How couples cramp each other's space
"Crowding another person's space means dominating a person's personal choice or pressurising him/her into doing something s/he is not comfortable doing. This normally happens when an individual is not given his/her breathing space, when a person's growth is constricted," says Dr Parkar.
"It also happens when one of the partners defines the role for the other and expects him/her to fit into it, making them dependent instead of empowering them," she adds.
Constriction, emotional blackmail and manipulation are often what cramp space.
"Couples tend to want so much of each other that they reach a state where they tend to suffocate each other. Like, one partner may feel unnecessarily neglected when the other spends time with friends and family," says Sneha Pai, a 21-year-old management student.
"Couples need to respect each other's privacy and personality. They need to realise that each of them have their own lives. I make it a point to regularly go out with my college friends and my boyfriend is not a part of it," she adds.
"Normally, partners just grow over each other's space. This could spur possessiveness, jealousy or the compulsive need for constant attention," says Rushab Rambhia, a 22-year-old executive with a multinational company, who has been in a relationship for six years now.
Both partners start taking things for granted, and this leads to disappointments.
For instance, you may assume your partner will be all ears when you want to talk. But sometimes, due to commitments and circumstances, s/he may not be able to give the time and attention you need. This becomes especially tricky in a long-term relationship, as in Rushab's case.
"Sometimes, when I am chilling with friends, my girlfriend calls me and wants to talk because she has had a bad day," he says.
"I tell her I will call her back, but she gets angry and tells me not to hang up on her. Those are the situations when love feels constricting. The only way to deal with such issues is to find the right balance between what you want to do and what you have to do."
