The Enlightened Marriage Lib/E: The 5 Transformative Stages of Relationships and Why the Best Is Still to Come

by Jed Diamond

Love and marriage are two of the greatest gifts life has to offer, yet too many marriages fail because couples don't fully understand the five stages of relationships. Because most of us have had hurtful experiences in past relationships, often going back to childhood, we develop an inaccurate love map that causes us to get off track when the stresses of life increase.For more than forty years, Jed Diamond has been helping couples repair even the most damaged relationships and reweave the broken strands of marriage. In The Enlightened Marriage, Dr. Diamond will help you get through stage three--disillusionment, without losing your love, understand that when your partner says, "I love you, but I'm not in love with you anymore," it is not the end, but the beginning of stage four--real lasting love, learn why healing childhood wounds is the greatest gift of love you can give and receive from your partner, recognize and address the midlife stresses of "manopause," irritable male syndrome, and male-type depression, andfollow your calling in stage five to make a real difference in the world.

Genres: Nonfiction

Audio CD

Published August 22, 2016

About the author

Jed is Director of the MenAlive, a health program that helps men live long and well. Since its inception, Jed has been on the Board of Advisors of the Men’s Health Network. He is also a member of the International Society for the Study of the Aging Male and serves as a member of the International Scientific Board of the World Congress on Men’s Health.

Diamond has been a licensed psychotherapist for over 40 years and is the author of seven books including the international best-selling Male Menopause ... His PhD study on gender and depression developed vital new information for treating depression in men.

He lives with his wife, Carlin, on Shimmins Ridge, above Bloody Run Creek, in Northern California. They are proud parents of five grown children and eleven grandchildren.

Reviews

[Brent Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nineteen percent of Baby Boomers had no children, and an additional 17 percent have just one child. Recent research predicts that about 25 percent of Baby Boomers will become "elder orphans." These lonely souls are, or will be, single or widowed, have no children nearby, and cannot depend on a support network. Many will reach the last stage of life isolated, without intimate partners to oversee care. What a horrible conclusion to life!

How damaging to health is loneliness? New research validates that loneliness trumps obesity as an early predictor of death. Because of the deleterious effects of the stress hormone cortisol, which increases with loneliness, being lonely has the same physiological impact on health as does smoking 15 cigarettes every day.

There is one prophylactic solution to a lonely life following failure of a marriage. These shocking statistics point toward Dr. Jed Diamond's "The Enlightened Marriage." This book is brimming with insights about how to love better, either to preserve a marriage grown stale with passing years, or to become a mature lover that future partners will seek out, appreciate, and desire. As Dr. Diamond insists in Chapter Two, "Revitalizing Your Marriage is Better Than Starting Over," but if fate or circumstances force us to start over, then we can become more proficient at creating and maintaining loving, long-lasting relationships. His cogent advice shows us how, both through perceptive analysis based on solid research as well as touching stories from his vast experiences as a relationship therapist.

Read this book if you want to save your current marriage. Read this book if you must start over and prefer not to be among the 25 percent of the Boomer generation destined to become elder orphans, condemned to lonely final years.

[Callie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t remember how I heard about this book but I know I was intrigued by the idea that a marriage goes through specific stages. However I found that as I read, it just didn’t go into enough detail on the stages and I didn’t find the other chapters that compelling. It read like a typical marriage advice book.

[V · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Andy Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best relationship book I've read. Full of research, stories, and things you can actually do. I liked the straightforward style and layout of steps, main points, and why things matter. Most people operate their relationships without any knowledge about the 5 stages of love. When things get challenging they give up and go in search of the 'falling in love" feeling again. But allowing past pains and traumas to rise up, be experienced, and healed together makes a far more powerful couple and lasting love. Highly recommended!

[Michelle Carganilla-Ramos]

I read a little about the book and I loved it.It really encouraging and I think very good strategy so marriage about to end wil be still saved from ruining.It is really transforming because of its positive approach in dealing with couples problems and challenges leading them for peace and reconciliation.I am happy there are books like this to be able to help the couple have knowledge and insights about dealing with each other more effective to avoid trouble.Everything usually starts hard especially marriage that two people will agree to join together in marriage with different world.It surely will have differences and some disagreements and conflicts too.But the mere fact that you know you are destined for each other and united by God, you will still have love and patience to go on and fight for that true love you have in your heart.