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Dad Starting Over
Dad Starting Over
Author: Dad Starting Over
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Welcome to the Dad Starting Over podcast! "Starting Over" means different things to different people. It could be that you're newly divorced and starting over fresh with a new life. It could be that you're still married and wanting to hit the reset button and finally do things right within your marriage. Whatever your story may be, you're in the right place.
I'm Ralph, a.k.a DSO, the author of books including "The Dead Bedroom Fix", "Divorce Panic", "Real Talk" "Red Flags" and "REBUILD: The Complete Guide to Starting Over as a Man". You can learn more about me, my books, one-on-one coaching, and the member-only part of my site called the Brotherhood at https://helpformen.com
I'm Ralph, a.k.a DSO, the author of books including "The Dead Bedroom Fix", "Divorce Panic", "Real Talk" "Red Flags" and "REBUILD: The Complete Guide to Starting Over as a Man". You can learn more about me, my books, one-on-one coaching, and the member-only part of my site called the Brotherhood at https://helpformen.com
364 Episodes
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Divorce isn’t just emotional — it can turn into psychological warfare.In this livestream, I sit down with Chris and Lisa from Been There Got Out, two of the most experienced voices I’ve spoken with on high-conflict divorce, legal abuse, and custody battles.We dig into:Why “being a good guy” often backfires in family courtHow false allegations gain traction (and why men are especially vulnerable)The biggest mistakes men make when communicating with their exWhy courts reward cooperation — even when the other side is acting insaneParallel parenting vs co-parenting (and what NOT to call it in court)How manipulators weaponize kids, restraining orders, and the legal systemWhat to do if you’re terrified of custody evaluations or taking the standChris and Lisa don’t deal in theory. They deal with the worst cases — the ones that never “cool off” and never resolve on their own.If you’re in a contentious divorce, haven’t seen your kids, or feel like the system is stacked against you, this conversation will give you clarity, grounding, and practical direction.👉 Learn more about Chris and Lisa’s work at https://beentheregotout.com👉 Join my men’s support community at https://helpformen.com/joinThis is one of those conversations every man should hear before things get ugly.
How does someone hold their life together at a high level for years — career, marriage, kids — and then suddenly blow it all up?I read a message from a follower whose wife unraveled after the death of her father. What followed was extreme weight loss, heavy drinking, multiple affairs, disappearing for days at a time, and eventually abandoning her family.I don’t interrupt the story. I read it straight through — then I explain what’s actually going on beneath the surface.We talk about unresolved childhood trauma, avoidant attachment, high-achievers who outrun their pain, and why some people seem to “change overnight” when their emotional scaffolding collapses.If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t recognize her anymore,” this video will help you understand what you’re seeing — and what it means for you going forward.I also talk about these dynamics in my book REBUILD – The Complete Guide to Starting Over as a Man, and inside the Help For Men Brotherhood, where men work through this kind of fallout together instead of carrying it alone.🔗 Join the Brotherhood: https://helpformen.com/join 📘 Learn more about REBUILD: https://readrebuild.com
Most marriages don’t blow up overnight.They drift.They drift from us… to the family… and eventually to two exhausted roommates running a daycare.Once kids enter the picture, something subtle but dangerous often happens: the couple stops being the center of the relationship. Not out of malice. Not because anyone planned it. It just happens.And in most marriages, if nobody actively protects the couple, the marriage slowly disintegrates.From what I see, this responsibility usually falls on the man — and when he pushes for dates, intimacy, boundaries, or adult connection, he’s often shamed for it.I break down:Why marriages predictably shift into “kids first, marriage last”Why this creates dead bedrooms and quiet resentmentWhy men get labeled selfish for trying to fix itAnd why a strong marriage actually serves kids better than a child-centered oneIf this topic hits home, you’ll want to check out my book The Dead Bedroom Fix and the Help For Men Brotherhood — where guys are having these conversations honestly, without being shamed.👉 Join the Brotherhood: https://helpformen.com/join
For most of human history, age differences in couples weren’t controversial at all.Now they’re treated like a moral crisis.So what changed?I break down the actual historical reality of age gaps, why people now claim they were “rare,” and why that argument doesn’t hold up when you look closely.We’ll talk about:How marriage actually worked for most of historyWhy peasant data gets misusedWhy remarriage matters (and gets ignored)The “elite-only” argument — and where it falls apartHow modern power-based thinking reframed dating and relationshipsAnd why women’s agency is often defended by quietly taking it awayThis isn’t about encouraging or condemning age-gap relationships.It’s about understanding why something that was once normal is now treated as suspect — and how that shift affects modern men navigating dating and relationships.If you’re confused by modern dating rules, you’re not broken. The rules changed.I see this confusion every day inside the Help For Men Brotherhood — men trying to make sense of relationships without losing their backbone or their sanity.If this video resonates, check out my book REBUILD and the Brotherhood at 👉 https://helpformen.com/join
I got an email from a guy that perfectly captures a pattern I see over and over again.An anxious man.An avoidant wife.Years of emotional distance.One final attempt to “do the healthy thing” and open up…And then everything collapses.I break down:Why vulnerability isn’t the problem — but timing and containment matterHow passivity slowly kills attraction in long-term relationshipsThe anxious/avoidant dynamic so many men get trapped inWhy some divorces turn cold, transactional, and threatening overnightWhat men should focus on after the marriage ends instead of chasing closureIf you’re in a dead bedroom, walking on eggshells, or afraid to say the wrong thing in your own marriage, this video will probably feel uncomfortably familiar.I also talk about how men rebuild after this kind of emotional and financial hit, drawing from my book REBUILD – The Complete Guide to Starting Over as a Man, and why having other men around you — like inside the Help For Men Brotherhood — matters more than most guys want to admit.You’re not broken.You’re not alone.But passivity has a cost — and eventually, it comes due.
Most men don’t feel like their life is falling apart.It just feels… off.Not bad enough to force change.Not good enough to feel proud of.So they try new routines, new habits, new motivation — and nothing sticks.I break down why that happens and what actually causes men to stay stuck for years without realizing it. This isn’t about discipline, hustle, or grinding harder. It’s about structure, identity, and the quiet patterns that keep pulling you back to the same place.If you’ve felt frustrated by starting strong and slowly drifting back, this video will probably hit close to home.If you want support applying this kind of work in real life — with other men dealing with marriage problems, divorce, rebuilding, and direction — the Help For Men Brotherhood exists for that: https://helpformen.com/joinAnd if you’re in a rebuilding phase after a major life shake-up, my book REBUILD – The Complete Guide to Starting Over as a Man was written specifically for that chapter.This isn’t about reinventing yourself. It’s about choosing a direction you can actually live with.
I want to read you a short email from a married man in a dead bedroom.There’s no cheating.No screaming fights.No dramatic collapse.Just a quiet decision to stop bringing it up.I break down how a lot of men end up in sexless marriages not because they chose them — but because they slowly became passive. They stopped rocking the boat. They stopped advocating for themselves. They let things happen instead of taking control.We’ll talk about:Why men confuse passivity with patienceHow avoiding conflict slowly erodes self-respectWhy guilt replaces desire in long-term relationshipsHow silence becomes the unspoken agreementAnd why wanting intimacy doesn’t make you selfishThis isn’t about demanding sex or blaming your partner. It’s about agency — and what happens when a man quietly gives it up.If you’ve ever felt like your relationship just drifted into something you didn’t choose, this one will probably hit close to home.Join the Brotherhood! https://helpformen.com/join
A lot of men reach a point where they say something quietly and honestly:“I did everything right… and it still fell apart.”I hear this all the time from men who showed up, stayed loyal, worked on themselves, went to therapy, avoided conflict, and tried to be good partners.And yet the relationship still deteriorated.The attraction faded.The resentment crept in.I explain why “doing everything right” often becomes the problem.We’ll talk about:How being patient, understanding, and accommodating can slowly erase youWhy avoiding conflict kills attraction and self-respectHow over-functioning turns good men into manageable menWhy some men work on themselves and suddenly see the relationship clearlyAnd why doing the right thing doesn’t always mean doing the healthy thingThis isn’t about blaming women.And it’s not about becoming cold or selfish.It’s about understanding how self-abandonment sneaks into long-term relationships — and why some men outgrow a relationship the moment they stop disappearing.If you’ve ever felt exhausted, resentful, or confused about how things still went wrong, this one will probably hit close to home.Join us! https://helpformen.com/join
Most men in sexless marriages did exactly what they were told to do.They opened up more.They communicated better.They became more emotionally available.They went to therapy.And somehow, the sex life didn’t come back.In many cases, it disappeared completely.In this episode, I explain why that happens — especially when you’re married to a dismissive-avoidant partner.We’ll talk about:Why “more emotional connection” can actually create less attractionHow anxious and avoidant attachment styles quietly kill desireWhy many men work on themselves and then realize the relationship itself isn’t healthyWhy dismissive-avoidant partners often resist getting helpAnd why effort and effectiveness are not the same thing in long-term relationshipsThis isn’t about blaming women.It’s about understanding dynamics most men were never taught — and why doing everything “right” can still lead to a sexless marriage.If you’re confused, frustrated, or starting to question your relationship, this conversation will likely hit close to home. Check out my book! https://deadbedroomfix.comJoin the Brotherhood! https://helpformen.com/join
A lot of men end up believing things like “women cheat more,” “women want sex more than men,” or “most women cheat”.Those beliefs don’t usually come from careful analysis.They come from pain.I break down why these stories feel so convincing — especially for analytical, system-oriented, and neurodivergent men — and why certainty often feels safer than ambiguity after betrayal, dead bedrooms, and relationship failure.We’ll talk about:why men gravitate toward black-and-white explanationshow hidden-truth and conspiracy-style thinking sneaks into relationship beliefswhat the data actually says about libido differenceswhat long-running surveys show about infidelitywhy “women just lie on surveys” isn’t the argument people think it isand why flattening an entire sex into a slogan quietly keeps men stuckThis isn’t about defending women or blaming men.It’s about understanding how the male brain copes with uncertainty — and why rigid, comforting stories often cost you more than they protect you.
In this episode, I sit down with Melissa Vogel — fitness and mindset coach, podcast host, and a woman who’s been through divorce herself — for one of the most honest conversations I’ve had about modern relationships.We talk about what really happens to marriages after kids arrive, why men and women slowly disconnect without realizing it, and how good people end up emotionally checked out years before divorce ever happens.Melissa opens up about her own marriage, why she drifted away emotionally long before it ended, and what she wishes someone had told her when she was younger. We get into attachment styles, masculine and feminine polarity, why accountability is so rare, and why “love” alone doesn’t save a relationship.We also tackle the uncomfortable topics most people avoid:Why attraction fadesWhy fitness and self-respect matter more than people admit Why men and women cheat for very different reasonsWhy second marriages fail so oftenAnd why many couples quietly become roommates instead of loversThis is the kind of conversation every couple should hear — especially before things break beyond repair.If you’re married, divorced, dating, or starting over as a man, this one will hit home.Join the HFM Brotherhood!
A lot of men don’t realize they’re codependent.They just think they’re being “good husbands,” “nice guys,” or “doing the right thing.”I break down the real, everyday behaviors that point to codependency in men—especially how it shows up in relationships, dead bedrooms, anxious attachment, and emotional burnout.This isn’t about shaming men. It’s about recognizing patterns that quietly destroy attraction, confidence, and self-respect.If you:Walk on eggshells in your relationshipFeel responsible for your partner’s emotionsTie your self-worth to her mood, approval, or sexual interestOr feel like you’re slowly disappearing inside your own relationshipThis video is for you.I’ll explain why these behaviors develop, why they feel “right” in the moment, and why they usually lead to less intimacy—not more.If you want deeper conversations like this with other men who actually get it, check out the Brotherhood at https://helpformen.com/join
For an anxious guy, nothing is more confusing than discovering that your avoidant, seemingly asexual wife was having an affair.No touching. No sex. Years of rejection.And yet… she was sleeping with someone else.I break down a real message from a man in a long-term dead bedroom who discovered his dismissive-avoidant wife had been cheating for years. We dig into anxious vs. avoidant attachment, why this dynamic is so common, and why the affair usually has nothing to do with you lacking masculinity, confidence, or sexual value.If you’ve ever wondered:“How could she want sex with him but not me?”“What does an avoidant partner actually want?”“Why counseling never seems to work with avoidant spouses?”“Was I just too needy or anxious?”…this video will make things click.We’ll also talk about:Why “new” always beats “safe”Why anxious partners are usually the only ones willing to do the workWhy avoidant people struggle in long-term monogamyAnd why this pattern tends to repeat itself again and againIf you’re dealing with a dead bedroom, infidelity, or the anxious–avoidant trap, you’re not alone.👉 Join the Brotherhood: https://helpformen.com/join Private forums, live Zoom calls, all my books, over 1,400 hours of member-only audio, and real conversations with men who’ve been there.
In today’s episode, I read an email from a husband living one of the most brutal modern realities: his wife says she’s “touched out” and has no energy for intimacy… yet somehow has unlimited emotional energy for another man at the gym.This is the pattern I see over and over in dead bedrooms:She didn’t lose desire.She redirected it.If you're a man dealing with a sexless marriage, emotional disconnect, or a wife who has checked out but won’t leave — this one’s going to hit hard.Grab my book The Dead Bedroom Fix: https://deadbedroomfix.comJoin The Brotherhood here: https://helpformen.com/join
Today we’re talking about something that a lot of men won’t admit, but a lot of women quietly suffer through: living with an anxious husband. And yes, I’m going to make fun of us a little.This video is a tongue-in-cheek “instruction manual” for how to care for the anxious, approval-seeking, reassurance-addicted man. The guy who needs constant validation, panics at every text message pause, reads every word you say like a legal document, and assumes you’re leaving him if you’re quiet for more than 30 seconds.It’s funny… but it’s also painfully accurate.The point of this episode isn’t to shame anxious guys. It’s to shine a big bright spotlight on the behaviors that slowly choke the life out of a relationship. And more importantly, to show that these patterns aren’t permanent. You can fix this. You can rebuild your confidence, your identity, and your internal leadership as a man.If this video hits a little close to home, that’s good. It means you’re ready for change.📘 Read my book, REBUILD – The Complete Guide to Starting Over as a Man: https://readrebuild.com👥 Join The Brotherhood – live meetings every week, private discussion forums, over 1,300 hours of audio content, coaching, and support from men all around the world: https://helpformen.com/join
Rejection hits some men harder than others. For a lot of guys, it’s not just discomfort—it feels like danger. One cold look from your wife. One delayed text. One “Can we talk later?” from your boss. Suddenly you’re spiraling, apologizing, chasing, overreacting, or completely shutting down.This isn’t weakness. It isn’t you being dramatic.It’s rejection sensitivity—and most men who grew up in chaotic, unpredictable, or emotionally unstable homes are living with it without ever knowing what it’s called.In this episode, I'll break down:— Why some men live relationships on “hard mode” — How your childhood wired your brain to scan for danger — Why neutral things feel like personal attacks — Why you over-apologize, over-explain, and overreact — How rejection sensitivity contributes to sexless marriages — Why anxious men attract avoidant or narcissistic partners — And, most importantly, what you can do to rewire thisIf you’re neurodivergent (ADHD, autism, etc.), this is going to make even more sense. RSD (rejection sensitive dysphoria) is something I see constantly in men in my audience and inside The Brotherhood.You’re not broken. You’re trained. And you can retrain yourself.If you want deeper work on this, my book REBUILD and our Brotherhood community are powerful tools to help you break out of this pattern and build confidence, boundaries, and emotional stability.► Get my book REBUILD on Amazon (hardcover, Kindle, or audiobook for members): https://a.co/d/e6KBqYE► Join The Brotherhood – private men’s community, daily Zoom groups, 1,300+ hours of audio, coaching, and more: https://helpformen.com/join
A lot of men struggle with the realization that they don’t actually have full control over how life or their marriage turns out. You can do everything “right”—be faithful, provide, stay fit, treat her well—and still end up rejected, divorced, or alone.In this episode, I talk about why that happens, and why it’s not a sign that you failed. Life isn’t fair… and that includes relationships. I also share a real message from a man dealing with a sexless, disconnected marriage due to his wife’s ADHD and perimenopause, and we unpack what’s really going on beneath the surface.If this hits close to home, you’re not alone. Join The Brotherhood — a private support community for men struggling in marriage, divorce, or dating after divorce. 👉 https://helpformen.com/join
"REBUILD: The Complete Guide to Starting Over as a Man" is now available in audiobook format! Here is a quick sample for you to enjoy. Want to hear more? Check out the links below:Amazon: https://a.co/d/0k5nxmvAudible: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0G75ZH84YApple: https://apple.co/45eKbNh
I recently read a New York Times article claiming that women under socialism had more sex and better orgasms than women in capitalist Western countries. Sounds wild, right?But when you dig deeper, the real message is actually something I talk about all the time:Women shut down sexually when their lives are full of stress, chaos, financial pressure, and mental overload.This has nothing to do with politics — and everything to do with the realities couples face today.If you need a deeper dive into this, grab my book The Dead Bedroom Fix — and if you’re ready to actually change your life, join The Brotherhood at https://helpformen.com/join
If you lean anxious in relationships, this one’s for you.I see it all the time—guys who crave closeness so much that they choke the relationship. You text too much, talk too much, try too hard to keep things “good.” But that desperate energy ends up pushing her away.I’ll show you what’s really happening under the surface—why your attachment system freaks out when she pulls away, and how to stop feeding that panic. You’ll learn how to regulate yourself, stop chasing reassurance, and build the kind of calm confidence that actually creates attraction.If you want more depth, grab my book The Dead Bedroom Fix or check out The Brotherhood, our private men’s community with live meetings, courses, and 1,000+ hours of member-only content: 👉 https://helpformen.com/join 👉 https://deadbedroomfix.com




I listen to this 3 times. The fact of the matter is like he said. he's damaged and sick, and I'm sure he left out vital details about his behavior with this young woman in this interview, that resulted in her distancing herself from him. you can tell he's super controlling because of his fear of being vulnerable and getting hurt. otherwise I was intrigued by his story.