If I had a dollar for every time a straight man has asked me how women havesexwith each other —no really, how??— I would be a wealthy woman. Alas, as I write this article I am not a wealthy woman, but Iama woman who has talked a lot of straight people through the ins and outs ofqueeridentity. While these questions can be invasive, even downright offensive, I’m agenderand sexuality writer. Answering questions about LGBTQ experience is kind of my job....

When the phone buzzed, my heart filled with warmth. With all the news alerts and junk text messages constantly passing through our smartphones, “warm-hearted” is a pretty rare thing to feel from a text notification. I was going through a rough patch, and the buzzing phone was a message from a friend. She had noticed something was up, and she was just reaching out to express concern and tell me she cared....

Many people tend to blame others for their issues. Prime candidates are parents, partners,friends, bosses, and kids. Perhaps these examples sound familiar? It is very tempting to blame others for things going wrong in your life, even personal habits you dislike or your own dysfunctional thought patterns. However, if you rely on blaming others for your own current emotional and mental issues, you are doing yourself a disservice in a multitude of ways....

There are a few things I can always rely on in life: death, taxes, my sister not returning the clothes she borrows,autumn anxiety, and a February funk in the middle of winter gloom. Even though a count of its days says differently, February feels like the longest month of the year every year. And if I don’t do anything about it, I’m expecting the same this year. But just as I’ve learned to not let the “Sunday Scaries” ruin the weekend, I’ve decided not to let the “February Funk” get me down this year....

For those who study and practice psychology, there is a heated debate surrounding repressed memories. In particular, can or should they be recovered, and when recovered, are they actually accurate? While somemental healthpractitioners such as psychologists find repressed memoriescanbe recovered, researchers tend to be less likely to believe in their veracity. To better understand the complexity of this debate, it is important to dig into repressed memories overall. What is Psychological Repression?...

Mistakes linger cruelly in your mind. Something dumb you did in fifth grade can still make you cringe two decades later. And big errors — ones that affect your friends and loved ones — those can depress your entire mood for years at a time. Regret can be painful. Whether you’re regretting a long-lostrelationship, hating yourself for hurt you caused your friend, or simply focused on a poorly thought-out comment, the notion that youshould have been bettermay preoccupy your mind....

Updated 7/26/2022 There are few things more devastating in life than loss. Unfortunately, in our hectic culture, many of us don’t get much time and space to deal with the aftermath of loss. Yet it’s inevitable that we all go through a process of grief after losing someone we cherished, especially when it’s a family member or loved one. In fact, psychologists have identified some universal stages of grief that are commonly experienced after losing someone or something in life....

The word “therapy” often brings to mind a specific scene: the patient on a couch, the therapist on a chair, and a box of tissues on a side table. But a number of unique therapeutic practices replace the traditional counselor’s office with something new — a horse, a chessboard, or even the great outdoors. These seven novel kinds of therapy may seem strange, but they have proven benefits. Could one of them work for you?...

As difficult as it is to accept, we are all going to be faced withhard times— moments where “life happens,” little is under our control, and we feel as though we might not be able to make it through. Some say that the key to surviving times like this is a little thing calledresilience. And sometimes all it takes to get kick started is perusing some inspiring quotes about resilience....

Breakups suck — even if you’re the one doing the breaking up. This assumes you have a heart, since you’re reading this in hopes of avoiding jerk status. Unfortunately, breakups are an inevitable part ofrelationshiplife. Think about it:everyrelationship you’re in can’t last forever, right? Sometimes you’re going to be the one getting dumped, and sometimes you’re the one who’s going to be deciding to split. To be a respectful human and have good break-up karma, you’ll want to have good breakup etiquette....

In a toxic relationship, both people develop unhealthy behaviors and treat each other disrespectfully. While one person in the relationship may engage in more toxic behaviors than the other, they don’t exert overwhelming control over the other person. Instead, one or both partners engage in behaviors that make the relationship unhealthy, sucking the life and joy out of it, and making it more of a chore than a support. It’s hard to admit wrong and be accountable....

Entering arelationshipslowly? Can’t relate. Any relationship — or quasi-relationship — I’ve been in has been pedal to the metal, full speed ahead…and that has its pros and cons. If you’ve been keeping up with celebrity news lately, you’ve probably noticed the trend of speedy relationships, particularly when it comes to engagements and weddings. Exhibit A:Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande, who notoriously got engaged and moved into a lavish apartment together one month into dating....

Social connection, interaction, and support are essential for humans to maintain optimal health and happiness. When we’re isolated from others or feel like we’re on our own in life, it can lead to feelings of loneliness and sadness. These feelings can lead to depression and a decreased sense of self-worth if not dealt with. This is why it’s so vital that we learn to recognize symptoms and understand how to deal with loneliness in life....

When is the last time you took the elevator, rode the subway, or waited in line at the grocery store without getting sucked intoInstagram? My answer to this question is bleak. Instagram hit1 billion monthlyusers in the summer of 2018, and has been experiencing faster growth than the oh-so-popular Facebook and Snapchat platforms. What’s behind our collective desire to incessantly check this simple, yet tantalizing photo-sharing app? Here’s what the research says....

The 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, famously once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” This couldn’t be more true now that comparisons take place 24/7 online. When you compare, your view becomes distorted — you diminish your own value, disconnect yourself for your own life and relationships, and feel depleted — and yet we all do it and can’t stop. Sometimes it’s scrolling through Facebook, wondering howevery friendhas been accepted to graduate school, gotten married and has a beautiful family, or snagged the perfect job....