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Low intimacy time

User Profile: helpfulAvocado3412
helpfulAvocado3412 March 17th, 2025

I am with my girlfriend for 3 years and she is the most kind and supportive person I have ever met. But she is also very quiet, calm and introverted.


I noticed that she doesn’t feel much sexual drive with me. I asked about it, and she said she didn’t think about this much. I asked whether she finds me attractive and she said yes.


But as time went on, I find this low drive is getting lower. Getting intimacy time together is probably lowest on her priority list. She is probably fine to not have it at all, even not me asking. I kept feeling “unwanted”. It also affected my self esteem. I tried to hold it in because I don’t want to pressure her, it made me feel worse.


She does care about me and look after me in life. Having said that, I did 90% cooking including when I got sick. It made me feel upset because I felt she cannot look after my need (sex and food).


She looks after me like looking after a plant or a piece of furniture…i appreciate it really. Otherwise, I won’t be feeling this dilemma.


I have been thinking recently whether we should break up. It is not her fault that she doesn’t want me. But I cannot get rid of this bitter feeling inside me.

2
User Profile: jacek73
jacek73 March 18th, 2025

@helpfulAvocado3412


Hello, and welcome to 7 Cups 😊 

I understand it must be very confusing to you when your emotional needs in a relationship are met in a supportive and nurturing way, but the physical needs like intimacy at the same time seeming completely ignored. It seems quite natural you may feel even bitter or angry.

After reading your story, two questions are coming to my mind: is it always have been like that (I mean: no intimacy)? And: what actually made you two decide to become a couple?

The reasons why your girlfriend does not want any physical intimacy might be various: She might have been raised in a family environment where ideas about sexuality had been very strict, seeing intimacy as something wrong, evil and forbidden. She might have had some bad first experience or trauma that made her feel like sexuality is not for her. If she is taking any tranquilizers, antidepressants or hormone pills, it can also bring her libido to zero.

Another idea is - since you mentioned feeling cared of "like a plant or a piece of furniture" - do you see your relationship as a partner-to-partner connection, based on mutuality and equality? Or can it be more resembling a mother-to-son relationship (obviously, in such kind of connection sexuality could be banned)?

Last but not least, are you both aware of the fact that intimacy between two healthy people usually comes to sex, but it is NOT ONLY about sex? It starts with a starry romantic look into the partner's eyes, a hug, a kiss, a warm touch of a hand, a gentle massage, an evening walk together, watching a romantic movie, long talks together, about some important things from the past, the most vivid dreams or memories, building some deep emotional connection.

I think either forcing one person in a relationship to unwanted intimacy, or the other person feeling invalidated, by his/her important needs being completely ignored, are two worst scenarios...

I think all we are heading to is being close to another human - one COMPLETE person meeting another COMPLETE person on as many levels (emotional, intellectual, sensual/sexual, spiritual) as possible. Would you agree with that?
1 reply
User Profile: helpfulAvocado3412
helpfulAvocado3412 OP March 18th, 2025

Thank you for your reply. It did make me think about the questions you raised and I think they are very valid questions.


I always know from the beginning that her sex drive is lower than me, but the gap wasn’t as significant as how it is now. I remember this was my biggest concern before I stepped in this relationship - whether her feelings towards me is romantic/sexual or more like with friend/siblings/family. I had to confirm this with her multiple times before I actually believed her. She said firmly that she sees me as a lover.


It was the lack of passion on physical touches/sex made me feeling unsure in the first place and I think this is the same reason causing me feeling insecure three years later.


There are kisses, cuddles, long walks in our relationship and I really appreciate those moment. But as this issue re-occurs, I am not sure I will be able to put that behind and live with our differences for the decades to come.

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