Long Distance Relationships- Yaay Or Naay?

Imagine this: Your day begins with a phone call from another end of the world. Throughout the day the person is on your mind, occupying your very thoughts and memory. At night, you resort to Skype and endless hours of chatting fill your sleepless nights. Yes, that's how a Long Distance Relationship looks like. While couples generally prefer to be together all the time, sometimes job, education or any unforeseen situation might keep them apart. Although physical separation might affect the relationship adversely, a LDR is not without it's advantages.

PROS OF LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS

1. Strengthens the Bond
It is rightly said that "Distance makes the heart grow fonder." With the hearts yearning, and a thousand miles separating them, couples use texts, phone calls and video calls to stay connected. In fact, studies show that live-in couples are much less enthusiastic about their relationships than long distance couples.

2. Development of Trust

You can't keep checking on your partner every single hour to ensure that they are faithful to you. Relationships don't work that way. The only way you can make things work, is by trusting your partner. Couples willing to maintain a LDR take a huge leap of faith and it acts as a major boost to their relationship.

3. Going beyond Physical Intimacy

LDR couples don't get to cozy up everyday. Weeks, months even years pass by until the partners meet each other. So if a couple agrees to be in a LDR, chances are that they are looking for an emotional connection, that's not purely physical.

4. Overcoming the Strain of Distance and Time

Being in a relationship, knowing that you won't always have someone's arms around you, there would be no shoulder to cry on in difficult times can be quite taxing. If the relationship flourishes even under this strain, it's safe to assume that the partners are in for a long haul.

5. Appreciating the Time Together

You won't see LDR couples sitting together andbusy with their phones. With distance keeping them apart for a long time, they realise the importance of their moments with each other and put in efforts to make its more memorable and special. Sweet, isn't it?

CONS OF LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS

1. Lack of Physical Connection

We cannot deny it- Physical intimacy fuels a relationship. When you miss the hugs and kisses from your favourite person, things can worsen after a while. Things can go downhill when committed people look for physical intimacy elsewhere.

2. Communication Problems

Virtual conversation has its place in a relationship, but real conversation matters too.Not all issues can be resolved over phone, and when they remain unresolved, the distance between partners increase.

3. Not all People are Genuine

With so many dating sites and social networking sites springing up, a lot of Long Distance Relationships begin in virtual media. Often, when the partners finally meet, the person is far different from the person they expected to meet, both physically and emotionally.

4. Scope for Lies and Negative Emotions

You cannot keep tabs on your partner for 24/7. There are a lot of times, when you do something against your partner's wishes. The easiest way to avoid a misunderstanding is by lying. The outcome? The relationship weakens.

5. A Third Person Appears

One of the most common reasons why an LDR is difficult to maintain is because couples eventually drift off. When one person finds his/her happy place in a third person, the relationship affects adversely.