Point of clarification: Is the lack of reciprocity only on the verbal level, or is it also on the physical level, like eye contact, smiles, snuggling, holding, touching, making time for quality time together and intimancy, etc?

If it's verbal only, maybe it's that some people just do not feel comfortable verbalizing their innermost thoughts and feelings, even with someone they do in fact love and care for.

I don't know. Maybe the power of self-convincingness. We recognize the signs but we tell ourselves that we can work them our with our partners. But in the end we can't.

The emptiness is due to a combination of blocks that create the lack of eye contact, smiles, snuggling, holding, touching, making time for each other.

Interesting enough, verbally the words are there, but they don't mean much when everything else dissipates in thin air.

It sounds very lonely. I'm so sorry to hear it.

((hugs))

I understand what you're saying CMondo and I can imagine the pain and frustration that creates. I'm sorry to hear you're going through this. :(

I can relate to your statement 'Yet it is hard to break away'. I too made a huge emotional investment that at times was returned, but at other times was not. In the end she dumped me and in retrospect it's for the best, though while in the relationship I would never have thought that. While the chemistry was there and very intense, we're just two totally different personalities.

In this emotional bank I decided to take the loss and close the account.

I learned: Never invest more into the relationship than the other person can afford.

In a nutshell, (and I'm really learning this bigtime)
mutuality. There is something behind those eyes when there is lack of contact.

(((hugs)))

So, you poured out feelings or passion and kindness and it was reciprocrated but only verbally, not physically? I hope I am reading it right.

Could there be factors in place that could make a person pause? While they say the right things, want the same, yet are not willing to cross that line or shy back from it cus of one's own insecurities? Or they give a little at first, and what theya re feeling is too much for them to deal with or they don't knwo how to deal with cus of something with them, not so much cus of you? Or the lack of wanting to?

could it be possible?

I guess, for me, I ponder this question myself. So, I don't want to close an account that just can't put funds in right now, but may be able to later.