I ended up being one of the majority and engaged in the "turkey dump" - the act of breaking up with your partner before Thanksgiving (which is in October in Canada).

Personally, I don't believe in a preemptive break-up. It just doesn't make sense: break up so that you won't have to do it later? You're not giving the relationship a chance!

Yes, I ended my relationship because I ended up meeting a lot of people, learning a lot about myself and realizing that even though I loved my boyfriend (still do!) he just wasn't the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

My personal opinion is that you should stick with him for now. Try to make it work (it will take some effort, what with the changes in your life) but it can definitely be worth it if the relationship survives and you make it through. There will be trials, and you may feel tested, but it's all part of the game in a serious relationship.

If that's your attitude towards it, then she shouldn't sleep with you.

Here's a newsflash for you: every teenage boy is horny, all the time. Unfortunately for you, sex is a two person job, and both have to be on board.

If you want a chance, though...

1) Stop calling her a prude and viewing this as a negative thing. Clearly this girl has some serious self-respect and is too smart to just hop in bed with just anyone. Any guy worth his salt will realize that that's a good thing!

2) Talk to her about it. Tell her what you want, and find out what she wants. If she's uneasy about something, see if you can put her mind to rest. Just don't push things.

3) If she's the slightest bit uncomfortable, then don't push. She shouldn't feel coerced into having sex. She should be happy and comfortable.

4) If it does happen, be prepared. Make sure she's on the pill and you wear a condom. Get tested before you have sex, so that you don't risk passing anything on to her (and vice versa).

If this doesn't work out, you were given two hands for a reason. Keep it in your pants till both of you are on the same page.

Don't be too worried, but you probably shouldn't do it again.

Thing with bananas is that they've got rough spots which can cause tears. They're also not particularly clean, so bacteria and dirt can get into those little cuts inside of you and cause some problems.

Chances are, you'll be okay (minus the cuts) but you want to prevent this occurring in the future. If you are going to use produce, or anything that isn't a medical grade sex toy, you should make sure to put a condom on it. That will keep things safer.

To start, you should check out the following websites:

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Started-With-a-Research-Project

www.google.com

Advicenators aren't here to do your homework for you.

Now, if you have any questions about how to do research effectively, how to stay on track while you're working, or things like that, we're your people.

I've been in your daughter's position. The best thing you can possibly do is to let her go and make her own mistakes.

I had the same issues with my parents. As such, I was booted from the house at 18. My parents provided financial assistance for my first year of university until I failed out (because of depression). I refused to get treatment, and they refused to interfere with my life. Things got really bad, but eventually I learned how to take care of myself. At 22 I'm in treatment for bipolar disorder, engaged, own a house, going to school (which I'm paying for on my own) and fully capable of behaving as a normal human being including honour roll marks.

You have to stop taking responsibility for your daughter's life. She is a grown woman now, and needs to be treated as such. If she doesn't want to go to treatment, you can't force it. You can, however, refuse to deal with her when she is disrespectful towards you.

Emotions can't necessarily be controlled, but behaviours can be. She just has no reason to be respectful towards you because you're pegging it all down to mental illness and blowing it off. Show her some consequences. Kick her out of the house if you need to. I know this goes against everything that being a parent is (I've talked to my parents about their decisions) but in the end what might hurt her now will save her later.

Whatever you do, don't treat your daughter like an invalid. Depression is incredibly common. Millions of people deal with it on a regular basis. Yes, it makes things incredibly difficult, but if you take any responsibility for yourself it's easily surmountable and you can live a productive, happy, healthy life.

I'm not going to say that looks don't matter. Looks do matter to a certain degree; you need to be attracted physically to your partner. However, judging guys by their outside first is a sure ticket to a miserable relationship.

In order to have a good, loving relationship (real love, not this 'love' you say you have for your neighbour who isn't interested in you) you need to share core values with your partner, and enjoy spending time with each other. That's more important than anything else, especially more so than looks.

If you truly believe that looks are the most important thing, what you deserve is the shoddy relationship you're going to have. What happens when your beauty starts to fade at 35-40? If your husband is as shallow as you say you are, then he'll leave you for some hot young thing.

What you and all other women really deserve is to be with a guy who treats you right, and is good and respectful. That is the most important thing in life.

One more thing you might not know is that once you fall in love with a guy, he becomes a million times more attractive. My fiancé isn't an Adonis, but I think he's the most handsome guy on the planet because I love him and he loves me. Hopefully you'll turn your priorities around and be equally lucky one day :)

You can't really compare dogs and fish when it comes to pets.

Fish are nice to look at, but for the little entertainment factor they provide, they're a lot of work. Tank cleaning, water drops, etc. They're also prone to dying for no apparent reason.

Dogs are a huge amount of responsibility, both financial and otherwise. Getting up in the middle of the night with your potty training puppy, training them, annual vet visits, shots, grooming. They're also a fantastic friend if you train them properly, and they usually live for at least 8 years unless there's an accident.

If you want something in between the two extremes, I might suggest one of my two small pets; hermit crabs or geckos.

Hermit crabs don't eat much, it's a pretty inexpensive set-up for them, and they're a ton of fun. You can hold them (which you can't do with a fish) and watch them climb around in their tank. They have little crab personalities that really become clear as you observe them.

Geckos are the same deal (small, inexpensive), but you usually need to feed them live crickets, which are a pain to buy and maintain in the house. Leopard geckos in particular are really friendly. Mine will curl up on me to watch television.

Don't do anything yet, and most certainly do not take your friend's meds.

The medications that work for some people don't work for others. For instance, if you have bipolar disorder (which is commonly mistaken for depression) and you take antidepressants, you can make your symptoms worse. Going on medication is something that has to be monitored carefully and custom tailored to your needs by a doctor.

If you move out and away from everyone, you will be at a greater risk of harming yourself. You might think you can get away from your problems that way, but you can't. They will follow you wherever you go if you don't confront them.

You need to get in touch with a mental health professional. Talk to your family doctor to get a referral to a psychiatrist so that you can work with them to figure out what you're dealing with and how to help alleviate the symptoms. Managed properly with counselling, diet and exercise and possibly medication, you can live a perfectly regular, happy life.

How deep is the v-neck?

I personally go by the rule that you should never show more than 1 area of skin. So if you show your legs, you shouldn't show cleavage. Or if you show your back, you shouldn't wear a short skirt.

It keeps you from looking too inappropriately sexy. However, if your v-neck isn't too low (doesn't really show cleavage) than that would be really cute!

Just because she's a puppy doesn't mean she can't behave herself! Ours (a schnauzer-Westie cross) was trained out of biting within a couple of days.

The most important thing to remember is to be consistent. Don't scold your puppy one moment and then play with her the next - that'll just confuse her. With our dog, when he bit us we would say "Ouch!" and look sad, and then put him down and ignore him for a few minutes. That way he learned that he can't bite, because it means he won't get love and cuddles.

As for poop-eating, that's a normal puppy thing that most of them grow out of. Your best bet is to pick up each poop as they come. You might also want to teach her a "leave it" command. I did this by putting my pup on a leash, putting a cookie on the ground and whenever he went to go get it, sniff at it or look at it, I would say "Leave it" and pull his leash so he was looking away. That way you can keep her from eating all those other fascinating things she'll come across when you get her out for walks.

You should be checking with your doctor to make sure that the meds you are on will not harm a baby or prevent you from becoming pregnant. Many medications for mental illness can cause serious harm during fetal development, and your doctor can switch you over to ones that do not. You should also be carefully monitored during and after pregnancy, because the hormonal changes can make treatment very difficult.

As for why you're not becoming pregnant, it's all a matter of chance. I had a friend try for 2 years and not get pregnant. It's all about timing and luck.

There's one easy way; tell him the muffin shop is closed unless he suits up!

Don't feel like an idiot. You simply want to protect yourself from an unwanted pregnancy and potential STIs. If he's enough of a jerk to feel that his "comfort" is more important than your safety, then you should not be having sex with him, because he's not worth it.

Most guys, though, have no problem with it whatsoever. If anything, they're all for it. It means that you're taking care of yourself, which is good for them!

Ow :(

My best guess is that guys like it because it a) makes them feel huge and b) the girls in porn do it.

Should they like it? It's pretty uncomfortable for us girls, so I would think not. However, what he's into is what he's into, right?

As for why you gag, it's because of your gag reflex. It's a part of your throat that when stimulated causes you to try and throw up involuntarily. It's to keep us from choking.

Have you actually been diagnosed with either of the above? You may have symptoms, but don't go putting labels on it yourself. You need to see a psychiatrist to get that done, because you may oversee some things.

I've dealt with symptoms since childhood (I'm now 22) and sought treatment throughout adolescence. Unfortunately, most doctors are hesitant to diagnose a mental health condition in a teenager, because teens may experience symptoms because of their crazy hormones. It might take until your early 20s to get diagnosed properly, but they can help treat you until then.

To get in to see a psychiatrist, you need to talk to your family doctor to get a referral. Tell them that you're experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety, and that you want to talk to a mental health professional. They'll refer you to another doctor, who will set up an appointment with you.

I would also suggest seeing a counselor, if you have the financial resources (or if your community offers free counselling). Many symptoms can be managed with therapy, especially anxiety symptoms. You learn valuable new coping skills that will help you to live your life, because medication is only a tiny piece of the puzzle when it comes to getting things under control.

Just so you know, anxiety and depression symptoms are extremely common in the teen years. Most of it is temporary, so it'll go away by the time you're 18-20. Other people live with it their whole lives, and are happy and productive.

One more thing; start keeping track of your sleeping patterns, your menstrual cycle and your mood (on a scale from 1-10) in a little notebook or calendar. It will help you to see things that you may have overlooked. For example, I was diagnosed with depression until I kept a calendar, and found out that my occasional elevated moods and lack of sleep meant that I have bipolar disorder. You may notice that you're only depressed around the time of your period, or that you feel better in the summer than the winter (both imply different disorders).

Good luck!

For army guys, porn is like air. You can't take that away from them. I should know; my guy is in the Reserves, and I have other friends overseas in the army.

Why did he lie? Because you made him feel like he was doing something wrong, like he was hurting you, and it was something easy to cover up. So he lied, which is even more unacceptable than the fact that he was watching porn in the first place.

What if you were to make a little video (or take photos) of yourself and email it to him? I normally wouldn't suggest this, but he is your husband, and you should be able to trust him with something like that. Then he'll have his own special 'porn', one that stars you!

Send him a message telling him that you're more hurt by the lies than you are about his viewing habits. Let him know that you understand why he does it, but that it makes you insecure about yourself and you feel that it gives him unrealistic ideas about sex. If he feels the need to keep watching it, you would prefer that he is honest, because honesty is more important than anything.

You're not going to start having them until you stop faking them!

You see, if what your boyfriend is doing isn't quite floating your boat, he won't know, because your actions tell him he's doing everything right. You've got to stop faking orgasms, because he's not going to learn how to give them to you for real until you do. Be honest with him, let him know that what he does makes you feel great but just isn't taking you all the way. Tell him you want to work on it... I can guarantee he'll be up for the challenge!

It's really hard to orgasm from just penetration. Generally, you'll need to have clitoral stimulation at the same time in order to get there, so you need to figure out what positions give you that. Sitting up, face to face as well as girl on top tend to be best for that.

One way to help with extra stimulation is to try using a vibe or your hand. There's an excellent product called the WeVibe that can be used during sex, hands-free. You know best what makes you tick, so you can get that extra push over the edge.

As for oral, don't be afraid to get instructional with him. Tell him what he needs to do. Have him try a few things, and tell him what works for you and what doesn't. When you want something tell him! Don't be shy, because being shy doesn't get you anywhere.

Girl here, with experience in this area. I also called in my fiance's expertise for that manly perspective.

Girls have a certain taste and smell, or rather a tang. It's different, but not bad unless she's not clean.

Why do they like doing it? Why do you like going down on guys (if you do)? It's all about making your girlfriend happy, making her feel good. It's entirely a sensual experience, as opposed to a strictly physical one. They get a close-up of your lady parts, get to see the effects of their techniques on you, and they get to make you feel good. Win-win-win situation!

A fluffer is someone who helps male actors to "get ready" for shooting scenes in adult films.

I wouldn't mind hiring a pillow fluffer though! :P

I'm a girl, but I think I can lend a little insight.

Being in a relationship where you don't get to see your boyfriend is difficult. I've done it, and it sucked. My fiance and I have spent 4 months apart every year for the last 4 years. I've also had friends with husbands in the army, and they manage to hold on for years.

There's going to be temptation, especially if you are attractive. Those guys want you for superficial reasons, though, and aren't worth jeopardizing your relationship or giving it up entirely.

You're being unfair to your boyfriend. To consider leaving him over something as superficial as not being able to have sex as often as you'd like is pretty harsh. Models or not, we all have to make sacrifices sometimes for those we care about. If that means self-stimulating instead of sex, so be it! There's also no such thing as too hot to masturbate. It's a perfectly normal thing for people of all sorts to do, and it's safer and more effective than sex with random dudes.

Have you tried eating yogourt or cheese? I'm lactose intolerant too, but cheese is fairly low in lactose.

There are tons of calcium rich, non-dairy foods out there... too many to list on here, in fact!

Here's a list from the International Osteoporosis Foundation:

http://www.iofbonehealth.org/patients-public/about-osteoporosis/prevention/nutrition/calcium-rich-foods.html

My Personal Forum

My name is Amanda and I'm 26 years old. I'm currently studying electrical engineering. Armed with a fairly odd sense of humour and a sunny outlook on life, I'll take on just about anything. I'm also cussedly stubborn, which has its ups and downs. Things get tough sometimes, and I've never been one to run from it.

In my last 8 years with Advicenators, I've gone from honours student to failing out of university (and getting back on top again!), from single to married, from tenant to homeowner.

Until lately, I have been struggling with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and OCD, which had basically ruined my life and taken just about everything from me. I'm thankful every day for every experience I've had because of this ordeal, because it's helped to make me who I am today. Things like that really make you appreciate what you do have. Now that I'm back in work and school and starting to become myself again, I couldn't be happier. I credit Advicenators with saving my life back when I was a teenager, which is a big part of why I'm still here.

I won't necessarily give you the answers you want to hear, but I'll always be honest and do my best to help.

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