RISE IN POLYAMOROUS TV SHOWS
The throuple promote polyamory through their Facebook community, Leveled Up Love. NEWTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, USA: THIS MAN ended his marriage of NINETEEN YEARS after a TV SHOW inspired him to create a polyamorous triad - which he now plans to turn into a 'Love Tribe' after admitting he's lost track of how many monogamists he's converted. Entrepreneur, Shai Fishman (46) from Newtown, Pennsylvania, USA, is a passionate advocate of living an ethical non-monogamous lifestyle ? more commonly known as polyamory. Distinctly different from the ?swinger? lifestyle, polyamory places an emphasis on having multiple committed, emotional relationships. Shai had been married to his previous wife Danielle (42) for 13 years when he came across two TV shows titled Big Love & Polyamory and Married and Dating. Having always struggled with the idea that he was only ?permitted? to express romantic affection for one person, these resources prompted Shai to explore the idea of having an open relationship. He soon discovered that in his current monogamous relationship, he wasn?t meeting all of the six core human needs: to feel loved, safe, and significant, and to have variety, growth, and service. Shai felt the very nature of monogamy prevented him from achieving variety, growth, and service. After six years and several tense conversations, Shai and Danielle decided to give polyamory a go but after seven-months, Danielle struggled with the emotional demands of the relationship. Unlike Shai, Danielle did not want to share the nature of their relationship with the couple?s children ? and the pair separated in 2014. In 2016, Shai met his current partners Lea (40) and Krissy (41) on an online dating site. Surprisingly, both Lea and Krissy listed themselves as being monogamous and even indicated ?polyamory not for me? on their profiles, but this hasn?t stopped Shai from exploring connections or opening the ?monogamous eyes? of women he?s dated. Shai, Lea, and Krissy have an open relationship but for the most part, their core triad forms the basis of their commitment but each person has other ?connection-ships? with external partners both emotionally and sexually. Lea also shares Shai?s passion to advocate for relationship freedom and together, they?ve created the online community, Leveled Up Love. This active Facebook group connects over 4400 poly-curious people from across the world. For Shai, sharing his relationship in public can be a form of advocacy. The triad have never received any rude comments but they do notice the odd stare if they publicly display affection. However, Shai believes that sprinkling awareness of polyamorous relationships in public is what will eventually earn ethical non-monogamy ?a legitimised seat at the table.? Danielle has not re-entered a relationship with Shai since the divorce, but she does now live in a dwelling on Shai, Lea, and Krissy?s shared property along with her partner and three children. A personal aim of Shai?s is to continue to build upon this tribe mentality ? inviting in more of both male and female partners. Shortly following his divorce with Danielle, Shai explained the concept of polyamory to his children but just like his community, friends, and other members of his family, his children were nothing but accepting. MDWfeatures / @shai_the_poly_guy

RISE IN POLYAMOROUS TV SHOWS

Comment On Rising in Polyamorous TV Shows

In my personal view, the rise in popularity is due to several factors, including;

More couples are factoring open relationships, especially in the US. Ethical non-monogamy marriages are common nowadays as people yearn to feed their sexual desires and are more willing and interested to support open relationships and topics on it. The TV shows are created to improve the perspective on what polyamorous relationships are all about. They portray the romantic relationship in open partnerships and help society embrace this new norm.

The positive feedback from most viewers has also made polyamorous TV shows more famous as producers seek to entertain and enhance awareness of non-monogamous relationships. It might have stemmed from the concept that limited TV shows were projecting polyamorous relationships. With constant changes in sex and relationships, more TV shows are focused on what is expected to have more popularity in the near future, hence the rise in these shows.

How to Open Relationship

Before getting into any open relationships, I advise you agree or talk with your partner on the following issues.

  • Have strict sex boundaries, including the type of activities you can engage with the other partner, such as oral or penetrative sex, safety practices, and other sex regulations.
  • Set clear emotional limits to avoid cases of jealousy.
  • Determine the type of people you should connect with, whether strangers, close friends, outside partners, etc.
  • Communicate on how you will manage any issues in the relationship, including the third party.
  • Decide when and the duration to meet up with the other partners. Ensure you set realistic boundaries to avoid breeding negative attitudes or feelings.
Charlotte Cremers
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MS, University of Tartu
Sleep specialist

Using the acquired academic and professional experience, I advise patients with various complaints about mental health - depressed mood, nervousness, lack of energy and interest, sleep disorders, panic attacks, obsessive thoughts and anxieties, difficulty concentrating, and stress. In my free time, I love to paint and go on long walks on the beach. One of my latest obsessions is sudoku – a wonderful activity to calm an unease mind.

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