Sexual Attraction

topic posted Wed, July 19, 2006 - 3:42 PM by  Veronica
What do you do when you're not sexually attracted to your partner anymore?
posted by:
Veronica
California
  • Re: Sexual Attraction

    Wed, July 19, 2006 - 4:04 PM
    What do you mean "anymore?" How long has this been going on? I read in your profile you've been with your husband a year. Sexual attraction waxes and wanes. After the first rush of that dating attraction dies down, it never comes back exactly the same way. This is the point where many marriages fail. People think because that rush is gone, the relationship is over. In a good relationship, you'll have times of very hot attraction and times, of, "Ho-hum, pass the remote." In Women Who Dance With Wolves (I think that's the title) anyway she calls that cylce a death cylce because you can get to a point where you think the relationship is dead, but if you wait it out and allow it to be, the relationship comes back. Being with someone long term means you have to understand the cycles of yourselves as individuals and the cycles of your relationship. It's not always about hot sex, but sometimes it is. In a good relationship, you have companionship and friendship and a full life together to see you through the ho-hum days.

    For me, loving a person is a choice I make every day, every moment. It goes beyond how I may "feel" at any given instant. Feelings come and go like weather. I don't decide to move from my home because it's raining. Some people may give you tricks or techniques to "spark the fire" and that's fine, but I've been with my husband 15 years and don't feel the need for constant fire and I'd rather just be present for the ups and downs of our life together. Our fire can bank and keep us warm until we feel like we want a big blaze!
    • Re: Sexual Attraction

      Wed, July 19, 2006 - 5:39 PM
      Well said Kathleen!!

      Love changes over time. I mean sometimes I feel my husband is a roomie or a brother, but just as quick he's a boyfriend again. It's all about cycles and realising that love has it's ups and downs. I think in the world today, we're sold on this silly idea that marriage is going to be the romantic fantasy of a lifetime or something and that it's gonna solve all your issues.. and it's totally NOT true.

      My husband isn't the gym going guy that he was 6 years ago, but he's gorgeous in all sorts of ways that I never saw in the start of it, because I was too caught up in that rush feeling. So while he may not have a 32 inch waist anymore, it's the intimacy and the tenderness and unconditional love that he gives me that makes him so much more gorgeous to me now than before.

      But I'll admit.. I mean I think everyone misses those feelings, but it's part of growing up and defining a persons worth in different ways. Sometimes I'd give anything to be 14 again and waiting for that first kiss.. but that feeling died off when the next boy came along and so forth... first time things can't last.. it's just a fact of life.


      • Re: Sexual Attraction

        Wed, July 19, 2006 - 6:07 PM
        I understand not to base my relationship on sexual attraction. But I don't even feel like he's my brother, friend or anything. Not even a roomie. We are just here. Let me rephrase that--he's in his own little world and at the center of it of-course, and I'm just someone on the sidelines-no one to take real interest in really. That's how I feel. It's a serious issue with us because he is very sexual and I always found it hard to connect with a man sexually unless I could connect with him emotionally. I know he's not just anyone----he's my husband! He wants more sex and I want at least SOME emotional intimacy and support. I've talked to him before about it and he apologized but then after about a week he went back to his old ways of living as if he is the only person in the universe. I'm feeling very angry, very hurt, and very alone. Bottom line, I get the feeling that it's TOO much HARD work for him to actually take any interest in me. That's the vibe I get from him.
        • Re: Sexual Attraction

          Wed, July 19, 2006 - 6:26 PM
          I've been in that situation too with my husband many times! I look on how much I value my marriage... and I decided instead of brooding on what's wrong to think on what's good about it.. and I upped my activities out of the home.
          • Re: Sexual Attraction

            Thu, July 20, 2006 - 6:27 AM
            Cecilia, since we're not there, we can't really say whether you have a marriage worth saving. I would never say, "Stay with your man, no matter what." Dare made some good points. We all have times where our partner may take a back seat to whatever's going on in our lives. For me, I believe it's important to have interests of your own, so you're not so dependant on your husband for all your needs. But the base of your marriage has to be solid to be able to weather the ups and downs.

            Thing is, if you've never felt important to your man, ever, then you may have made the wrong choice. Everyone's different in their needs for sex, intimacy and companionship. Your man may not need the level of intimacy you do to feel connected, or he may feel it in a different way. You shouldn't have to feel you're always "putting out" and not getting anything back. You may need some professional help to mediate and get your needs heard as well as his. Some people need privacy and independence as well as connectedness and intimacy. When my husband comes home from work, he needs time to be by himself and power down from his day. I would sometimes bombard him with questions or talk about my day, because that's how I process my day, by talking. Now, I let him go off by himself for a bit and relax, then when he's ready, he's able to listen to me talk about my day and can be there for me. We have respect for what each other needs and try to be sure we're aware of that, while not always being insistent on getting exactly what we want in every moment. Each person in the relationship needs to feel important to the other, even if you're off doing separate things.

            Bottom line: the marriage needs to be important to both of you. You can't carry it alone. If it is and he just needs some time to himself, get some other interests. If you're constantly feeling ignored, you may need some help with communication skills. Talk to a professional. You could just not be communicating well enough. I don't think people have to talk through every little thing, every passing feeling, but if you feel completely disconnected from him, the problem isn't about sexual attraction, it's something deeper you'll need to deal with.
            • Re: Sexual Attraction

              Thu, July 20, 2006 - 7:11 AM
              *claps* Right on!! I'm kinda happy about this post because it got conversation started in my own marriage about where our values and how we value our marriage. I think it's all about learning how someone works.
              • Re: Sexual Attraction

                Thu, July 20, 2006 - 7:35 AM
                Exactly and in so doing, you learn how YOU work and learn you don't always have to be right! That's one of the hard parts, I don't always get to be right, dang it!
                • Re: Sexual Attraction

                  Thu, July 20, 2006 - 11:23 AM
                  Well I'm happy for you ladies. My husband isn't much of a talker when it comes to intimate feelings, thoughts, values, etc.... When our son was born and I began talking about the whole labor/birth experience after we got home and no relatives were around, he just smiled, looked away and said "Yeah, it was great." That's it! About his FIRST and ONLY son being BORN! [Hellooooooo!!!!! Life changing experience here!!!!!!!! Don't you have anything else to say???!!!!!!!!] No, I don't bombard my husband with conversation when he gets home from work. I know he needs down time----he bombards me with things about himself, himself, himself. Then when I try to talk to him about my day and the kids day, he smiles, nods and gives me one word responses---"yea, oh," etc... [Helloooooo!!!!!!! Me and the kids exist in YOUR world too you know!!!!!!] Yes, we're different. Yes, we have different needs. But it's not all about HIS needs only.
                  • This is the maximum depth. Additional responses will not be threaded.

                    Re: Sexual Attraction

                    Thu, July 20, 2006 - 3:43 PM
                    Cecilia, you sound very angry, resentful and at your patience's end. You need to do something with this anger, resolve it in some way for your sake and the sake of your children. This sounds like more than a situational phase. This is no way to live. Because you have children together, I'd recommend counseling of some sort. You're always going to have to have contact with him, even if you split, so it would be better for your kids if you could able to understand and work with each other. As a teacher, I've seen the damage resentful parents can do to their children when they can't release that anger towards their spouse or ex. It devastates children. Don''t let this happen to yours and don't kid yourself into thinking they don't know. They feel it and internalize it. Some kind of councelling would allow you both to be heard by each other with a referee of sorts to be sure you stay honest. Good luck and I'm sorry you're having such a hard time.
                    • Re: Sexual Attraction

                      Thu, July 20, 2006 - 8:58 PM
                      Cecilia, I think we have something in common.
                      I'm a very social person, love to talk, love to visit. My husband whom I've been with for the past 15 years, is not. He's pretty quiet, except when he's telling me about his day. We used to fight over this, me calling him insensitive and him calling me a hysterical woman. But then I started doing the same thing back to him that he was doing to me.
                      He'd say, "Yeah, this one guy at work...blah, blah, blah." And as soon as he paused I would say,"Oh yea today the kids...blah, blah, blah." Back and forth everytime he talked. After about a week, he asked me if he really was that bad, and I said yes.
                      So we've worked our way through it, and he's opened up to me alot since then. To him, his job is his social life and his life outside the house. (He doesn't have alot of friends that aren't coworkers, and he doesn't like going out to bars or anywhere that involves very many people.) Its the only thing he talks about that isn't "us". I think he feels that its the only conversation he can have that isn't controlled by me, and I learned that I had to stop doing that too, trying to control what we talked about all the time.
                      Once in awhile, he will still cut me off when I'm talking, I just stop him and ask "Can I finish?" Its just that he thought of something he finds exciting and wants to share.
                      You need to talk with your hubby. Communication is the key. I really think it could save alot of marriages if people would just learn how to do it together.
                      And in that same note, its hard to get excited sexually when you're pissed off. You're mad at him, so of course you aren't attracted to him right now. Once you have talked this over and maybe even have gotten some professional help for it, it will probably come back soon.
                      Good luck Cecilia! And I'm always here if you ever feel you want to talk about it.
                      • Re: Sexual Attraction

                        Fri, July 21, 2006 - 7:51 AM
                        I find myself falling victim to that too sometimes... but I haven't tried what you've tried Jeanne.. think I will next time this issue creeps up.
                        • Re: Sexual Attraction

                          Fri, July 21, 2006 - 8:58 AM
                          "he will still cut me off when I'm talking, I just stop him and ask "Can I finish?"" I do that, too! He's not even aware of doing it until I point it out to him. If I can say it without anger, it helps. He's apologizes and we move on. I do it, too, sometimes. I think we all get caught up in what we have to say that we forget to listen!

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