Do you want to know some harsh facts about long-distance relationships?
I’ll give you the top three so you can have an overview of the challenges you’ll face as a couple.
When you’re in love with someone, you think your romantic relationship will be full of cute gifts, warm hugs, and passionate kisses until one of you has to move across the country.
Then you realize it’s hard to keep your love alive. There are a lot of highs and lows of long-distance relationships you’ll have to navigate together.
Research shows that most long-distance relationships don’t last longer than 4 months after couples reunite with each other.
Most LDR couples who survive are the ones who are prepared to keep the love alive no matter what.
It’s not an easy ride; long-distance romance is challenging, especially when you’re separated from your partner for a long time.
You’ll experience lonely nights, trust issues, financial constraints, and other stuff that’ll threaten to extinguish the flames of your burning love for each other.
It’s wise to be aware and prepared for the hurdles long-distance couples face throughout their love life.
This article explores the major long-distance relationship problems you’ll face when you’re miles apart.
3 HARSH FACTS ABOUT LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS
What’s the hardest thing about long-distance relationships? Is it the loneliness, the cost of travel, or the voluntary celibacy?
If you’re curious about what to expect in an LDR, here are 3 harsh facts about long-distance relationships no one tells you:
#1 The loneliness is almost unbearable
A long-distance relationship can be lonely because you’ll be far from each other over a long period. You’ll have to learn to enjoy the solitude that all LDR couples experience.
No matter how many phone calls and video chats you make or the number of romantic text messages you exchange in a day, you’ll still miss your significant other deeply.
The biggest challenge in long-distance relationships is dealing with the constant feelings of loneliness that linger for days non-stop.
When you see other romantic couples in geographically close relationships spending time together, you’ll feel jealous, and the feelings of loneliness will be excruciating.
You’ll also miss your long-distance partner so much that you’ll crave their touch and yearn to be with them.
When you’re in an LDR, you’re always going to feel as if something important is missing from your life because your partner isn’t available to you all the time.
It would get hard to stay in the relationship each time you attend a social event or family gathering and find yourself all alone, even when you’re in the midst of loved ones.
Some days you’ll be grateful to have someone who loves you, and other days you will feel sad that you have nobody to cuddle with and watch TV all night.
It’s important to be ready to stay alone most of the time and find healthy ways to chase away the loneliness to ensure you don’t go crazy.
#2 The temptation to cheat is strong
Another harsh fact about a long-distance relationship is that you’ll struggle to stay celibate, and the temptation to hook up with someone else will be unrelenting.
There will be tempting moments where your mind will tell you to have a casual fling with a stranger and hide it from your partner.
You’ll find yourself struggling to stay faithful, especially on cold nights, and you’ll look for reasons to justify having a no-strings-attached relationship.
Even if you’re disciplined enough to avoid cheating on your romantic partner, other people who find you attractive could try to get you to sleep with them.
You’ll have to remind yourself every time you need physical intimacy that you’re already taken.
One of the most effective ways to cope if you have a high libido is to learn to please yourself regularly, so you won’t need to cheat on your partner to feel satisfied.
If you’re okay with staying without intimacy for long periods though, you’ll be able to cope easily in a long-distance relationship.
#3 Your love will be tested by a host of different things
If you decide to get into an LDR, be aware that your love will be tested in different ways, and it will be hard to maintain your emotional connection.
Some days you may doubt that your love is strong enough to stand the test of time.
You may also feel insecure about your partner’s level of commitment and loyalty to your relationship.
The only way you’ll survive it as a couple is to believe that your love has a chance and it’s worth fighting for.
There’s no doubt that you’ll meet a lot of naysayers who will tell you bad things about long-distance relationships.
Many people will tell you that you’re delusional and that your partner could be having fun with someone else while you’re being faithful to them.
Your friends and family members may also say that long-distance relationships are a waste of time and advise you to find someone who’s nearby.
You’ll need effective communication, a strong trust in each other, and unshakeable faith in your relationship to pull through.
You’ll feel discouraged to continue with the relationship most of the time and will need to constantly remind yourself why you got into the relationship in the first place.
Conclusion
These harsh facts about long-distance relationships weren’t meant to scare you but to help you prepare for the hurdles you’ll encounter in your love life.
The simple truth about long-distance relationships is that they’re not easy to maintain.
There are so many obstacles you’re going to encounter as an LDR couple.
From communication issues to trust issues and lack of physical intimacy to feelings of insecurity, it will take a lot of effort to make your romantic relationship work.
You’ll miss your partner a lot and won’t be able to see them as often as you want because of the high travel costs.
There’s also going to be a constant urge to question your partner’s loyalty since they’re far away and you don’t know what they’re really up to.
Plus, you may have to deal with a few temptations yourself and would need a lot of self-control to overcome them.
However, if you survive your long-distance relationship without breaking up, you’ll find out the challenges made your love strong, and the wait was worth it.
The bottom line is that distance in a romantic relationship is tough, but that doesn’t mean every long-distance relationship is doomed.
These types of relationships work when both parties are committed to communicating effectively, maintaining intimacy, and putting effort into the relationship.
FAQs
1. What makes long-distance relationships hard?
Lack of physical intimacy and irregular communication can make a long-distance relationship difficult for most people.
2. How successful are long-distance relationships?
According to a recent survey of about 1,000 American people, long-distance couples have a 58 percent chance of survival. This means you’ll need to put in more effort to build a successful relationship with your partner.
3. Why are long-distance relationships difficult?
Being in a long-distance relationship is often challenging because you’ll need to deal with feelings of loneliness, uncertainty, and a lack of physical touch.
4. What are the disadvantages of long-distance relationships?
Some consequences of being in a long-distance relationship include insecurity, trust issues, poor communication, no physical intimacy for long periods, and high travel expenses.
5. What are some hard things about long-distance relationships?
The hardest thing about being in a long-distance relationship is having to spend a lot of time away from your romantic partner.
Recommended Reading:
108 Best Long Distance Relationship Quotes For Couples
How To Tell If Someone Is Cheating On You In A Long Distance Relationship