Many factors contribute to the overall experience of sexual pleasure for individuals in a relationship. Anticipation is one such factor that can have a significant impact on sexual intensity, relational prioritization, and emotional investment in military couples. In this article, I will explore how the fear of losing a loved one during deployment affects these aspects of a couple's life.
Anticipation and Sexual Intensity
When a military member leaves for deployment, they may feel anxious about what could happen while away from their partner. This anxiety can lead to heightened anticipation of potential loss, which can create an intense desire for physical closeness before parting. The increased sexual energy can result in more frequent and intense sexual encounters leading up to departure.
Once the soldier departs, the anticipatory excitement wanes, leaving behind feelings of loss and sadness. These emotions can negatively impact the couple's sexual experiences as they adjust to being apart.
Relational Prioritization
The uncertainty associated with deployment can cause both partners to prioritize the relationship differently than usual. Military members may become preoccupied with preparing for deployment and worrying about its consequences, leading them to focus less on daily activities. Partners may also find themselves worrying excessively about their loved ones' safety and well-being while deployed. As a result, the level of commitment to the relationship may change or be put on hold until the soldier returns home. This shift in priorities can strain the relationship and potentially damage trust and intimacy between the couple.
Emotional Investment
Military couples experience high levels of stress and anxiety due to the threat of separation and potential loss. This distress can lead to increased emotional investment in each other during times of deployment. The fear of losing a loved one creates a strong bond that drives individuals to express their love through words and actions. This investment can deepen the connection between the two but also amplify any negative emotions if things do not go according to plan.
If the partner does not return from deployment, the emotional trauma caused by this loss can significantly impact the couple's ability to cope and heal.
The fear of losing a loved one during military service influences sexual intensity, relational prioritization, and emotional investment in military couples. Anticipatory excitement can increase physical closeness before departure, but once the soldier departs, it wanes, leaving behind sadness and loss. The uncertainty associated with deployment causes both partners to prioritize the relationship differently, which can strain the bond.
The intense emotions experienced during deployment can lead to greater emotional investment in each other, which may help or hinder the recovery process afterward. It is essential for couples to communicate openly about their concerns and feelings to maintain healthy relationships while apart.
How does anticipation of potential loss influence sexual intensity, relational prioritization, and emotional investment in military couples?
Research suggests that for both civilian and military couples, fear of losing their partner through deployment may lead to increased sexual frequency and intensity as a way to bond and feel closer together before separation (Schulkin et al. , 2014; Trapnell & Cohen, 2015).