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Can an open marriage work?

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Re: Can an open marriage work?

  • This kind of relationship usually does not work out the way the people involved think it will, I think partly because its not only he and you, now there are other people getting involved and they might not want to play by your rules. What happens if he starts to develop feelings for a woman he was intimate with, or she falls for him and doesn't want to share him with you, or you find yourself becoming jealous and wanting to change your arrangement back to monogamous but he doesn't, or you start developing feeling for another man? These are scenarios that could possibly arise and cause some serious issues in your marriage and you need to really think if this is worth potentially       separating over.

    If this was never discussed with your husband before now he may find it offensive that you even suggested it, a mans ego is a very fragile thing tread lightly. Good Luck

  • Hi Jen, 

    I read a lot of the replies you got, as I am also interested in the subject. I think that many people take open marriage for swinging, although these are different things. But the answer your question, yes, I think it can work, but it's not for everyone. I would advise you to take things slow and try to find out what your husband thinks about the subject without mentioning this is something you'd consider doing. Based on his reaction you can go further or not.

     I did hear of couples who have an open marriage and they seem to be happy. I wish we could try but we've been too chicken so far :) I think it would be a great way to spice things up and make life interesting without hurting anyone.

    Good luck! 

  • Why do you want to remain married? The only reason I ask is, if you want the excitement of the new relationship, why don't you pursue being single? In my opinion, if you are bored with your husband in bed, I think it is influenced and affects other aspects of the relationship. Are you satisfied with everything else in your relationship and your life?

    Personally, I think people fixate way too much on this idea of "excitement" and "butterflies". That will always fade. That's not real love, and that's not what the depth of a relationship is about. What's important is what remains after all that has passed. 

    I believe that you can be as happy as you want to be with your relationship and your life. You either make it work or you don't, and its a conscious decision we all can make.

    I truly think that the open marriage CAN work. But I don't think it can work forever. I feel that in the end you wind up back where you started. Unsatisfied and looking for something new that is a "quick fix".

    Analyze how satisfied you are in all aspects of your life. Discuss these things with your spouse, and discuss how you feel about your relationship and sex life. Whether you have a monogamous marriage or an open one, you need to always have open communication with each other and talk about everything. You also need to give consideration to their feelings. What if he is completely against the idea of an open marriage? What is your next step/solution? These are all things you need to consider, and I think you have a lot of self reflection to do. 

    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • I'm in an open marriage and I love it.  I brought it up a little over a year ago, and it initially didn't go over well, there were months and months of late night conversations, lots of crying, and self-reflection, and we talked about divorce, but now we've been open for about six months and although it's been difficult at times, it's ultimately brought us closer, and we're really happy.  A lot of people say we are risking our marriage by trying out this lifestyle, but I was at the point where I was risking my marriage by not experimenting with this lifestyle.  The itch got so strong that I couldn't ignore it and I was starting to grow bitter and resentful.  And who wants to apologize for being only one person?  DH and I have been together for over 11 years, since junior/senior year of high school, and we've always been better at redefining our relationship and changing the parameters than ending it.  That's part of marriage -- over the long-haul you need to be flexible and allow each other the space to grow as individuals as well as as a couple.  We've been through a lot together and see this as just another step in the journey.  I know we're still newbies at this, but I've done an exhaustive amount of research and firmly believe that it's a completely viable alternative to monogamy, and right now I can't imagine going back.  I STRONGLY recommend reading Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan and Cathilda Jetha, Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel, Opening up by Tristan Taormino, Open by Jenny Block, and pretty much anything by Dan Savage.   
  • I'm in an open marriage and I love it.  I brought it up a little over a year ago, and it initially didn't go over well, there were months and months of late night conversations, lots of crying, and self-reflection, and we talked about divorce, but now we've been open for about six months and although it's been difficult at times, it's ultimately brought us closer, and we're really happy.  A lot of people say we are risking our marriage by trying out this lifestyle, but I was at the point where I was risking my marriage by not experimenting with this lifestyle.  The itch got so strong that I couldn't ignore it and I was starting to grow bitter and resentful.  And who wants to apologize for being only one person?  DH and I have been together for over 11 years, since junior/senior year of high school, and we've always been better at redefining our relationship and changing the parameters than ending it.  That's part of marriage -- over the long-haul you need to be flexible and allow each other the space to grow as individuals as well as as a couple.  We've been through a lot together and see this as just another step in the journey.  I know we're still newbies at this, but I've done an exhaustive amount of research and firmly believe that it's a completely viable alternative to monogamy, and right now I can't imagine going back.  I STRONGLY recommend reading Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan and Cathilda Jetha, Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel, Opening up by Tristan Taormino, Open by Jenny Block, and pretty much anything by Dan Savage.   
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