People who practice relationship anarchy, sometimes abbreviated as RA, are beholden to themselves and only themselves when it comes to choosing who they conduct sexual or romantic relationships with and how they do it. Relationship anarchists look to form relationships with people that are based entirely on needs, wants, and desires rather than on socially mandated labels and expectations. Some central tenets of relationship anarchy are freedom, communication, and nonhierarchy. An RA mindset also seeks to dissolve the strict divides between platonic friendship and sexual or romantic love that exist in wider society....

If you’ve ever questioned why it’s hard for people to leave painful partnerships, it’s important to understand the concept of trauma bonding—which points to an abusive and distressing relationship with brief moments of positive reinforcement. “Trauma bonds are the attachments we have with our abusers,” psychotherapist Jourdan Travers, LCSW, tells mbg. “It’s when we have fond feelings or miss individuals who have abused us because we’ve developed a connection to them....

Here’s everything you need to know about the four attachment styles, how they’re formed in childhood, and how to develop a secure attachment style. According to attachment theory, first developed by psychologist Mary Ainsworth and psychiatrist John Bowlby in the 1950s, a person’s attachment style is shaped and developed in early childhood in response to their relationships with their earliest caregivers. Essentially, our adult attachment style is thought to mirror the dynamics we had with our caregivers as infants and children....

In January, to kick off the year, J.Lo and ex (though at the time still boyfriend) A-Rod launched into a 10-day challenge, wherein they cut out carbs and sugar. Kotb then challenged her fellow Today show hosts, and the diet (apparently) had a lot of people curious. We broke it down for you here. A no-carb diet is pretty strict on its own and is a more extreme form of a low-carb diet that also includes restricting even “healthy” whole grains and some fruits and vegetables....

If it’s starting to feel like your 5 o’clock pour is automated rather than a conscious choice, it could be time to reassess your relationship with alcohol. We sat down with licensed psychotherapist and Monument adviser Laura Diamond to discuss how to think about your relationship with alcohol and potentially take steps to shift your behavior and mindset with the support of the new online platform Monument. To be diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder (AUD), there are certain criteria you need to meet and varying levels of severity and duration that classify your level of misuse....

When you have limited time to dedicate to advancing your fitness level, circuit training allows you to get an awesome cardiovascular boost while also gaining strength. It’s scientifically proven1 to be an efficient and effective method of improving your overall fitness level—which is why it’s the framework for many popular group and boutique fitness classes. You can either perform a certain number of repetitions of each move in the circuit or do them for a proscribed amount of time....

To a total outsider, it can often be difficult to understand why a person would remain in a relationship with someone who gaslights them. But when you look closely at the specific behaviors of gaslighters, it’s easy to see why extricating oneself from this type of controlling, head-spinning relationship is so difficult. Sometimes, it can even seem impossible. Gaslighters are masters of the “conditional apology.” You know, when someone says, “I’m sorry you feel that way....