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Author Topic: I dont see my wife in a sexual way  (Read 2597 times)
Fac51
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« on: September 03, 2010, 03:27:14 AM »

I have been married to my beautiful, loving wife for 10 years and we have been together for 16 years, we have 2 children. We met as friends as she worked for me and after 2 years got together. It was all very exiting at the beginning, we bought our first house, got married etc etc We did have sex but it was not regular and infact she did question this before we got married, I guess we thought I had a low sex drive and was not a very tactile person. I had only had 2 serious relationships prior to that and they again were not massively sexual.

As children came along the sex got less and less frequent, every couple of months became once or twice a year. Our first child took 2 and a half years to conceive, not because of any physical issues but mainly because we were not having sex often enough at the correct times. I remember feeling a strange kind of relief when she fell pregnant as this meant we would not need to have sex for 9 months.

The strange thing is that I find my wife stunning, I always have and I have always felt very lucky to be with her. We always got on extremely well and people used to comment how happy we were.

My wife settled with the fact that I was just not that interested in sex but pressures of life and a young family caused us to argue about things in a way that we never had before and the affection in our relationship started to go as well.

I met an old friend whilst out one night, we had so much fun and I felt a strange physical attraction to her and I could feel that it was mutual,  one thing led to another and we kissed. I felt mortified and thought about confessing all to my wife which I should have done but I could not stop thinking about the other woman. We did not meet up again until 3 months after that kiss but kept in touch through text and email etc . She was everything that my wife wasn't, I  was attracted to her mentally as well as physically and although I did not see her as stunning as my wife I found her very sexual. One thing led to another and the affair reached another level, we were having sex alot and all of a sudden I began to realise that I was a very affectionate person and quite highly sexual. The affair went on and off for over a year with both of us stopping contact at various stages as we knew it was wrong but something kept on bringing us back together.

I realised that the affair had to end and I suppose I did not go about it in the right way, if there really is a right way ! and did not take the other woman's feelings into consideration just focussing on my wife and the hurt that I had caused her. I confessed all but she had already worked it out and naturally she was devastated. Not only had I had an affair, I had been sexual with another woman and had lied to her for a year. These were all completely out of character.

My wife and I are still trying to reconcile and it has been a very difficult 6 months. The problem is that I still do not see her in a sexual way, stunning yes!, kind yes!, do I love her yes! but if I came home and she was laying on the bed in her underwear would I want to have sex with her? No. I just dont understand why I dont see her in that way and I am not sure if I ever have. I have spoken to other people about this who have suggested that I may love her like a sister or that I am staying because of the guilt or am too scared to leave her because of what I have done, I really dont know. I do still think about the other woman alot and try and understand why I was so attracted to her.

Naturally this issue of sexual desire has become even more of an issue because of what I have done and I have spoken to my wife about it which of course hurt her even more which is the last thing I wanted to do. She does not understand how I can think she is beautifull and not want to have sex with her and neither do I  Confused 
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JoeBeam
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« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2010, 12:46:45 PM »

I wish I had the time to answer in detail. The reason that you have little sexual desire for your wife but did have for another woman has to do with brain chemicals. It's in my book, Your LovePath, in chapter four. If you prefer not to buy the book, at least do some web research on the word limerence. We'd love to help.
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Fac51
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« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2010, 02:42:35 PM »

I will buy the book and I have researched limerence but that just seems to refer to a crush on the other woman? I want to know why I dont see my wife in that way anymore.. Is it just familiarity, am I just comparing a new relationship to that of 16 years, did I never really feel it for my wife in the first place or am I in love with the other woman and therefore not able to have those feelings for my wife?? alot of people have read this post but only one reply!! I really thought I would get some help coming on here and bearing my soul for all to see!!??
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gman95901
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« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2010, 03:12:36 PM »

Limerence is an involuntary cognitive and emotional state of intense romantic desire for another person.

Here is what this article I researched goes on to say that may explain it better:

Awareness of physical attraction  plays a key role in the development of limerence, but is not enough to satisfy the limerent desire, and is almost never the main focus—instead, the limerent focuses on what could be defined as the "beneficial attributes".

A person, to become the limerent object, must be a potential sex partner. Limerence can be intensified after a sexual relationship has begun, and with more intense limerence there is greater desire for sexual contact. However, while sexual surrender once indicated the end of uncertainty in the limerent object, in modern times this is not necessarily the case.

Sexual fantasies are distinct from limerent ones. Limerent fantasy is rooted in reality and is intrusive rather than voluntary. Sexual fantasies are under more or less voluntary control and may also involve strangers, imaginary individuals, and situations that could not take place. Limerence elevates body temperature and increases relaxation, a sensation of viewing the world with rose tinted glasses, becoming more receptive to sexuality, and daydreaming about how good a lover your co-worker or a stranger on the bus might be.

People can become aroused by the thought of sexual partners, acts, and situations that are not truly desired, whereas every detail of the limerent fantasy is passionately desired actually to take place. Limerence sometimes increases sexual interest in other partners when the limerent object is unreceptive or unavailable, such as when married people find sex with their spouses more pleasurable when they become limerent over someone else.


I think this is what Joe meant when he replied to your post. I think that his recommendation about the book is a good start but I also think that there appears to be some deep rooted issues mentioned in your first post that may require hashing out in some type of a marital counseling setting. Have you thought about of the both of you attending some type of counseling in an attempt to repair the marriage?



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Joanna
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« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2010, 09:49:18 AM »

You and your wife may want to look into attending the LovePath 911 workshop. In it, Joe goes into more detail about limerence and other things that hurt marriages. I think it would benefit both of you.

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