My partner and I have been living together for three years and I've been fantasizing about getting my own place again, but every time I try to bring it up they take it as a sign our relationship is failing. We both love each other and I think I need solitude to love better, but I don't know how to make them understand this isn't rejection.
More people experience this than they realize.
The desire for solitude is being interpreted as relational withdrawal, creating a painful cycle where the need for space increases defensiveness.
“Where Are You with The choice to live alone — solitude and flourishing?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.