In the beginning of a healthy love relationship, two spouses usually have deep levels of emotional engagement and intimacy. This is usually accompanied by lots of physical affection, like touching, hugging, kissing and other physical intimacies that spouses are supposed to enjoy. However, in the case of a marital breakdown, one signal that the relationship is in serious trouble happens when there is a withdrawal of affection — which is also referred to as “emotional withholding.”
Sometimes, the withdrawal of affection is one-sided, and the more affectionate spouse will be starved for attention and intimacy while the other spouse becomes cold and emotionally unreachable. Other times, the withdrawal of affection is mutual. This “disaffection” often accompanies statements from either side like, “We have fallen out of love.”
Family and relationship psychologists generally agree that if one side of the marriage becomes “disaffectionate,” it’s a sign that this person doesn’t have much love for the other spouse anymore – at least, not the kind of love required for an intimate love union like a marriage to endure. Depending on how dire the situation happens to be, it’s possible that – once the relationship has reached this point – it cannot be salvaged. Nevertheless, some couples can bring their marriages back into balance even after disaffection presents itself.
If you’ve considered your options and decided that your marriage cannot be “salvaged,” you may want to speak with our law firm about divorce and what’s required to begin the process. We’re available to speak with you now about how you can protect your legal rights while peacefully and respectfully bringing your marriage to a close.