"Emotional disengagement in relationships doesn't always appear head-on. It comes with the gradual, sinking feeling that something's not right. However, it's often challenging to be realistic because you're likely still doing your best to make it work, hoping things will improve. You hold out hope that soon enough, everything will get back on track, and that this is just a bumpy patch you have to ride out together."
"Calls, texts, shared plans - none of these feel urgent or important anymore. Shared rituals disappear. No planned dates, no weekend outings, not even those small, spontaneous moments of connection that once came naturally. When you initiate plans, they might agree, but without presence or interest. They show up more as a passive participant in something that feels like an obligation rather than a choice."
Emotional disengagement often arrives gradually as a sinking sense that something is wrong while hope keeps one invested. Partners stop initiating closeness: calls, texts, shared plans and rituals fade and spontaneous connection wanes. When plans are initiated, presence and interest are absent and participation feels obligatory. Conversations about a shared future disappear and solo pursuits, increased work hours, or time with friends become common. Avoidance rather than conflict frequently drives the withdrawal, as the relationship ceases to feel safe or fun. Research uses instruments like the Romantic Disengagement Scale to describe these patterns across diverse couples.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]