You have this nagging feeling that your husband is no longer in love with you. Learn what to do next
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When you first started your relationship the idea that you might fall out of love probably seemed impossible. The love was so strong that it felt like nothing could, or would, ever shake it.
But what happens if you or your partner start feeling like you’re falling out of love? This can bring on one of the most painful and confusing times in a relationship.
Falling out of love is a common problem for relationships that are in trouble.
When it happens, it's easy to jump to a lot of conclusions about what that means. You might assume - like most people - that it means the end of the relationship and there's no hope.
What people don’t realize is that the feeling of falling out of love can occur for many reasons and not all of them have to mean an end to the relationship.
Let's look at some excerpts from my Google Hangouts on Falling Out of Love and see what falling out of love can really mean:
Our topic this week is falling out of love. It's a follow-up from our discussion last week where we talked about when you’re loving somebody who's not loving you.
This the of the flip side of that since we’re now discussing what happens when you’re the one who’s not feeling the love. It is actually fairly common for this to happen at some point in a relationship.
The feelings in the relationship change to some degree and then for some of us we actually do fall completely out of love with the other person. So, it's not uncommon whatsoever.
One of the things that we really need to understand about love is that it's not a constant thing.
Love is something that really does come and go and varies depending on the status of the relationship. A lot of relationships go through stages that affect how we feel about our partner, and that's normal.
To expect that level should stay the same throughout our relationship is actually really unrealistic, and that is one of the expectations that gets people into a lot of trouble. They get into a situation where they fall out of love because they think that it should always stay the same.
So, the first thing that can get us into trouble when we, or our partner, are falling out of love is the expectation that it should never happen. Wrong.
Relationships go through phases and love can change over time.
That's the first thing that we really need to recognize – it’s normal to have some give-and-take and ebb and flow to how we feel about our partner.
It is common for relationships to grow and to change and, to some degree, for us to grow apart if we are not intentional about growing together. Because if we are not constantly nourishing and growing our relationships, we do at times feel like we are falling out of love with our partner. It is important that we recognize that that is normal and it is okay.
The most important part is that we actually do something about it. This is where a lot of couples miss opportunities to be able to keep the relationship together because they are not working actively at engaging with their partner and identifying this when it starts to happen.
The next thing to note is that we shouldn't be surprised when falling out of love happens. You actually should expect to fall out of love if you’re not both working to grow the relationship.
You’re either growing together or growing apart, and which one you’re doing is within your control.
Many assume the love they start with in a relationship is all they need for the relationship to last forever.
That’s simply not true.
In order for a relationship to grow both partners need to put time and effort into it. Many couples fail to realize this because in the beginning love comes so easy.
When that starts to change, and when each partner starts to change, is when you need to work together to keep the love and your relationship strong.
So, the first thing is to recognize is that this is normal and the second part to be aware of is actually addressing it. This is where a lot of people really fall apart; they make assumptions when they are not feeling that connected to their partner, when they are feeling that they are not loving them anymore or are not in love with them. That is a common phrase that I hear a lot in counseling, particularly from men: they still love their partner, but they are not in love with their partner. A lot of guys really make a distinction there, and this is where some of the assumptions get us into trouble.
We assume that we should still feel the same way about our partner as we did when we first met them, and that is just not going to be practical. The awareness of loving the other person, but not being in love them is one of the things that often happens around feeling like we are falling out of love. Too many people feel that when they reach the stage where they are not loving their partner that it means the relationship should be over; that's just not the case. Again, it is typical that this can happen, and it really comes about from us not addressing some things and actually nourishing the relationship. It can get corrected if we will actually address it.
The biggest, and easiest, mistake we can make when falling out of love is to believe that it means the relationship has died.
We must remember that just like there were things we did and did not do that caused us to fall out of love, the same is true for falling back in love. The difference now is that you have to be much more deliberate and focused about regaining that feeling and making your connection strong again.
Falling in love in the beginning is fairly effortless. In fact, some people will say they never wanted to, or weren’t even looking for love – it just happened.
The problem is that staying in love and creating a long-lasting relationship doesn’t “just happen” and most people don’t understand that. Relationships that last for years and years take work – a lot of it.
The problem that I run into with a lot of people that actually come to see me for counseling help is that they have reached a point where they have just decided that this means the relationship should be over. A lot of people at that place have actually already checked out of the relationship; they actually take the feeling of not being loved anymore or loving their partner and they cheat on the spouse or relationship and get their needs met in other ways. This is where affairs often happen and originate out of how we reach out and get over-focused at work and hobbies and other things that get us distracted from having to focus on our partner.
A common thing for people is that they really avoid this issue. A lot of times this is originating from us avoiding addressing our feelings and sharing it with our partner. I want to add this point: love is a feeling that changes. It's not a constant, and that's okay and that's normal. It's just important that we do something about it. When we're not feeling as connected with our partner, we need to address trying to get reconnected and grow back together. Falling out of love is normal. The real key is what we do with it.
Read those last two sentences again.
Relationships and people change. Who we are at 25 and what is important to us then is likely not to be the same when we’re 40.
The same can be said for your partner.
When you add to that the many things that life can bring us,
it’s no wonder that many couples find themselves feeling as though they’ve fallen out of love.
The truth is that falling out of love is normal and happens in all relationships. The most important thing is what we choose to do about it.
More than likely what has happened is that for a long time they’ve failed to maintain their love for each other as they dealt with day-to-day life. This isn’t uncommon at all.
And like a car (or nearly anything else), if you don’t pay attention to it and do regular maintenance, it’ll stop working properly.
Sadly, in many of these cases couples just call it quits.
Before you do that, ask yourself the following questions:
Or,
If the answer to the first two questions is, no, and the answer to the last question is, yes, then there’s hope.
This is the point where many people get stuck.
I’m not happy with the way things are and don’t feel in love anymore. But I don’t really want to get a divorce either. How do I start feeling like I used to?”
The answer to that question is through:
But communication at this stage is more complicated than simply talking more. Making an effort can be more difficult than it sounds too. Change can be hard without some expert help, especially knowing what to do and how to do it.
In fact, many couples find the help of a marriage counselor to be necessary in order to get back on track.
As you’re working to make things better, you may find that the fun, romantic, “in love” feeling has actually grown into the kind of love that sustains a family and home, and weathers life’s good times and bad. And that this change isn’t bad, but rather good and what you need at this point in your life.
With time and effort that original “in-love” feeling you recall can return.
Be aware, however, that this feeling can fade again as well if you don’t keep up the effort. Relationships that stand the test of time never go on autopilot.
You don’t stop maintaining your car, why would you stop maintaining your relationship?
As discussed we above, ending the relationship because it doesn’t feel the way it used to isn’t the answer.
Feeling different isn’t the same as being over, and if you look hard enough you may even realize that what you have is actually stronger than what it was in the beginning.
It’s important to remember the following things:
So, if you feel like you’re falling out of love, stop and ask yourself some questions:
If the answers to those questions are, no, then it’s time for you to do some work.
Editor's Note: This post was originally published October 26, 2013, updated on November 20, 2018 and updated again for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
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I have been with my girlfriend for 5 years, she told me she fell out of Love with me , we argue ..yes...but when it's all said and done I still want us to reconnect but with her she needs time.....she said she fell out of love with me but this begging January she got my name huge across her chest..it's only been a month since she had the tatto but yet she says she been fell out of Love with me for 2 years now...it's don't know what to do I try moving forward but my feelings come together and just make me a emotional wreck...I'm in love with her and would do anything for our love to rekindle .... we got into 1 dispute and she says she can't deal with me and she rather stay my friend cause we don't argue about as much when we are friends but I never stopped looking at her as in somebody I love...I love this women I need help !
KK, Read through the articles under the topic Love is Gone for tips on what you can do. -Dr. Kurt
I have been with my husband five years. We married in October, moved out of state in January, and started a new life. I thought things were fine. Last week my husband announced that he is not in love with me, that I am his best friend and that's all, and he wants a divorce. I was blindsided and am devastated. He was diagnosed with an attachment disorder and depression as a young man, and I don't believe that he doesn't love me. I have requested two things: that we wait three months to file for divorce, and that he accompany me to counseling to get through this. Is that reasonable? I don't know how to be without him and need his help transitioning.
Kris, Yes, both of those sound very reasonable. Divorce is such a life altering choice that it should be entered into very cautiously. Take those 2 steps whether he agrees to them or not (with or without him). -Dr. Kurt
Fun falling in love!But in this day and age falling out of love so eazy.
Wow, sorry my friend Josh. Your story sounds exactly like mine. I'm a great guy and good guy, successful and outstanding income and provider, awesome dad to the kids, gave her everything she wanted, great lover to her and forgave her in all her wrong ways, etc.. etc... same story I'm still attractive, fit, confident, picked up even new talents playing piano, outstanding new dancer, cook, etc, starting new companies for once, etc.
Basically she lost her fricken mind and has zero common sense, and will end up on the street broke, homeless, and eating cereal out of a box in a broken down hotel. Worse yet, we have 4 outstanding kids, and she just through it all away and self distructed. Have no idea whom she is anymore...
Claims she is totally in love with a new man, a match made in heaven, and this is a new path for her chosen by God, and she has never been happier...
She won't seek help, blames me for all of it, tells me she fail out of love, etc...
All this is unreal to me....
After research, the only thing I can assume is I married a narcist that finally imploded on herself. Is it possible your wife is a narcist Josh? Still in shock that we have been married for 18 years with 4 young kids, all of this down the tube, she claims a devout Christian even , destroyed our family and kids, withheld love making from me, it goes on and on... says loves me as a great father to our kids but not in love with me.... I'm mean where did I buy my movie ticket as this is unreal...
I have been married almost 35 years to my husband. He has been distant and cold fir about 2 months. He told me on New Years day he is no longer interested in sex with me. As a matter of a fact he doesnt show any affection. We had a talk and he said he is not interested in anyone else, not sure I believe him? We sleep in separate beds in the same room. He doesn't text me anymore to see how the day is going. After a momentary sexual uncounted with him last week,he announced rather angrily,that he doesnt love me and never will! I was devastated. We previously had a conversation about staying married. He said he loves me and didn't want a divorce.confusion on my part. Now he says he just doesn't care about anything, that nothing matters. He said he cares about his friends, male and female and his daughters. He said I could live in tbe house as long as I want to. Finances are difficult. I see signs of depression for awhile now. So lost, he refuses to discuss our marriage future. Says get a divirce if you want to. Hes not getting one.I have tried to tell him I live him, support him,and respect him. Deaf ears, but I said it.I am trying to be living and respectful, and caring even though it hurts like hell. Don't know what else to do. Praise, respect ,Hard to communicate with someone who shuts you down.