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Study: Passion does not last in long-term relationships
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Passion can last, but you have to work at it!
Researcher Bianca Acevedo from Stony Brook University in New York, undertook research into the dynamics of long-term relationships and came up with some shocking results that counteract with what people normally believe to be true about long-term relationships.
The bottom line of the study: Romantic love does not last. (ie, the giddy butterfly feeling fades away)
Although most of us in healthy, happy relationships may protest such findings, the researchers have shown in their studies that the manic, obsessive romantic love that is experienced in the beginning of the relationship fades away with time.
The one thing that sets Acevedo's research apart from other studies, is that she has separated and examined the feelings of long-term desire and the obsessive romantic love we feel in the beginning. With both of these feelings looked at individually, it was easy to see which specific piece of romantic love fades.
Ms. Acevedo comments on the study's findings: The compulsiveness of early stages of love may not be present in long-term relationships, but you can still feel romantic love, desire, sexual interest for someone you've been with for many, many years.
So, does this mean that your long-term relationship is doomed to be lackluster and wane of passion? Not necessarily. One professional chimed in on the research, saying that romantic love can still exist in long-term relationships, but it takes work to keep it alive. Dr. Viriginia Sadock of New York University Langone Medical Center adds, When one first falls in love -- regardless of age -- there's a kind of euphoria. Then you get to know them, and realize they have flaws. But, if you're in a relationship, even though the euphoria is gone, the joy of being in love is still there.
This research has offered some advice on how to keep that spark alive, by inviting activities into your relationship that are "novel and challenging" and keeping your sexual routine varied. Keep things fresh, and never forget what brought you together in the first place. If you don't want to fall into a relationship rut, you must work to constantly keep that flame burning between you. Check out these tips on adult playtime!
Sources: US News, NYU Langone Medical Center
Questions or relationship problems? Email me at erinhelpme@gmail.com
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