some of Julie’s suggestions in the privacy of your own bedroom — and sexual fantasyland. How does a couple know when th...

Poll: How Much Do You Care About the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton?

Genetics and Health — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:00:02 +0100

Right now, one of Blisstree’s most-viewed posts is one called Prince William Getting Married in 2010? (And the post itself is actually from 2009.) I’m guessing this means that a fair number of you harbor more than a casual interest in what’s going on in London this Friday, April 29. I’ll admit it: When Prince Charles and Lady Diana got married way back in July, 1981 (I was just a kid), but I remember that the entire beach town where we spent our summers came to a screeching halt. I also remember crowding into the living room of our next-door-neighbor’s house at the crack of dawn to watch the ceremony live on their tiny black-and-white TV set. (Most people in our shore town, including my family, prided themselves on choosing to not have a TV in their summer hou...

Good News for Cheaters: You Can Lie to Your Partner About Your Affairs!

Genetics and Health — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:00:24 +0100

Among the many relationship dilemmas we’ve tackled here at Blisstree, recently we’ve brought you When to Tell a White Lie: 10 Situations Where Honesty Doesn’t Pay, My Marriage Survived a Cheating Affair and So Can Yours, and, just yesterday, An Affair May Be the Best Thing That Happens to Your Marriage. You might say we’re a little obsessed with the idea of infidelity in a relationship, whether or not couples can ever get past it, and, perhaps more controversially, whether or not you should always admit an infidelity to your partner. Because if you don’t, that pretty much counts as lying, doesn’t it? And we’re never supposed to lie to our partners or spouses. Or are we? I have to admit that I found myself more than a little confused about these rel...

Best of Our Blogs: April 19, 2011

World of Psychology — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:05:36 +0100

Have you ever read A Parable by author Barbara Stanny? It’s a story about a farmer who was terribly afraid of an ugly, horrifying monster that lived in the forest near his home so he spent his life building a fence to keep it out. But all that time he devoted to building walls to protect himself prevented him from spending time with his friends and family. When he was finally fed up with being afraid, a fairy godmother appeared and told him how to make the monster disappear. For that to happen he needed to find the monster and embrace it. The farmer was frightened and paralyzed with fear and thought the godmother nutty for suggesting it and himself crazy for thinking of doing it. But, “his pain had gotten worse than his fear.” And he so he faced it by finding the monster,...

Sex Addiction Basically Means Your Partner Likes to Cheat

Genetics and Health — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:12:24 +0100

Recently, psychotherapist and sexpert Dr. Julie Elledge has given us her take on controversial subjects including open marriages (yike) and sexless marriages (eww). Today I’m grilling her about that trendy new condition which the likes of David Duchovny, Tiger Woods, and Russell Brand have made famous (or infamous, as the case may be): Sex addiction. Personally, I think the whole concept of sex addiction is a fabricated scam perpetuated by serial philanderers who need a crutch on which to lean their lame-o domestic and relationship habits. Now let’s see what the good doctor has to say when we talk about being addicted to love: Recovering drug addicts are never supposed to do drugs again; recovering alcoholics are never supposed to drink again. So does that mean people suffering...

Cheating Without Sex: Signs You're Having an Emotional Affair

Genetics and Health — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:21:39 +0100

For the record: I am not having an emotional affair. I need to articulate that very clearly because it gets a little uncomfortable when visiting my in-laws and they ask me what I’m writing about these days. “Emotional affairs,” I say. “Again?” I really did not set out to become an emotional affair expert. I did not major in “Infidelity Studies” at college. I wrote my first article on this topic three years ago because I noticed a very clear pattern in the mail I received from my readers. Over and over again I would read about a kind of romantic relationship outside of marriage that kept a person stuck in depression or anxiety. Countless readers were investing themselves into uncommitted relationships with the opposite sex expecting to get their needs met when no promises or e...

Last Night's Parenthood: You Can't Make Someone Love You

Genetics and Health — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:38:55 +0100

Last night on NBC’s Parenthood, Crosby learned a valuable life lesson the hard way. Or, rather, Crosby didn’t learn a valuable life lesson at all. He had cheated on his fiancee, Jasmine (pictured), in a sloppy one-night stand, which caused her to kick him out of their apartment, and pretty much say: It’s over. Crosby then reacted by doing what most men do when they realize that they’ve been caught or they messed up or they understand that they’re about to lose someone or something that’s very important to them: He panicked. When this kind of thing happens, the cheater (in this case a man, but could easily be a woman) tends to overcompensate. He acts rashly — kind of like he did when he had the one-night-stand in the first place. He’s suddenly...

Your Open Marriage Will Never Work and That's Okay

Genetics and Health — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:23:41 +0100

Last week I ran a post called An Open Marriage Can Save Your Relationship, which featured a Q&A with and advice from psychotherapist and sexpert Dr. Julie Elledge, who maintained that truly healthy open marriages are possible. But even though I published the post (and asked her the questions), I have to disagree with the good doctor about one thing and say: You open marriage will never work. And here’s why. I am married. But that doesn’t mean I think that lifelong monogamy is the only normal, healthy, feasible option out there. I don’t. In fact, on its worst day, lifelong monogamy seems pretty damn unsustainable; on its best day, it’s an utterly bizarre concept. Still, in most “unopened” (that is, not open) marriages, like mine, the monogamy issue is...

Rebutting Last Night's Parenthood: Once a Cheater, Not Always a Cheater

Genetics and Health — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:39:52 +0100

The TV really is something: Yesterday we ran a Blisstree post called My Marriage Survived a Cheating Affair and So Can Yours, and wouldn’t you know it that one of the plot lines on last night’s episode of the so-bad-it’s-almost-but-not-quite-good NBC serial drama Parenthood was about dealing with the messy fallout of infidelity in a romantic relationship. To help get you up to speed, Crosby and Jasmine have an adorable six-year-old son together whom Crosby never knew about. (It was kind of a one-night-stand thing.) But they’ve been a couple for a year or so now, and got engaged on a recent episode. Tensions and problems began to arise, as they have a tendency to do in relationships in life and art (if you can call Parenthood art; I can’t). Jasmine is being too...

My Marriage Survived a Cheating Affair and So Can Yours

Genetics and Health — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:48:55 +0100

My marriage survived a cheating affair. At least, it’s survived so far. This episode of infidelity occurred less than two years into our marriage, though my husband, Paul, and I had been together for many years beforehand. And neither of us had ever cheated on each other before. It was a one-night, one-time indiscretion (not that I’m making excuses) that happened during a four-day work conference clear across the country (cliched, I know). Oh, and I wasn’t the cheater. He was. My husband didn’t know this other woman; they met at the work conference. As often happens at these kinds of boring functions, much drinking ensued during the post-seminar evening hours (again, not an excuse, just saying). Unpleasant story short: Paul got drunk. The woman got drunk. They ended...

5 Sex Questions I'd Like to Ask Dr. Ruth Westheimer

Genetics and Health — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:15:28 +0100

Dr. Ruth Westheimer This afternoon I rode the elevator with Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Our brief encounter (if you can call it that) only lasted a minute, because I was riding up to the 9th floor, while Dr. Ruth got off on the second with a gentleman who appeared to be her assistant. (She’s almost 83, so I’ll give her a pass for skipping the one flight of stairs.) I grew up listening to the distinctive voice of this seminal sex therapist (no pun intended) on her radio show Sexually Speaking in my parents’ car (not sure how my conservative folks allowed that), and, more likely, on the portable stereo in my room — probably as I was wearing a Swatch watch and a Forenza sweater over a pair of Bongo jeans. At 4’7″, this German-born orphan (her parents were murdered...

With So Many Health Benefits, We Should Be Teaching Masturbation to Our Kids

Genetics and Health — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:47:28 +0100

Dr. Julie Elledge Since the sexual revolution of the 1960s, we’ve come a long way in terms of talking openly about women’s sexual health. Or have we? Let’s face it: Masturbation in our society as a whole (at least in the U.S.) remains a taboo subject, particularly with regard to women. Of course, when it comes to a guy jerking off, it’s perfectly acceptable for that image and act to be the recurring punchline in any number of movies and TV shows. But if women do masturbate, they certainly aren’t expected or encouraged to talk about it. This unfair double-standard has always bothered me, so I asked Dr. Julie Elledge — a psychotherapist for individuals and couples who deals with many issues of sexual health — about some of the physical and mental hea...

Hall Pass: Instead of Husbands and Wives, Take a Break From Toxic Friends and Family

Genetics and Health — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:01:14 +0100

Owen Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Jason Sudeikis, and Christina Applegate in "Hall Pass" Hall Pass is basically the big-budget (and not nearly as entertaining) version of last fall’s indie flick The Freebie, which I blogged about on Blisstree a while back. The flawed, rom-com Hollywood logic in both films goes something like this: Couple has been married for a while, ennui sets in, husband’s eye wanders, wife gives husband a week off marriage in order to rekindle the spark (or, in the case of The Freebie, the couple gives each other one night off work/marriage), hilarity ensues, lessons are learned. On screen, this simplistic concept either works (couple realizes how good they have it) or it doesn’t (couple breaks up over infidelity and moves on), but in real life, th...

Tracy McMillan Is Wrong: Our Takedown of HuffPo's Controversial "Why You're Not Married"

A Hearty Life — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:26:25 +0100

Therese Borchard This is author Therese Borchard’s second post for Blisstree; she’ll be blogging for us on a weekly basis about all kinds of mental health, depression, and therapy issues. Find her debut post here. Have a question for Therese? Leave it in our comments section, below. Maybe it’s because I just turned 40 over the weekend, or maybe it’s because I was asked to be a “relationship expert” for a dating website a few days ago (LOL), or that TV writer Tracy McMillan’s recent HuffPo piece “Why You’re Not Married” got under my skin, but I can’t stop thinking about how I ended up married with two kids when I was the one labeled in college “most likely to become an old maid” because 1. I preferred a tiny closet of a room for me and only me over a roomy ...

Relationship Woes: When a Partner Picks Friends Over His Wife

Genetics and Health — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:09:48 +0100

"The Boys From Brazil" (1978) It was simple: My husband and I were just supposed to go someplace warm for a long weekend in March. We had gone away over the Christmas holidays, but the trip was a total bust, thanks to a raging case of bronchitis I developed on the Eurostar from London to Paris. (I know, I know — luxury problems. But you try being 16 weeks pregnant and quarantined in a tiny rental apartment for four days with an incessant cough, a measly four TV channels (in French, obviously), zero medication allowed, and a dying laptop battery — no charger adapter, either). Merde. On the bright side? I had plenty of Vicks-VapoRub-scented tissues thanks to the well-stocked pharmacy on the corner. Our “babymoon” (a loathesome term, in my opinion) had morphe...

Valentine's Advice From the Hopelessly Unromantic

Genetics and Health — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:02:56 +0100

photo: Thinkstock A few years ago, a friend of mine broke up with a terrific guy. Smart, funny, successful, and good-looking, he was, in anyone’s eyes, a great catch. So when I asked her why she let him go, I was completely and utterly shocked by her answer. “He’s just not romantic,” she said. My jaw hit the floor. Why? I’m just not a romantic. I don’t enjoy flowers. I hate candy. And I would quite literally cringe if someone ever attempted to sing me a love song or write me a poem. My husband is the same way. We don’t (and hopefully never will) stare lovingly at each other or whisper sweet nothings into each other’s ears. In fact, when we make an attempt at romance it usually goes completely awry. Case in point: Years ago, on our honeymoon, my husband set up a full can...

Blatant Commercialism: Why I Secretly Love Valentine's Day

Genetics and Health — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:36:50 +0100

photo: Thinkstock I have a dirty little secret. As with many things, I blame it on my parents and my Catholic school upbringing. I went to an all-girls Catholic high school, and yes, we all wore bouncy little checked skirts of the variety that child molesters favor and yes, there were nuns, though it’s worth noting that we never washed our super sexy wool (winter) or polyester (spring) skirts, and that the nuns got called back to the nunnery shortly after I graduated due to some unspecified scandal. They never returned. In my high school, there were also bathrooms that smelled distinctly of vomit around prom time, and a strange importance placed on Valentine’s Day. It was a big, creepy deal in teen-girl prison. The flowers – mostly garish, generic red roses or carnation bouquets of t...

5 Valentine's Day Sex Tips for the Romantically Timid

Genetics and Health — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:22:00 +0100

photo: Thinkstock Couples may be ahead of singles when it comes to frequency of sex, but that doesn’t mean it’s good sex. In fact, we all know that when you’ve been in a relationship for long enough, sometimes sex is just…sex. And though we all have friends who are uninhibited when it comes to pushing the boundaries of bedroom behavior, I’m willing to bet that the majority of us aren’t ordering sex toys online on a regular basis. (But if you are, check out our 10 Eco-Friendly Sex Toys for Valentine’s Day.) For those of us with a shallow sexually adventurous streak, we called on Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., research scientist at Indiana University and author of Because It Feels Good: A Woman’s Guide to Sexual Pleasure and Satisfaction, to give us her top five sex ...

Relationship Advice: My Ex Hit On Me In Front of His New Girlfriend

Genetics and Health — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 19:43:16 +0100

Victor the Cat is back to attempt to solve all your romantic relationship problems. If you have a tough question you’d like Victor to tackle, just leave it in our comments section, below (anonymously, if you like), and he’ll try to answer it next time. Dear Victor the Cat: I have an ex-boyfriend who I’m still friends with – we’ll call him Ted. Ted and I aren’t BFF, but we’ve stayed friendly and have a lot of friends in common. A few weeks ago, he and his new girlfriend hosted a dinner party that I attended. During the dinner, I noticed I had gotten some text messages – they were from Ted, telling me how hot I looked that night and how he couldn’t stop staring at me. I didn’t respond, and I split as soon as dinner was over, but I have no idea how to handle th...

Blisstree Valentine's Day Giveaway: We-Vibe II Couples Vibrator

Genetics and Health — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:03:47 +0100

This Valentine’s Day, you could be a boring old traditionalist and go the dinner, flowers, chocolates, lingerie, perfume, or teddy bear route. Or you could step things up in the bedroom with the We-Vibe II couples vibrator – which will give pleasure that lasts a lot longer than any of the aforementioned gifts, except for maybe the teddy bear. And to celebrate hearts, store-bought cards, and made-up holidays, we’re giving away a We-Vibe II couples vibrator to one lucky Blisstree reader, just for commenting on this post. Read on for details on how to enter. This compact, colorful (ruby, purple, or teal) sex toy fits inside her during vaginal intercourse, providing maximum pleasure by stimulating both the G-spot and the clitoris. Oh, and there’s plenty of room for him, too...

Poll: How Celibate Is Your Marriage or Relationship?

Genetics and Health — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:41:07 +0100

photo: Thinkstock Seems like we hit a delicate nerve with our recent post Celibacy In Marriage: Pros and Cons, which featured expert sex and relationship advice from well-known psychotherapist Dr. Robi Ludwig. Hundreds of readers have commented on our celibacy posts, which likely means that there are hundreds more of you who have kept your mouths shut about this subject. But we want to know about your relationship, and we want the truth. Is it sexless sometimes? All the time? How long has it been that way? Take our (anonymous) poll: Now tell us (also anonymously, don’t worry) why you think your sexless or sort-of-sexless relationship is the way it is, and how you feel about it, in our comments section, below: Post from: BlissTree Poll: How Celibate Is Your Marriage or Relationship? ...

Don’t Fall for Infidelity

World of Psychology — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:23:36 +0100

I’m annoyed by infidelity. What’s gotten me so annoyed to write about it are radio advertisements I hear for a website that encourages people to cheat on their spouse or significant other, acting as though it were a common or even normal experience. Infidelity — or cheating, as people often refer to it — is neither common nor normal. If you’ve come to the fork in the road where you’ve cheated or are considering cheating on your partner, it’s time to acknowledge another reality — your primary romantic relationship is in trouble. Serious trouble. You can go down the easy road and cheat — because, after all, somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of people in relationships do. Or you can acknowledge something is going on with your relationshi...

Celibacy In Marriage: Pros and Cons

Genetics and Health — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:55:39 +0100

Dr. Robi Ludwig So many of you have commented on Marye Audet’s post from 2008, The Celibate Marriage: Living Without Sex, that we thought it was high time for a follow-up. So I picked out six of your most intriguing, disturbing, and thought-provoking comments on the subject, and asked renowned psychotherapist Dr. Robi Ludwig (you’ve probably seen her on TV), to weigh in on them. Of course, despite being a relationship expert, Dr. Robi can’t diagnose anyone’s relationship problems (be they physical, emotional, or sexual) via the Web, but in this case, her advice about celibacy in marriage is pretty spot-on. See what you think, and then sound off (anonymously, if you like) in our comments section, below. Blisstree Reader Comment: By Stuck , 87 days ago I have been s...

Marriage: How to Sleep Separately Without Getting Divorced

Genetics and Health — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:04:09 +0100

photo: Thinkstock On Friday afternoon I wrote a post about my husband’s “dream” to have separate bedrooms, and several Blisstree readers have already made their strong opinions known about the subject in our comments section. (Keep them coming, people!) I’d like to address one specific reader’s comments in this follow-up post. I’m very grateful to this reader (Katie) for sharing her thoughts, because they bring up other important aspects of the separate bedrooms debate. Here’s Katie’s comment, which has been edited for clarity: A marriage or relationship is in trouble when a couple can’t even stand to be in the same room together while sleeping. The wife in this article wants to come to bed after her husband is asleep, then make the room no...

Marriage: In Praise of Separate Bedrooms

Genetics and Health — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 22:00:44 +0100

photo: Thinkstock My husband has a dream: Separate bedrooms. It’s a dream he’s had for a while. It’s a simple dream, yet one that can create serious complications in a marriage. And two single beds in the same room a la Lucy and Ricky won’t do. In his dreamland, my husband requires his own bedroom with his own bed, and a door that closes. But the reality is that we live in New York City, where having an apartment with an extra room is the equivalent of winning a $300 million Powerball lottery (and as likely). Don’t get me wrong: My marriage isn’t in trouble (that I know of). My husband doesn’t want his own bedroom because we fight and slam doors and need to spend time apart. (Although we’re perfectly capable of doing all of the above.) He dre...

Relationship Advice: How to Deal With Your Partner's Crazy Ex

Genetics and Health — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:44:34 +0100

Victor the Cat, Blisstree’s resident relationship columnist is back to help you with your relationship dramas and dilemmas in 2011, starting with this one about a crazy ex who can’t seem to let go of her ex-boyfriend, even when he’s your current beau. Hello Victor the Cat: I’ve got a frustrating dilemma. My boyfriend and I have been together for one blissful year. I have — literally — no complaints and plenty of compliments about our relationship. He and his previous girlfriend broke up about 1 1/2 years before we met. Theirs was a complicated relationship for about four years. In hindsight, my boyfriend feels that they were never really that well matched, and is very glad they broke up, although it was very painful for him when it happened. About a mont...

Counterpoint: A Different Approach to Getting Over a Broken Heart

Genetics and Health — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:08:42 +0100

photo: Thinkstock Judging from the almost 2,000 comments our readers have made on Sara Ost’s 2007 post How to Get Over a Broken Heart, we gather that this subject is pretty important to you. But, while I appreciate much of what Sara wrote in her post, I have a slightly different take on the whole “how to get over a broken heart” thing. Personally, I don’t believe that exercise, ice cream, breakup music, hanging out with friends, or avocados will help end your heartache. They may, however, make you feel physically or mentally better as a person (albeit temporarily), but they won’t lessen your emotional pain or help you get over the actual person. Unfortunately, nothing will. Except, perhaps, the one intangible thing that you wish you could speed up, just this o...

Wedding Vows: Do Homewreckers Deserve to Celebrate Marriage?

Genetics and Health — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 18:00:25 +0100

John Partilla and Carol Anne Riddell's photo in the New York Times "Vows" section. Last weekend’s New York Times “Vows” column featured a big, beautiful wedding much like any other, except for one unsavory detail: The bride and groom had fallen in love while married, and left their spouses in order to be with each other. Oh, and there were kids involved. (Homewreckers!) And their families had gone on vacation together. (Harsh.) John Partilla and Carol Anne Riddell’s scandalous story has provoked a cascade of user comments and blog posts, and even landed the couple a spot on The Today Show. (The couple was smart enough to turn down an actual appearance, but the show brought on psychologists to analyze their situation, below). The fact that the Times...

Blisstree Relationship Advice: Long-Distance Love Affairs

Genetics and Health — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 22:00:36 +0100

Our sage feline, Victor the Cat, returns with romantic relationship advice for the weary. This week is all about the complexities of long-distance love affairs. Dear Victor the Cat, This guy I kind of knew in high school and I started Facebooking a little over a year ago. We met up in person in early August and spent an amazing five hours together, after which we kissed. At the time, I lived in Berkeley and he lived in Los Angeles. We then continued communicating on Facebook and texting and also began talking on the phone. Pretty soon we were talking every day for hours. I wasn’t sure how I felt about him in the beginning, but I really began to like him, and he told me he really liked me, too. The problem is that he had to move to New York to do his rotations. (He’s a medical s...

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Genetics and Health — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 23:00:08 +0100

Can you safely (and regularly) sleep with your ex-husband without repercussions? (via The Frisky) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Genetics and Health)

Would You Use Facebook Evidence to Get a Divorce?

Genetics and Health — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:30:09 +0100

photo: Thinkstock Check out this post about Facebook and divorce by Jennifer Barton on Lemondrop. Whatever happened to the good old days when a mysterious expensive jewelry purchase was evidence of cheating? Now, all it takes is a distinctly unglamorous poke on Facebook. In fact, the social networking site has been blamed for its involvement in one in every five divorces, according to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Many of these indiscretions involve past lovers reconnecting via the site. 80 percent of divorce lawyers surveyed also said that there’s been a sharp rise in the number of cases using social media as evidence of cheating, with flirty messages and photos cited as proof of irreconcilable differences or inappropriate behavior. Keep reading on Lemondrop. Post fro...

You Want to Be Exclusive, He Doesn't? Relationship Advice From Victor the Cat

Genetics and Health — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:53:54 +0100

Dear Victor the Cat: I got back together with an ex about a year ago, but he didn’t want to commit to a serious relationship, preferring that we keep it casual (meaning he has freedom to sleep with other women). I thought our “relationship” would fade away when he moved to another city this fall to go to grad school. But he’s kept in constant contact, and we talk daily. He even still tells me that he loves me. But whenever I bring up the idea of us becoming exclusive, he refuses to discuss it. I’m dating other people, but it makes me feel guilty. And thinking of him being with another woman makes me feel sick. What should I do? Signed, Stuck and Sad Dear Stuck and Sad: You seem nice, so I’m going to give you some kitty-cat straight talk. Why is this guy ...

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Genetics and Health — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 21:19:57 +0100

Does DNA determine if your fella cheats on you? If your guy’s a sleazebag, he may want to blame genetics. (via Vitamin G) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Genetics and Health)

Hey Tipper and Al: Why Divorce After 40 Years?

World of Psychology — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 20:53:20 +0100

I’m the skeptical, jaded type who believes the passionate kiss former Vice President Al Gore and his wife Tipper exchanged in front of the Democratic National Convention in July of 2004 was most likely staged. But I am truly puzzled, with the rest of America, on why a couple who seemed so together is now splitting after 40 years. I’m not only puzzled, but also disheartened. Because I respect and admire couples who have made it beyond their silver anniversary. Like everyone else confused by the Gores decision, I suppose I attach a layer of immunity to the partners who’ve raised their kids, launching them successfully. Now they are safe to buy that double burial lot because, like or not, they are sticking together. No so, says Betsey Stevenson, an economist at the Universi...

Turns Out, Unfaithful Men Have Unique Personalities!

A Hearty Life — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:00:46 +0100

photo: Thinkstock Check out this post about serial cheaters by Liz Ozaist on Lemondrop. We’ve either dated them or had the unfortunate opportunity to meet them through friends who’ve made the mistake of marrying them. We’re talking about controlling, mega-ego men with Lothario tendencies. You know, good guys like “Mad Max” star Mel Gibson. Psychologist Dr. Abby Rosen and author of a new book, “Lasting Transformation,” knows them so well that she’s even given a name to their type: NCCDPD. It’s a mouthful — just like these men can be a handful — so we asked Rosen to dish on the curious disorder. Lemondrop: We’ve recently watched several high-profile men publicly implode what appeared to be solid marriages thanks to infi...

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Healthbolt — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:41:40 +0100

A Chilean Miner: Has been offered $100k to be the spokesman for an online cheating site. (via The Frisky) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt)

The Dream Police: Sex Dreams About Your Partner's Pals? Take Our Poll

Healthbolt — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 22:04:15 +0100

Share your stories (anonymously, of course) in the comments section, below. Whether or not you tell anyone about them, have your sex dreams about your partner/spouse’s pals ever changed the dynamic of your relationships? Dish. Post from: BlissTree The Dream Police: Sex Dreams About Your Partner's Pals? Take Our Poll (Source: Healthbolt)

Dramatic or Dull: 10 TV Relationships We're Glad We're Not In

Healthbolt — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 19:20:04 +0100

Watching TV is such an ego boost. Look at all the crazy relationships they’ve got going on inside that small screen! Sure, the characters have perfect teeth, expertly maintained figures, and shelter-magazine-worthy homes. And of course we’re jealous of all that. But we sure as hell don’t envy their romantic situations, whether they’re as dull as a doorknob or as dramatic as a David Mamet monologue. However, they’re all addictively fun to watch, because they make us feel better and superior about our own lives and relationships. (Thank you, tee-vee.) Yes, we know it’s just acting (and sometimes bad acting at that, Brothers & Sisters and Parenthood), but we’d like you to meet 10 TV relationships we’re thankful we’re not having. ...

Open Relationships: What Makes Them Work?

Healthbolt — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 21:33:57 +0100

photo via Your Tango We’ve been talking quite a bit lately about letting your partner have a “night off,” which is why a post from YourTango called 7 Tips for Beginning an Open Relationship caught our attention. You can read all the rules for yourself, but the success of an open relationship seems to depend upon honesty, communication, and trust. Possible? We’re skeptical. Have you ever had an open relationship? We want the dish: Did it work? Or was it a complete disaster? Comment away – and remember, you can do so anonymously. via YourTango Post from: BlissTree Open Relationships: What Makes Them Work? (Source: Healthbolt)

Every time I hear Tom Cruise’s character profess those three dreaded words to Renée Zellweger’s Dorothy near the end of “Jerry Maguire,” I get shivers (and not the good kind). In real life, “You deplete me” is often more accurate.

Healthbolt — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:00:21 +0100

– Blisstree Editor-in-Chief, Christine Egan, from her post Relationships: The Great Soulmate Debate Post from: BlissTree Every time I hear Tom Cruise’s character profess those three dreaded words to Renée Zellweger’s Dorothy near the end of “Jerry Maguire,” I get shivers (and not the good kind). In real life, “You deplete me” is often more accurate. (Source: Healthbolt)

Would You Have a One-Night Stand If It Could Re-Energize Your Committed Relationship?

Healthbolt — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:14:47 +0100

So last night I saw a screening of The Freebie, a new indie film that opens today in select cities, is helmed by first-time director Katie Aselton, and stars Ms. Aselton and Dax Shepard (of NBC’s treacly series Parenthood) in the leading roles. Now, I’m always prepared to loathe dramatic movies that don’t rely on a real script, where the actors ad-lib the majority of their allegedly profound dialogue. (And if I never see another loaded dinner-party scene with 30-something characters laughing, interrupting each other, and hitting the audience over the head with the film’s subtext, it’ll be too soon.) But I’m not a film reviewer, and this post isn’t a film review. (Besides, I actually liked the movie, despite my best efforts not to. It was well-acted...

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Healthbolt — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:00:56 +0100

Check out these 5 new ways to catch a cheater – the relationship kind, not the high school pop quiz kind. (via Betty Confidential) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt)

Keep Your Relationship Cheat-Free: Earn The Same Amount As Your Partner

Healthbolt — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:37:56 +0100

A recent study led by sociologist Christen Munsch from Cornell University indicates that men who are financially dependent on a female partner are much more likely to cheat than those who earn the same amount as their partner. And if you think this means that men need to earn more than women to be happy? Men who are the sole financial providers in a relationship are also more likely to cheat.So what’s the winning combo? Couples who make the same amount of money, or couples where the woman makes up to 75% of the man’s income, are the least likely to cheat. Though the reasoning could have to do with a variety of factors, Musch reasons that men who earn less than their female partners might feel emasculated by the imbalance (duh). The other ones? Well, they’re just jerks who...

We're Here to Help: Top 10 Blisstree Posts of Last Week

Breastfeeding 1-2-3 — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 17:00:45 +0100

It’s the weekend once again and here we are, as always, making it super-easy to check out all the best posts from Blisstree last week that you may have missed. (Shame on you.) 1. Top 10 Weight Loss Tips From Our Hunky Naturopathic Doctor 2. 7 Questions for a Colon Therapist Named Sharon Stone 3. Vegan Avocado “Fries” and Ketchup Recipe From Raw Chef Doug McNish 4. BOOTYCamp! In Action With Lacey Stone: A Photo Gallery 5. My Quest to Quit Smoking Continues (Or, Becoming an Ex Sucks) 6. Equinox Fitness Trainers Lacey Stone and Annie Galovich Do the Madhouse Scramble: Video of the Day 7. Eco-Friendly Shopping: 10 Backyard Supplies Under $10 8. Is Thinking About Cheating Actually Cheating? Poll of the Day 9. BOOTYCamp! Before and After Money Shot: Cast Your Vote 10. Elemental...

Thank God My Husband Is a Lazy Bastard

Healthbolt — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:04:24 +0100

Alleged philanderer Jesse James With Jesse James joining the likes of Tiger Woods, John Edwards, Mark Sanford, Eliot Spitzer, and David Letterman as the latest in a very long line of celebrity males admitting bizarre, pathetic, and downright sleazy acts of infidelity, I can honestly say that I would not want to trade places with their wives for anything – not the money, fame, power, glamour, mansions, or Academy Awards (okay, maybe for an Oscar). Elin, Elizabeth, Jenny, Silda, Regina, and now Sandra, you have my deepest sympathies, but I will never know what it’s like to be in your very expensive designer shoes. That’s because I know for a fact that my husband would never have an affair. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Poor, naïve woman. Never say never. No one goes into a marri...

Today's Random Poll: Cheater!

Healthbolt — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 22:33:37 +0100

John Edwards, philanderer (photo: WENN.com) Following up on our Quote of the Day (thank you, Tiger!), Blisstree wants to know what you think about the issue of extramarital affairs. Would you stay with a John Edwards or a Mark Sanford? Take our anonymous poll. #MicroPollDiv_241884 { width: 250px; margin: 0px auto; } Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt)

David Vitter, Eliot Spitzer, and Now John Edwards: The Disposition Is Weaker than the Situation

The Situationist — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 05:05:40 +0100

Last summer we published the post below in response to the sex scandal du jour involving David Vitter. In March we republished it in the wake of Eliot Spitzer’s remarkable “indiscretions.” The latest John Edwards confession had us dusting off this post yet again. (We have little doubt that we’ll be posting it again, which is part of our point.) The Vitter story has much in common with the most recent scandal to titillate, enrage, and otherwise occupy the press and the public. We’ve republished the Vitter post below, and leave it to our readers to assess its relevance for the John Edwards scandal. * * * Senator David Vitter achieved much of his success by professing steadfast allegiance to “traditional family values” and punitive intolerance for t...

Slow version serial killer

American Center for Surreal and Paranoid Life — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:59:00 +0100

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