A big part of any relationship is finding things that you both enjoy and sharing in those experiences. When you stop developing any kind of interests together, something is likely off. If everything comes before date night and you find yourself saying yes to work and no to your partner, your spark might be fading away.
Movies try to convince us we'll feel this way forever, but the intense romance has an expiration date for everyone. Expect the passion to last two to three years at most, says Dr. Fred Nour, a neurologist in Mission Viejo, California, and author of the book “True Love: How to Use Science to Understand Love.”
Over time, your chemistry as a couple changes. The feelings become less intense and exciting, and this is when a power struggle can begin. When the initial excitement of a relationship starts to fade, some couples choose to coast along in the relationship without making much of an effort to build on their bond.
One of the reasons love can fade over time is that it's hard to keep that dopamine buzz going. "Dopamine gets us interested in each other, but it responds only to things that are new or that are possible rather than real," Dr. Lieberman says.
Just as love and attraction can fade, they can also be rekindled with time, effort, and patience—so long as both partners are willing to put the work in. Do You Feel Like You've Fallen Out Of Love With Your Partner?
It's possible to feel like you've suddenly lost interest in your partner and that you no longer care for them as you once did. This isn't always as sudden as it seems as it can be the result of issues that have been building up for some time.
If you're in this position right now and are unsure if you want to continue the relationship, it's important to remember that relationships can go through many different phases. Just because you have lost feelings right now, doesn't mean that you can't ever get them back.
Falling out of love can be a very scary feeling. It might feel like having noticeably less interest in your partner and feeling less excited about spending time with them, even though you still care about them.
You're less interested in spending time together: When a relationship loses its spark, you may spend more time with your friends than your partner. You may even find that you're very easily annoyed by them, causing you to punish your partner or avoid each other altogether.
The most common reasons people say they fall out of love are a loss of physical intimacy, a loss of trust, a loss of feeling loved, emotional pain, often driven by grief over feeling lonely, and negative views of oneself (poor self-image, feeling like a failure) driven by feeling rejected by a partner.
In short: yes — as long as both people in the relationship want it to. “Space can heal a relationship,” explains Jason Polk, a licensed clinical social worker and couples therapist in Denver, Colorado, “especially if the couple is currently toxic or verbally abusive to each other.”
The passionate months and years of first love don't always stick around. Relationships change and evolve over time and that's perfectly normal. But sometimes couples fall out of love too.
If you feel empty even when your partner is very present in your life, that could indicate a deeper issue. You might suspect that this relationship isn't a good fit for you or experience self-doubt. It's important not to jump to conclusions. As mentioned above, depression is one common cause of feelings of emptiness.
If the two of you were together for at least 6 months, take 2 months off. The length of the relationship matters when it comes to the no contact rule. If the two of you were together for 6-12 months (or longer), give yourself at least 60 days before you think about reaching out.
According to experts, it's totally possible to fall back in love with someone you used to date, and the reason why makes sense. "Once you love someone, unless your respect for them is destroyed, you can always love them again," Susan Trombetti, matchmaker and CEO of Exclusive Matchmaking, tells Elite Daily.
If you're not sharing what's really on your mind, it might be a sign that you no longer want a deep connection. Similarly, if you've found that the usual fun banter between you is gone, or it's difficult to have engaging conversations, your bond could be getting weaker.
Your Feelings Are No More
It's OK to feel apathy once in a while but if apathy has become a status quo in your relationship, then it's a sign your relationship is beyond repair. If either of your basic attachment is no more, there's no point in salvaging the relationship.
Love diminishes as small changes accumulate and move a couple away from closeness. They want different things as time goes along, have different goals, and maybe come to see themselves as different people than they were when they fell in love.
It may be hard to accept, but when you notice some signs like abuse, lack of trust, lack of communication, and disrespect, it may be some signs that your relationship is failing, and time to call it off. Even when you try your best to put the relationship together, the damage may be too severe.