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Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
My ex-girlfriend used me for sex. How do I move on from the betrayal?
My last relationship felt like the best sexual relationship I'd ever had. After my marriage ended, exploring intimacy with a new partner with a well-matched libido felt liberating and life-affirming. After a brief split last summer, she reappeared and said she wanted to have sex again but not to resume as a couple. I declined, explaining that intimacy worked for me only in the context of a relationship. She then said she wanted to get back together, so our relationship briefly resumed. Two weeks later she said she wanted out again, leaving me feeling I had been duped and manipulated. The destruction of trust has eroded much of the confidence I had gained. I have found it impossible to consider starting a new relationship. How do I move on from this feeling and untangle the damage? No relationship is perfectly easy and uncomplicated. Most involve periods of uncertainly and confusion. You seem to have a pretty good idea about what you do and don't want, so act on that and take charge of your life. Avoid the pitfalls of viewing yourself as a victim. Remove the things that don't work for you, and never re-enter old problems. Refuse to allow the way you may have been treated in the past to stop you finding better relationships, better sexual experiences. You deserve to be happy; allow yourself to be so. Pamela Stephenson Connolly is a US-based psychotherapist who specialises in treating sexual disorders. If you would like advice from Pamela on sexual matters, send us a brief description of your concerns to (please don't send attachments). Each week, Pamela chooses one problem to answer, which will be published online. She regrets that she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Submissions are subject to our terms and conditions.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
I click with my new man on every level – except he doesn't want to have sex
I started dating someone I really like about two months ago. We click on all levels and he adores me, but he has some complicated circumstances, which means we have no sex life. He has anxiety and takes SSRIs, which reduce his libido. He also takes blood thinners for a coronary issue, which I know precludes the use of erectile dysfunction products. He has also said that he never really felt a lot of lovingness from his previous partners. He says he's attracted to me and likes my body. He kisses me to show his interest and attraction but not in a heavy making-out way. I am a very sensual person. My former partner and I had the best sex I've ever had in my life – however, he could be very distant at times and had poor emotional intelligence and communication with me (unlike my current partner). I have never had this issue with anyone else, so although I understand his vulnerability, I'm unsure what else to do other than wait. For now, I am willing to be patient. I have never had this issue with anyone else so although I understand his vulnerability, I'm unsure other than my plan to wait. You are smart and empathic, and you are correct about the need to be patient and allow the circumstances and reasons to unfold. Not everyone would be so patient and understanding. At present, you seem to be balancing what your needs are against his, but it will be important to make sure his very specific requirements do not become all-consuming. Think about your caregiving qualities and consider whether they are healthy or not; if there is a compulsive aspect to them you may want to pull back. People who overgive – especially when they do it compulsively – often become burnt out, and end up being undervalued. And the recipients of overgiving can fall into a state of learned helplessness, which is not a healthy situation for either partner. Pamela Stephenson Connolly is a US-based psychotherapist who specialises in treating sexual disorders. If you would like advice from Pamela on sexual matters, send us a brief description of your concerns to (please don't send attachments). Each week, Pamela chooses one problem to answer, which will be published online. She regrets that she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Submissions are subject to our terms and conditions.
The Guardian
06-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Guardian
Houseplant clinic: why is my begonia growing lopsided?
What's the problem? I moved my spotted begonia from the kitchen windowsill to the bathroom. It's had a massive growth spurt, and one of the stems has grown really long. Does it need repotting, or is something else going on? Diagnosis It sounds like your begonia is responding to the increased humidity and lower light in the bathroom. While the boost in moisture has probably encouraged lush growth, the extra-long, leggy stem suggests that the plant is stretching in search of light – a process known as etiolation. This can cause the plant to lose its compact, bushy shape as it puts all its energy into reaching towards a brighter spot. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Help! My rubber plant is droopy Prescription It may not need repotting, unless the roots are tightly packed or poking through the drainage holes. Try cutting back the leggy stem to encourage more balanced, bushier growth. You can even propagate the cutting in water or soil to create a new plant. Prevention To keep your begonia in good shape, rotate the pot regularly to encourage even growth. Put it in a spot with bright, indirect light and good humidity. Pruning occasionally will also help it stay full and bushy rather than tall and uneven. Got a plant dilemma? Email saturday@ with 'Houseplant clinic' in the subject line
The Guardian
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Hotel won't budge for Lionesses fan after Booking.com pinwheel reset
This summer I am travelling with a group of friends to Switzerland to support the Lionesses during Euro 2025. At the start of this year I tried to book our accommodation in Zurich on my phone via But while I was doing it I got the 'spinning wheel of death' and when the confirmation for the £1,215 booking arrived from the hotel it showed the date had reset to January and not July, when the tournament is on. I called the hotel straight away and it promised to ring me back. I phoned several more times and was eventually told I was not eligible for a refund. But I didn't want a refund; I just wanted the date of the booking moved. Since then I have followed up in writing to the hotel and also to but have not received a reply. I can't afford to lose this money as it is nearly two weeks' wages. GP, Ascot Your trip to support the Lionesses is costing a pretty penny once the match tickets are included, so this was a big setback. We have all found ourselves at the mercy of the pinwheel but when using an online travel platform such as it is essential to pay close attention during the final stage when the T&Cs are spelled out. I looked at this hotel's availability on 9 July (when England take on the Netherlands) and it has 'non-refundable' rooms and others with 'free cancellation' (until 8 July) for £30-£40 more a night. said: 'Upon reviewing the case, we can see that the customer booked a non-refundable rate and requested to change the dates after the booking was confirmed. In such cases it is at the discretion of the accommodation partner to decide if they agree to a free cancellation and modify the dates, which, unfortunately, in this specific case they declined. However, we can confirm that we have offered the customer a partial refund as a gesture of goodwill, which the customer accepted.' You have been refunded £1,000. It is not the full amount but you are pleased to have some spending money for your trip, on which you will stay in another hotel. We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters is subject to our terms and conditions.
Business Mayor
05-05-2025
- Science
- Business Mayor
Why did Spain and Portugal go dark?
Authorities are still trying to understand what triggered the massive power outage that left the majority of the Iberian Peninsula without electricity on Monday. To understand what might have been at play, and whether there's any truth to claims that renewable energy sources were to blame, Ian Sample hears from Guardian energy correspondent Jillian Ambrose. And Guardian European community affairs correspondent Ashifa Kassam explains what it was like to experience the blackout and how people reacted 'Shipwrecked in the 21st century': how people made it through Europe's worst blackout in living memory Support the Guardian: Continue reading… READ SOURCE
