How can I teach my ex what I've learned while we were apart? [more inside]
posted by blackcatcuriouser on Dec 15, 2009 - 16 answers

How should I go about handling my (very) mentally ill father who goes through (primarily) emotionally/psychologically abusive phases with anyone he holds a relationship with? Completely cutting off contact is probably not a solution for a few reasons. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 3, 2009 - 23 answers

My bf calls me cold. I am 29 and he is 34. The only other time this has happened to me was when I was a child. My grandmother and aunt (they raised me) used the same word to describe me. I generally consider myself an emotional person. Not touchy feely or especially warm. But, at any given moment I can laugh about anything or cry about something. I can intuit other peoples moods easily. I am definitely an introvert and would hardly ever choose to spend time with other people if I can be alone. I love to be alone. These days my relationship with my family is pretty good. I see them every couple of weeks. I don’t have friends and I am not social but I do get along with people without any problems. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 13, 2009 - 50 answers

I find myself longing to be blunt about how I'm feeling and what I want in relationships, but I worry that I'll shoot myself in the foot if I don't play the dating game. Should I stop trafficking in ambiguity and try some plain dealing for a change? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 23, 2009 - 20 answers

I've been out of contact with a certain friend for about five years now. She'd been dealing with bipolar (and relationship) issues for a while before then, but I'd never witnessed any signs myself. On a lark I recently decided to see if she was in the customer database at work, and she was, but I didn't open the profile. I've worried about her from time to time, but while it's tempting, I don't feel like I should look up her contact info that way. Is there any circumstance under which I could or should? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 9, 2008 - 13 answers

Met this person at work. Liked her. Since I work on the same team; I didn't ask her out on a date (kicking myself about this now). Three weeks later, I think she's interested too but my workload (14-16 hour days) didn't give me time for anything social, let alone going out on dates. Then she got a long term (1 year?) assignment in another country. She left. That's when I woke up, had a long conversation over IM where we both realized we were interested in each other and she had been waiting for me to ask her out. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 11, 2008 - 21 answers

I need help understanding how my hyper-smart geek husband's brain works. I want to give him the understanding he craves but am having a hard time inhabiting his plane. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 24, 2008 - 61 answers

How to ask for a divorce after 26 years of marriage? I want to do it in a way that causes as little pain as possible, and makes room for as much constructive problem-solving as possible. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 19, 2008 - 23 answers

What are some good principles and shorthand rules for when you should communicate what you're thinking/feeling to friends/friends-who-are-potential-lovers/lovers. [more inside]
posted by philosophistry on May 23, 2008 - 12 answers

I'm needy--help! (pun intended) [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 3, 2007 - 19 answers

Whenever a relationship question is asked, it seems like the answer is always "communicate". Talk to the person, explain what's wrong, establish the communication barrier. I'm not saying the answer is wrong - after all, it's a requisite answer for a reason - but surely, it's easier said than done? [more inside]
posted by Phire on Oct 14, 2006 - 12 answers

My new lover is one of those lovely geeks. He’s never had a girlfriend. He has no frame of reference for the odd sexual awkwardness, the occasional times of coolness, the unapologetic want to be alone. I’ve had lovers and know this can be worked through, but he doesn’t. Do any former geeks have advice? [more inside]
posted by goofyfoot on Sep 24, 2006 - 41 answers

Give me some ideas to help me avoid calling someone. I am grieving the break-up of a long-term relationship. I dont know if the relationship can be salvaged at any point in the future but if it can be it will only be after we have some space and time apart. What can I do to dampen down the overwhelming desire to call her? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 25, 2006 - 33 answers

DatingFilter: How do I handle dating several women at once? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 14, 2005 - 27 answers

How do you know when you're in love? And when do you say it in a relationship? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jul 20, 2005 - 32 answers

What do you do when your spouse/partner/significant other is just being plain weird? Or rather, when (s)he's not being overtly bizarre, but is setting off your spider-sense all the damn time? [more inside] [more inside]
posted by LittleMissCranky on Mar 5, 2004 - 39 answers