If you’re in love but not sexually attracted, it’s not something to be ashamed of. This is normal and can be caused by various reasons.
You could be losing your attraction due to repressed feelings towards your partner. It’s best to work on addressing these issues to get back that lust feeling.
Physical Attraction
Physical attraction is a type of interpersonal attraction that focuses on the desire to be physically near someone. This is an expression of love and affection and can be between lovers, friends, family, or even you and your pet.
The emotional aspect of interpersonal physical attraction involves pleasure, physiological symptoms, and a positive demeanor associated with being close to one’s partner. It also involves a desire to be near a partner to meet their needs.
Psychologically, this is influenced by the standards people are exposed to. For example, weight stigma and the thin ideal can play a role in how we think of our bodies and what we consider attractive.
Interpersonal attraction can be a positive thing if it grows over time, but it can also fade as relationship events occur. In a recent study, personality characteristics of a partner and the events that occurred in their relationship over the previous week were tested as predictors for interpersonal attraction.
Emotional Attraction
If you are in love but not sexually attracted, it can be frustrating. But there are things you can do to help build emotional attraction with or without physical attraction.
As licensed relationship and couple therapist Terri Di Matteo told Bustle, “Emotional attraction is the foundation of every long-lasting bond.” It keeps both partners connected, emotionally invested, and committed to their romantic relationships.
But building this kind of emotional connection can take time. You have to develop pleasant associations, rely on one another, be honest, and share your feelings with your partner.
When you are in a relationship where you don’t find sexual attraction, you may be over-correcting for past relationship mistakes. Or you may be experiencing a different type of attraction that you didn’t expect.
Intellectual Attraction
Intellectual attraction is a desire to interact with people on a cerebral level. It’s also known as sapiosexuality, and it can be an incredibly attractive quality to have in a partner.
The main reason that this is so attractive is that it allows you to connect on a deeper level, which can lead to a more meaningful and lasting relationship. However, it can also be difficult to find a quality partner that you feel emotionally connected with on an intellectual level.
In addition, this type of attraction can be very intense, making it harder to fall in love with someone if they don’t satisfy your intellectual needs.
Often, this type of attraction can be found in platonic relationships and friendships. But it can also be present in more romantic relationships, especially if you’re in a panromantic relationship.
Spiritual Attraction
Spiritual attraction is the attraction to godly and god-ward attitudes someone exhibits, as well as biblical principles they live by. It is not the same as animal magnetism, which is an egotistical attraction to fulfill an emotional need that is missing in someone else’s life.
If you find that your partner wants to encourage your spiritual growth and progress, this is a great sign that you have a spiritual connection with them. You can talk to them about your beliefs and values, and they will support you in your own growth as well.
You might also notice that you don’t need to say a word to communicate with your partner because they can pick up on what is going on in your head. This is a very powerful way to connect and build trust.
If you feel a strong spiritual bond with your partner, it can be one of the most intense relationships you’ll ever have. You’ll want to do all you can to help them grow and become the best person they can be!