6 Signs You Are Not Ready for An Open Relationship
And how to tell if you are
Judging by Google search trends, interest in “open relationships” has doubled over the last fifteen years. I, too, had contributed to this trend when I started researching ways to revive the butterflies in my marriage. I didn’t know how deep that rabbit hole would take me back then. If only I knew then what I know now about open relationships, then maybe, just maybe, my journey could have been a bit less bumpy.
I wish someone had given me a checklist of requirements we had to complete before opening up the relationship with my then-husband. Unfortunately, there was too much-unorganized information to comb through. I read the polyamory classics — “The Ethical Slut”, “Opening Up,” and “More Than Two,” but those books had too many suggestions. I wish someone more experienced would have told me — “hold on a sec, you are not ready yet, because… “ — and I would listen to them, and I’d know what to work on before jumping into the world of nonmonogamy.
But no one did. I had to learn about open relationships by making my own mistakes and getting to know my shadows. I hope my experience can help those considering whether or not to open up.
Here is a list of six signs that, in my opinion, are the key indicators of open relationship unreadiness.
