Relationships
Can 'taking a break' save your relationship? Experts weigh in.
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USA TODAY
You love your significant other. But over time, you're growing easily irritated by them. Everything feels like it's going downhill, and you're craving temporary space to re-evaluate the relationship — without officially calling it quits.
Though taking a break is most often associated with on-and-off couples and doomed relationships, time apart can be healing and even save some romances, experts say.
"It's not uncommon," says Lisa Brateman, a psychotherapist and relationship specialist. "It can be healthy, and more often than not, people look at it as 'We have a good thing going, but it's not working right now.' But it's not about being apart. It's about what you do when you're apart."