ABSTRACT
If you’ve ever tried to determine what leads a person toward falling out of romantic love (FORL) with their spouse, partner, or significant other, you might end up shrugging your shoulders. Where does one look for answers to such a complex question? Until now, scientific research and professional literature have been meager on this topic.
Chapter 7 provides a thorough explanation to the many pathways that may lead to FORL. Within these pages, the author shares her extensive research findings. In-depth interviews were conducted with individuals who have FORL, along with mental health clinicians and other relationship professionals.
In Chapter 7, the reader gets a first-hand look at these important interviews. Here’s an example. Sandra says, “I came from a really bad family where my dad was abusive to my mom. We were all abused … so that was my baseline, which was pretty low.” For Sandra, and many others, family of origin experiences set a precedence for what to avoid, instead of assisting them in knowing the qualities of healthy relationships.
Family-of-origin dynamics is one factor possible on the pathway to FORL. Chapter 7 unpacks many other stepping stones, giving the reader a better understanding of the various pathways, which may lead a person to FORL.
