As a therapist, I will tell you (RLS) with all respect and tact what I would tell a patient in this situation:

RUN.

You’ve given more than enough of yourself to this other person. You’ve sacrificed enough. This was your first time out of the gate, and you need to (re)develop yourself as an individual. You’ve got a…

She took her (understandable) frustration about her life being on hold for a year due to medical issues out on you by setting you up to fail so she could justify having accepted your help for all that time and then immediately breaking up as soon as she didn’t need the help anymore.

It’s super shitty and she’ll have to…

So many people have said this in one way or another and it’s true; Your ex is your ex for a REASON. The people who say “Oh it’ll be different this time, I’ve learned from my mistakes.” are the ones who make the exact same mistakes over and over again in dating. When you try dating your ex again, it’s like wanting to…

I’ve recently been going through something relatively similar with my wife. Except the health issues were psychological, and the “distance” was “cheating”. We’re getting separated now, but it’s fucking heartbreaking and, to be honest, the reasoning behind it is maddening, because she thinks her issues will magically…

This.

I really liked this post. I went through something similar and made the same mistakes. In the end, if you do the work (get your shit together, solve your issues, analyze what went wrong and why), you OPEN your eyes, see everything clearer and end up a way better person, more independent and aware. That makes a world…

This was a really good one, Dr. Nerdlove. I’m particularly fond of ““On a break” is the break-up equivalent of “just the tip”” and the bit about how an ex represents the known. Really well said.

My girlfriend went through a pretty tough time 1 1/2 years back with anxiety and depression. I remember being at my brothers house for Christmas not even a month after my mother passed away and on Christmas Eve hearing about how terrible a time she was having with her parents [due to an anxiety attack she believes was…

You’re still young, so this seems like the biggest deal ever, and you believe you see enough potential in this to work. Maybe it can, maybe it won’t. You still have many years to grow up a bit emotionally, psychologically etc etc through life experience and whatnot. Mid 20s is a crazy ass time, and you’ll find…

It was your first relationship. You think it was true love. It wasn’t. You’ve romanticized it in your head because you have nothing to compare it to. You moved in too early. You stayed in it too long. You’re finally free. FIND SOMEONE ELSE. Do you know what the odds are of finding your one true love with your first…

Should I get back toge...

Gotta admit. The last bit made me really laugh.

It begins...

Well, I guess my budget is 95% chocolate now.

This makes good sense. It also makes me feel a bit better about my gym membership. I only go two times a week for the last few months (I go to my favourite fitness classes), and it feels extravagant. I refuse to cut it out though, and would rather sacrifice eating out and new clothes because I get so much happiness…

Sure, but the sentences that come after “spend less than you earn” can be helpful. I usually follow it up with, when you get a raise, don’t increase your spending right along with it. Either don’t increase your spending at all or don’t increase it more than 10% of the difference between your old income and new income.…

This is akin to “Eat less, move more”