If your wife won't touch you, maybe something has changed. She may be experiencing depression or a lack of self-confidence, or maybe she feels like she's failing at this parenting thing. Even if it is difficult, do everything you can to put yourself in her shoes.
Depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental health issues are all linked to lower libido, as are some antidepressants. If your wife is struggling with any mental health issues, she may be less interested in sex at the moment.
There are a few common reasons why couples develop a lack of intimacy. Stress is the most common reason. Stress can come from various sources such as pressure from work, child care, and financial troubles in the family. There are several studies that show the link between stress and a decrease in sex drive.
What does it mean when your wife doesn't show affection?
There's been a loss of respect or trust
If your wife feels distant and has stopped being affectionate with you, there has likely been some lapse in respect or trust that has left her with resentment toward you. Intentional or not, women often use physical neglect as a punishment for something that displeased them.
Is it normal for my wife not interested in intimacy?
Common causes for a loss of sexual desire and drive in women include: Interpersonal relationship issues. Partner performance problems, lack of emotional satisfaction with the relationship, the birth of a child, and becoming a caregiver for a loved one can decrease sexual desire.
People who don't get their dose of affectionate touch seem less happy, more lonely, and have a higher likelihood of suffering from depression, mood and anxiety disorders, as well as secondary immune disorder.
Instead of begging, calmly explain to your spouse how their actions make you feel hurt and unloved. Do not say “you never show me affection” or use similar absolute statements. Start sentences with “I feel” and explain your feelings without being accusatory towards your partner.
It is common that when someone is experiencing a disturbance in their emotional and mental health, they may not demonstrate as much affection as they would at other times. Some mental health examples include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or even obsessive compulsive disorder.
Some of the signs of a toxic person include: Toxic individuals constantly belittle their partner, for example, by making fun of them in front of others or dismissing their ideas, thoughts, and desires as stupid or silly. Another common trait frequently seen in toxic marriages is anger.
Anxiety, stress, and depression are also common sexless marriage effects on the husband. When a husband is denied sex at home for a long time, his mental health is likely to deteriorate from stress, overthinking, and inability to release the feel-good hormone from sex.
A sexless marriage is not a good excuse for cheating. But it can be a valid reason to suggest that you and your partner have an open relationship or break up. Some may not like to hear this but I will say it anyway: the lack of sex in a relationship does not give anyone the right to cheat.
If both members of the couple have a very low sex drive and their needs are being met, then they can have a perfectly happy, sexless marriage, he says.
For example, talking to a partner excessively about work, being away from home, having little time or energy after working long hours, or work interfering in 'personal time' (like checking work emails in bed) can all contribute to a lack of intimacy in a relationship.
Should you end a relationship if there is no intimacy?
A sexless relationship will not necessarily harm the overall health of the relationship. "If both people are happy without sex (or infrequent sex), there is no problem. Like so much about our sex life, it's a problem when it causes distress," Zimmerman explains.
Problems with intimacy often stem from childhood experiences that set the pattern for how one deals with trust. It is likely that your partner survived some form of trauma that made it difficult to trust others. Such trauma could have included the death or separation of a parent or guardian.