Are you in a sexless marriage?

The rise of double-income couples seems to have edged out sex from the bedroom, leading to infidelity
There’s no dearth of picture perfect couples, who flaunt good looks and enjoy swanky lifestyles, but a glimpse into their bedrooms will reveal a different story. The strain of managing two careers and kids leaves most of them with practically no time for sex.Referred to as DINS (Double Income, No Sex), it's one of the many syndromes affecting modern marriages. Often described as sexless marriages, it's also one of the many factors behind the rising divorces and infidelity.
Citing one such example, Dr Anjali Chhabria says, “The CEO of a well-known automobile company married to successful fashion designer, once came to me for counselling. He had everything - a happy family life and two daughters, but he revealed that he could not handle the marriage anymore. He said that in the process of building their own career, he and his wife got distant and had no time for each other. The husband got a rude shock when he received a notice for divorce from his wife. All she now wanted was freedom from the marriage and a happy life with someone who loved her.”
Elaborating further, Dr Chhabria says, “There is practically no time for intimacy and romance between couples. If both the partners are working, they end up getting tired at the end of the day. And if they do seek out relaxation, it would be to socialise with friends, drink alcohol, watch television or get hooked to social networking. All these things again prevent the couple from spending time with each other.”
Physical intimacy is very important to keep the romance in a marriage. Without sex, partners can feel lonely, rejected and unloved, which leads to then seeking attention outside. The one who offers a shoulder to cry on, often becomes a lover, leading to an extramarital affair. Says clinical psychologist Seema Hingorrany, "Many couples come to me about being in a sexless marriage, and I have done intensive counseling with them. Apart from a hectic work schedule, some of them are also under pressure to maintain an extravagant lifestyle, with numerous loans taken to fund it. Relationships in such cases disintegrate to the point of no return. Some choose to stick together as they have invested too much in the relationship, however there is zero bonding in such cases. In fact, most end up having extramarital affairs.”
It’s high time couple re-prioritize their goals and make time for each other before it is too late to turn back the clock. A work- life balance is what is important to keep the relationship alive.