At the two-year mark significant changes occur in relationships that can leave you wondering whether you're as in love as you originally thought.
Many researchers have speculated that around the two-year point, the chemicals in your brain that are responsible for the initial rush of intense love — dopamine, phenylethylamine and oxytocin — begin to decrease.
This often results in a drop in sexual activity — and it may leave you feeling worried that the attraction has faded.
Should you worry?
You don't need to be concerned because a long-term relationship is about what happens now that the chemical cocktail has worn off. You can now get down to the business of creating a serious partnership. That means making joint decisions and compromises that will lead to a deeper, more mature relationship.
Don't be afraid to negotiate important issues about the future of the relationship. It's important to ask at this point in your relationship, "Where to now?"
Jennifer Garth is a practicing psychologist, author, family and relationships therapist. She regularly writes for the media on psychological and relationship issues and she is a consultant psychologist for corporations.
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