Dear Mrs. Robinson,

While for some casual kissing in bars or an occasional one-night stand is no big deal and/or fun, others aren't interested in that at all. Many people may feel differently about casual encounters at different points in their life as well. It may help to consider why you get such a rush from meeting new people right now — are you bored with your current social circle? Does it make you feel good to know others are interested in meeting (and/or kissing) you? These and other feelings are valid to have. Exploring them may actually help you discover some new things about yourself and what you want from your life.

However it sounds as if you're concerned about your recent run of bar-inspired flings. Maybe exploring your intuition would bring up some behaviors or feelings that you would like to change. Is it possible you have been using alcohol or other substances differently these past few weeks and feel that this is contributing to your actions? Or are you using this string of striking strangers to soothe a broken or lonely heart? It's true that bar encounters such as these can serve as a harmless, and even valuable, boost to one's self-esteem, particularly post-heartbreak. However, as you mention, if the reasons behind the actions don't mesh with your personal values, your self-esteem and self-respect could suffer.

A healthy self-esteem and self-respect are essential to our well-being, physically and psychologically. Self-esteem is, simply, how good we feel about who we are and can come from many places, most importantly from inside yourself. However, the impact of self-esteem, or the lack of it, is complicated and far-reaching. Self-esteem and respect affect the choices we make in our lives, whom we choose to be involved with, and our ability to take action to change things we feel need changing. If you feel as if your behaviors are atypical, and you are worried about harming your self-esteem, being aware of your feelings and looking for potential solutions are positive next steps.

The need for sexual attention is normal, but if or when you feel as though your choices or behaviors are getting out of hand, it might be helpful to look at what else is going on in your life at the moment. Your actions may be your way of dealing with recent changes or stresses. Maybe you've moved, find school stressful, are looking for work, are dealing with a difficult family circumstance, or are going through some other kind of transition. Or, perhaps there are unresolved problems that are now resurfacing.