Is living together from a distance what you expected from your relationship? Probably not; when you are married or living together in a committed relationship, being emotionally and sexually distant is extremely stressful. The tension this kind of dysfunctional arrangement produces drains your body and your mind. You become irritable and impatient. Your ability to function effectively, all across the board, decreases dramatically. And you're not alone. Children, from toddlers to teenagers, have fewer established coping mechanisms, and so they immediately absorb this tension. Living as roommates leaves everyone stressed, exhausted, and hungry for love.

Being hungry for love can turn out to be a good thing for you and your relationship, because it has the possibility of drawing you together. At difficult moments it is this desire to love and be loved that can shape how you act toward your partner. The desire to be and stay close must become more important than your ego's need to resist change, to get your way, or to hang on to resentments from the past.