Long-distance relationship

A long-distance relationship is typically an intimate relationship that takes place when the partners are separated by a considerable distance.

Online dating and the internet have greatly expanded the opportunities to meet partners from other parts of the world. Because of this, long distance relationships are becoming more common. Technologies including cell phones, e-mail, online chatting and video conferencing have made it possible to keep in touch. Other forms of communication frequently employed by partners in long-distance relationships include:

*Letters
*Instant messaging
*Text messaging
*VoIP programs
*Shared online activities (e.g., online games such as MMORPGs)
*Shared offline activities (e.g., watching the same movie while talking on the phone and listening to the same songs on radio at same time while talking on phone)

Challenges of long-distance relationships

*The partners in a long-distance relationship may also be separated by different timezones and therefore have scheduling conflicts
*Communication can be more challenging due to reduced real-time feedback
*Due to the distance the other partner's behavior cannot be monitored so a higher degree of trust and security may be required
*Physical contact and sexual needs may not be satisfied regularly
*The possibility that the partners become lonely, bored or grow apart

Because of problems that may arise due to the nature of long-distance relationships, regular communication is vital. Telephone calls, emails, text messaging and letters are viable options. Sharing intimate details of a partner's life, such as pictures and diary entries, also help to keep a long distance relationship alive. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/relationships/couples/life_longdistance.shtml#making_it_work "Long Distance Relationships". Relationships. BBC.] ]

Each partner's view of distance may affect how the couple copes with the separation. If one is accustomed to absence in his family life, he may feel that the distance in the relationship is not a big concern. If one partner has had an experience in which someone in his life left and said she would return, but never did return, that partner may see the long distance relationship as the beginning of the end. If it is his nature to look in the long term, a partner may see the long distance relationship as only temporary. On the other hand, if a partner is accustomed to couples always being physically together absence may be beyond his experience.

Many individuals end up losing feeling for their significant other, because it is of human nature to have to feel physical, emotional, and sexual intimacy. While a meeting between the two may occur occasionally, the periods in between may create a sense of loss and induce several negative emotions, such as a feeling of loss, depression, and sexual frustration. A common vice is for one or both of the individuals to meet and become intimately involved with someone much closer to them geographically but would typically mean the long distance relationship is over and they are moving on.

See also

* Living apart together

References