There are numerous challenges, circumstances, people and issues that can have both a positive and negative impact on the quality of a relationship. Here are some of the common ones that can place external demands on a relationship thereby causing it to lose some of its intimacy, integrity, passion and even interest.

Why do long distance relationships seem to be more passionate than other types? Psychologists say that it is human nature to want what we can't have. Throw a little sexual desire into that mix and you have the kind of romantic and sexual angst that is the stuff of great romance and literature.