Long-term relationships will experience their fair share of highs and lows.

As the months and years go by, it’s normal for you and your partner to have disagreements from time to time. Furthermore, it’s normal to experience emotional disconnect sometimes.

While emotional disconnect is to be expected, how do you tell when it’s happening? And, more importantly, how do you tell when the emotional disconnect has moved past the point of normalcy?

It’s not always easy to pinpoint emotional disconnect in a relationship, but there are telltale signs that you can look out for. Here are seven.

1. Your Conversations Don’t Flow Easily

When you have an emotional connection to someone, it’s easy to talk about nearly anything. In a healthy relationship, conversation should happen organically and freely.

But, does it seem like you’re at a loss for what to say lately? If so, it could be a sign of an emotional disconnect between you and your partner. 

2. You Argue a Lot

Every couple will have disagreements sometimes. And that’s normal, as long as conflict gets resolved peacefully.

However, does it feel like you and your partner fight often, even about the smallest of things? Do you have a hard time seeing eye to eye with each other? An emotional disconnect can lead to more fights or bickering in a relationship.

3. You Don’t Have Sex Often or at All

For many couples, sex is an important part of intimacy and emotional connection. There is no right or wrong amount that you should be having sex, and every couple is different.

However, if it seems like your sex life has taken a nosedive for no real reason, it could be due to an emotional disconnect between you and your partner. 

4. You Aren’t as Intimate as You Once Were

Sex isn’t the only form of intimacy in a relationship, and non-sexual gestures go a long way. Hugging, cuddling, and holding hands are all small gestures of intimacy.

But, if you feel disconnected from your partner, you may not feel a desire to express intimacy through these actions. A lack of intimacy can be especially telling if you and your partner were once very hands-on in your relationship.

5. You’re Feeling Annoyed Often

It’s normal to get annoyed with your partner sometimes. And, likewise, it’s normal for them to be annoyed with you.

However, does it feel like you’re annoyed with each other more and more these days—and perhaps for no real reason? An emotional disconnection could easily explain these feelings of ongoing irritation.

6. You Don’t Spend a Lot of Time Together

When you’re in a long-term relationship, you likely don’t want to spend as much time with your partner as you did at the beginning. In fact, it’s healthy to have some distance and independence from one another.

Yet, too much distance can be a sign of an emotional disconnect. If you and your partner are getting a little too comfortable leading separate lives, there may be a bigger problem.

7. You Never Feel Like You’re on the Same Page with Your Partner

As a couple, you and your partner don’t have to agree on everything. That being said, you should certainly be on the same page for most things.

But have you noticed that it feels like you’re never on the same page with one another anymore? If so, it may be that emotional disconnection is putting you on opposite sides.

Working Through Your Emotional Disconnection

If you feel like your relationship has been going through an emotional disconnect, don’t lose hope. Talk to your partner about the possibility of seeking couples counseling to work through your issues. With couples counseling, you can better understand the root of your emotional disconnect. More importantly, you can work together to find productive ways to move past it.

Emotional disconnections will sometimes happen in a relationship—but it doesn’t mean your relationship is doomed. Contact me to find out more about how couples counseling can help get you and your partner back on track for a happy, emotionally stable relationship!