The breakup Does Not Have To Happen
Long distance relationships are seldom easy to maintain and they often become subject to the breakup. Although some long distance relationships are successful, it takes a special couple to bring this success about.
If the relationship is well established and both partners are secure with each other before it becomes a long distance one, then the breakup is less likely and it stands the best chance of lasting. Another plus factor would be if there is a definite time line involved, in other words, if there is an end to the long distance in sight, then there is something positive to hold onto and to plan for.
This can happen if the couple are temporarily split up because one of them has to work away for a specified period. This should work out fine if the relationship is a stable one. However, this is also the time for any insecurities to be magnified. Jealousy and a lack of trust can really harm a long distance relationship very quickly, but other things can get in the way as well. Because of the distance, most contact will be conducted verbally, this is not how a more conventional relationship would do things, where the majority of contact would be mostly physical, that is, by doing things together.
Most couples in a more local relationship don't spend all their time together talking, they do things, like hold hands, go to a movie, go for a meal, cook for each other, spend time together with friends. The interaction is far greater and almost infinitely more varied. These are all the things that are missing from a long distance relationship.
Social interaction is important for most people, this becomes even more important when away from home, especially for an extended period of time. A social life has to fill in for all the more usual interaction with friends and family, without any kind of social life, there would not be much to fill in the spare time of the person who is working away. This new social life can introduce all kinds of problems to the long distance relationship.
This scenario is not the only one that makes a relationship a long distance one. Couples frequently meet on holiday or on stop-overs while travelling or visiting, this will make it a long distance relationship almost right from the start, before it is well established. A relationship like this can last some time before it peters out for lack of meaningful contact. Some survive and blossom, avoiding the breakup completely, but it takes a great deal of work and commitment by the couple to bring this about.
In this day and age, meeting on the Internet has become huge, and it is growing daily as a way of starting a new relationship. Because the Internet is global, the couples can be from almost anywhere in the world with all the complications of, not just distance, but country borders, traditions, language, time zones, and a myriad of other problems. That does not mean they are all doomed, the Internet can produce some very successful relationships, not all of them have to be of the romantic type, there are millions of life long friendships struck up on the Internet, many of them never even meet in a physical way, and they have no real need to.
If you are in a long distance relationship and contact is becoming more strained, then this can be a sign that your partner is drifting away. This is not absolute though, the strain of finding things to talk about and keep it interesting can become a great burden, when this is the only interaction between a couple then it's quite common for the contact to happen less often and for a shorter duration as time passes.
There's no doubt about it, a long distance relationship will test the commitment and endurance of both of you. To succeed, you will have to be imaginative and have a real desire hold on to your relationship.
