Dear Friends,
I believe we can learn a lot from each other’s difficulties and accomplishments. I created the Ask Dr. Michelle column to share my advice with many people at the same time, who although they don’t know it, are often facing some of the same challenges. I hope that my comments provide you with some insight into situations that you are facing in your life. If you have a question that you want me to answer, submit it below. I wish you all the best. (I try to answer as many questions as possible, but please understand that due to the number of questions that I receive I am not able to answer every question.)
I’m in a long-distance relationship but I feel bad because I’m not sure the long-distance thing is for me. Should I keep trying?
If you decide to recommit to making the relationship work, try lots of different ways to stay in touch and see which ones you really like or that are easiest to do. Some people love texting, others prefer video chat because you can see the person. If you aren’t inspired to use any of these ways of communicating, then something else is probably going on. Long distance relationships aren’t for everyone because some people don’t do well when they are physically apart. You may not like to talk on the phone or you may not be satisfied by being in touch electronically. If you want to see and touch there’s nothing wrong with that, unless of course you are trying to make a long-distance relationship work! The best way to know if a long-distance relationship will work for you is to understand your own personality and to give it a try. In the past you may not have been into communication technology, but the opportunity to keep in touch with someone you love can make texting or email a lot more fun. However, it may not change the fact that you want to go out on a date, not have a video date and if that’s who you are, you need to be honest with yourself and with your partner. Don’t feel bad if you aren’t the long-distance type. Those relationships need time and attention to make up for the physical closeness so if you don’t have the time or won’t invest it, tell your partner and part ways before you really hurt each other.