My partner and I say 'I love you' every day but we've both started saying it like we're checking a box, and when I try to bring up that it feels hollow now, they get defensive and say I'm overthinking everything. We're stuck between fake intimacy and fighting about why intimacy feels fake.
More people experience this than they realize.
The very expressions meant to sustain love have become empty rituals, and attempts to restore authenticity feel like attacks on the relationship itself.
“Where Are You with Communication in love?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.