by Julie Michael

Created on: February 10, 2009   Last Updated: May 07, 2009

A relationship needs intimacy. Regardless of whether it's a physical intimacy or an emotional intimacy, your relationship will slowly wither and die without it. This is where it gets tricky. Because your relationship actually needs both types of intimacy.

You cannot create a physical intimacy without the emotional intimacy, nor can you have complete emotional intimacy without the physical aspect as well. This is where many couples find their relationship in trouble.

It's very common for one type of intimacy to be more important to one partner than the other, then they both find themselves going along thinking everything is fine until their partner finally speaks up and lets them know that the intimacy levels are not what they should be. Or, even more tragic, is when neither partner says anything and they find themselves ending the relationship without really knowing why.

If you can't be intimate with your partner, whether physically or emotionally- or both, you cannot expect to having a lasting relationship with your partner. The reason for this is quite simple. Without the emotional and physical bond between mates, there's nothing to hold onto when things get rough and both partners find themselves feeling as though they've got no anchor to keep them safe in the rocky ocean of life.

Human beings require intimacy. This is why simple physical affections- such as hand-holding, cuddling, hugs and kisses are important to your relationship. These simple actions let you and your partner know that you're there for one another, that you matter to the other.

If you know you can give your partner a "look" from across the room, and that he or she will return that special wink or smile, then you've developed an intimacy in your relationship.

Your relationship cannot survive without intimacy, because intimacy is the foundation of any relationship. Perhaps that's not quite accurate, intimacy is what helps love to survive through the toughest of times, and makes us continue to want to love and be loved by our partners.

Intimacy helps both partners to know that they are loved, that love is "worth it." The need to be as close as possible emotionally, to the one person we've promised to spend the rest of our lives with is important to fulfill.

Without intimacy, the outlook for a life-long relationship with a partner is pretty dim- and quite frankly, completely unappealing.

Most couples have developed an intimacy by the time they actually commit to a long-term relationship

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