Men have needs, and women have needs, and most of the time, those needs coincide and the intimate part of their relationship runs smoothly. But there are times when one or the other partner is not able to be intimate. She may be experiencing a severe case of morning sickness or the stomach flu. He may have thrown his back out on the job. There may be an instance of erectile dysfunction, although for the purposes of today’s blog, I’m speaking more specifically about injury or illness. Whatever the cause, physical intimacy is not something that can always happen, and this can lead to a feeling of distance or even resentment.
If you are the person who is injured or ill, keep in mind that yes, intimacy is a wonderful thing, but if you feel that being intimate would make your symptoms worse, you should probably abstain.
If you are the uninjured spouse, and you would like to be intimate but your loved one is unable, understand that their health is important, and if waiting is what they need to do, it doesn’t mean that they don’t love you.
There are other ways of showing affection and even sexual desire that are less strenuous. Often, holding each other and participating in loving touch can go a long way in relieving those feelings. Open communication about needs, wants, and desires is also important in helping each spouse understand the other’s viewpoint. The most important thing is to keep the injured spouse from feeling as though they need to sacrifice their health, and to keep the uninjured spouse from feeling bad for wanting that intimate time.
Intimacy is something that is best experienced when each partner feels able to fully emotionally invest in the experience. If one spouse can’t feel that type of connection, try to create an environment of loving, open communication and really spend some time together sharing thoughts and feelings, cuddles, and unselfishness. The intimacy might not happen in the way one or both partners might most like, but the experience will still be fulfilling, and create a bridge of trust and communication until full physical relations can resume again.
Related Blogs:
Hidden Messages Behind Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile Dysfunction – Not Just a Problem in the Bedroom