Long-distance relationship

A long-distance relationship (LDR) (or long-distance romantic relationship (LDRR)) is an intimate relationship between partners who are geographically isolated from one another. Partners in LDRs face geographic separation and lack of face-to-face contact. LDRs are particularly prevalent among college students- constituting 25% to 50% of all LDRs. Even though scholars have reported a significant number of LDRs in undergraduate populations, long-distance relationships continue to be an ‘understudied' phenomenon.

LDRs are qualitatively different from geographically close relationships; that is, relationships in which the partners are able to see each other, face-to-face, most days. According to Rohlfing (1995) he suggests the following unique challenges for those in long-distance relationships:

Not all long-distance relationships are romantic. When individuals go away to school, their relationships with family and friends also become long-distance. Pew Internet (2004) asserts that 79% of adult respondents from the United States reported using the Internet for communication with family and friends. Also, Pew Internet (2002a) states that because of new technologies, college students will have greater social ties with their friends than their family members. Therefore, examining email among college students helps explore how the Internet is affecting college students emotionally and socially.

According to Global National Research, there are 255,065 US military personnel deployed Worldwide. That leaves a lot of partners behind whether by a choice or necessity. These men and women that find themselves in the love shackles of military personnel experience a significant amount of stress from the point of the deployment news and during the actual deployment. The difference between a military LDR and a regular LDR is that, while the regular ldr there is more communication the military LDR communication is unexpected and controlled by military regulations or there is not much time to talk. Because of the communication restrictions and the overall process of deployment, this leaves the partner back home feeling lonely, and stressing on how to keep a strong relationship moving forward. Other stressors that add to the emotional situation are the realization that the service member is being deployed to a combat zone where his life is threatened. Through all the stages of the deployment the women will exhibit many emotional problems, such as anxiety, loss, denial, anger, depression, and acceptance. It is crucial the civilian partner learn strategies to reduce the stress and maintain their health. Although a military long-distance relationship is undesirable and could be hard to control, there are many reasons why it is all worth holding on to. According to HubPages (2011a) these are methods on how to save a LDR with a servicemember:

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