Citation

Abbasi I, Alghamdi NG. J. Sex Marital Ther. 2015; 43(1): 40-48.

Affiliation

King Abdul Aziz University, Educational Psychology and Guidance, Program of Educational Graduate Studies, King Abdul Aziz University , Jeddah , Saudi Arabia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/0092623X.2015.1113596

PMID

26684280

Abstract

How can a same pair of partners 'Fall in love' and then 'stumble out of love'? This question has perplexed partners, researchers, and therapists alike, for centuries. Unlike falling out of love, which may be a long-term meditated gradual decline in love, falling in love may occur without much deliberation like the famous 'love at first sight'. During a developing love relationship, couples are more susceptible to ignoring a myriad of factors that would eventually affect their relationship. These ignored personal and general factors become increasingly conspicuous after the relationship is established. On facing relationship difficulties, the presence or absence of mutual love and intimacy steer the couple's relationship towards continuity or termination. Indifference (opposite of love) diminishes love and care; marital disaffection and romantic disengagement are used synonymously to represent this emotional indifference. Marital disaffection is one of the central concerns of couples entering therapy. Treating polarized or different agenda couples is challenging because spouses may enter therapy with divergent goals; some disaffected spouses may be seeking counseling to break the bond at a safe venue, while their partners may be obliviously hoping for the rebirth of the lost love. This paper reviews marital disaffection/romantic disengagement and discusses counseling options for polarized couples.

Language: en