I'm a college-aged guy with a preoccupied attachment style. My girlfriend is great and does more for me than I probably deserve... however, I constantly feel like she's not there enough. I want desperately to date someone extremely attached to me and extremely assertive (willing to make first moves) since I always end up being the one to initiate things. My girlfriend is understanding and tries to be that for me, but I'm afraid of pushing her away with my worries/dissatisfaction. What can I do? — Anonymous

Thank you for sharing your situation. It’s up to you how you behave in any relationship. Perhaps you might take some time to think about the reasons you think and act the way you and ask yourself some questions such as:

  • What kind of person do I want to be with?
  • What do I do when someone isn’t the way I want them to be?
  • What do I need in a relationship?
  • What’s worked so far, what hasn’t and what would I do differently?
  • What issues do I need to address within myself that will help me feel great and treat myself and my significant other well?
  • What am I doing to make sure I’m as healthy and balanced as possible before bringing someone else into my life?

Feelings such as worry, insecurity, dissatisfaction or need for attachment come from inside the person experiencing them. If you’re feeling things like these you might want to give yourself the gift of talking with a therapist to learn new skills to deal with things and discover how great you are. The happier you are with yourself, the more likely you’ll be able to enjoy your relationships.

Remember that it’s important for each person in the relationship to be healthy and able to appreciate and support the other person. Take care.

Relationship Advice Blog



My boyfriend&I have been going a for about a year. As our relationship grew, so did how i thought about everything I take the most simple thing and turn it into something completely out of content or just so much more complex then it should be. I overthink everything. I know that if i want my relationship to last I need to get rid of that habit I trust my boyfriend so much and he is loyal, but my habit of over thinking makes me think differently it brings out all my insecurities. how can i stop? — Anonymous

Thank you for sharing your situation. One of the keys to a great relationship is to love yourself first. When you love who you are you’ll be so comfortable with yourself that you won’t be insecure about things.

You might take some time to think about what is causing your over thinking and insecurity. Ask yourself questions such as:

  • What is causing my over thinking and insecurity?
  • What events in my life led to the way I think now?
  • What is really happening in my relationship?
  • What might not actually be happening?
  • What is likely to happen in my relationship if I continue thinking like this?
  • What is unlikely to happen?
  • What am I doing to help myself be the happiest and most balanced person possible?
  • What am I doing to make sure I’m happy on my own outside of a romantic relationship?
  • Which of my behaviors make me happy and which don’t?
  • Which behaviors would I change to feel happier?
  • What am I willing to do to work on my over thinking and insecurity?

The idea is to think carefully about the reasons behind the over thinking and do other things that lead you in a positive direction. You might consider giving yourself the gift of talking with a therapist so you can learn how to deal with these thoughts and feelings and celebrate how great you are. It’s a way of treating yourself well.

You get to decide how you behave in any relationship and how you take care of yourself. Remember that you deserve to feel secure about yourself and others and enjoy positive relationships. Take care.



Help me. I've been in a wonderful relationship with the person I love for over a year now. But it's begun to fall apart. We are fighting a lot more than usual. And it's due to my horrible jealously problem. I do everything in my power to make it stop. I try just not caring about his other female friends. But then when one of them invite him to a party or something of that nature, I get so upset I can't help it. We've talked about my problem, but still no improvement. Help!!! — Anonymous

Thank you for sharing your situation. Jealousy is about the person feeling it. It usually comes from feelings of insecurity or low self-esteem (that somehow you don’t measure up). The only way to get rid of it is to boost your self-esteem so that you can enjoy your relationship and life in general.

One of the best ways to boost your self-esteem is to build yourself up by doing some things such as:

  • Participating in activities you love doing.
  • Studying and building up your brain.
  • Exercising.
  • Hanging out with friends.
  • Talking with a therapist.
  • Planning your life.
  • Making a list of all the great things about you and putting it somewhere where you can see it.
  • Living the healthiest and most balanced life you can before getting into a relationship.
  • Focusing on learning about yourself and what brings you fulfillment.

As you build yourself up you’ll find that you see things from a different perspective. Everything seems more positive because you’re living that type of life. The stronger you get, the less jealousy you experience.

You might find it helpful to take some time to figure out who you are and what brings you joy in life (aside from romantic relationships). Celebrate who you are and enjoy your own company. Do things that make you happy to be you. You’re an amazing person who deserves to enjoy life to its fullest without the clouds of jealousy. Take care.



What is insecurity, what can I do or the person being insecure do to help with this feeling? — Anonymous

Thank you for your question. Insecurity is when you feel that you’re not good enough. It’s often a result of low self-esteem. It can cause people to do all kinds of negative things including thinking people don’t like them or are trying to get them.

One of the best ways to feel more secure is to take some time to build yourself up. You might start by asking yourself some questions like:

  • What is causing this feeling of insecurity?
  • What can I do to feel better about myself?
  • What activities do I love doing and how can I do more of those?
  • How can I make sure I’m the healthiest and most balanced person I can be?
  • How is insecurity helping or not helping my life?
  • How does insecurity affect my ability to have a positive relationship?
  • In what ways can I move in a positive direction so I can feel great about myself?

A lot of insecurity occurs when people don’t feel great about themselves and compare themselves to others. The only way to get past that is to feel really good about yourself, to the point where it doesn’t matter what others say. You can achieve this by doing things that move your life in a positive direction instead of staying stuck in the insecurity. The more positive things you do, the better you’ll feel about yourself.

You don’t have to change who you are, just what you do. The next time you feel insecure just replace that thought with a positive thought or do something that builds you up. It takes a lot of practice, but after you do it many times, you’ll eventually be able to get rid of the feelings of insecurity.

If you need help, it’s OK to talk with a counselor who can help you figure out who you are and what you can do to celebrate it. Remember that you deserve to live a life where you feel secure and confident in who you are. Take care.



My boyfriend has a tattoo of his ex girlfriend's and his initials on his arm. He lied to me at first about what it meant and I eventually found out. He said he was embarrassed. We've been together 10 months n it still bothers me a lot...I WANT IT REMOVED THOUGH. It makes me feel so insecure! I don't know how to deal with it. He said he would remove it but hasn't pursued anything since then. I know he feels bad but I feel like she kinda owns him n has something over me sigh :'( — Anonymous

Thank you for sharing your situation. Perhaps you might think about what bothers you about the tattoo by asking yourself questions like:

  • What really bothers me about it?
  • Does how I feel about it match what’s going on in the relationship?
  • What is it inside me that creates the insecurity?
  • What are the positives of the relationship?
  • What are the negatives?
  • If there were no tattoo issue, what kind of person is my boyfriend and how does he treat me?
  • What are some things I can do to take care of myself even if the tattoo doesn’t disappear?

In life, you get to choose how you react to any event or situation. It’s up to you how you resolve issues with your boyfriend. Perhaps you could have a series of conversations where you talk calmly and kindly about the impact the tattoo has on you. Then let him talk and listen to him without interrupting or reacting negatively. The next step might be for the two of you to decide together what to do next in a way that is positive for both of you.

You get to choose who you have a relationship with. Keep in mind that you can’t make other people do things, all you can do is work on yourself and let them know what you need. In the end, you’ll decide if this issue is a deal breaker or not. Take care.



I've liked this guy for ages, and recently decided I needed to stop being so defensive & talk to him, and he's giving back good signs, but our conversations which are mainly online are a bit awkward. I know he flirts with other girls, & Idek but any sort of perceivable interaction he has with the opposite sex (excepting girls I'm friends with) makes me feel.. not jealous.. but I think just mega insecure? and I don't know how to get over it? & how turn our nameless 'thing' into a 'actual' thing? — Anonymous

Thank you for sharing your situation. You might find it helpful to talk with him as if you were just making friends. Hang out with him, ask him questions and talk about things you enjoy. You don’t have to talk with him any certain way or be perfect, just be yourself.

If he’s interested you’ll eventually know; if he’s not, then you can find someone who feels the same way about you. Either way, you’re still a great person. The other thing you might do is tell him how you feel and what you’re thinking about. It’s OK if you don’t say it perfectly, all that matters is being yourself.

Insecurity and jealousy come from inside you. Those type of feelings tend to go away the more you know and love yourself and just behave like yourself. You’re a valuable person and there are people out there who would be happy to be in your life. All you have to do is be yourself and do things you love.

Remember that you deserve to be with someone who likes the real you and appreciates who you are. Take care.