When it comes to long-distance relationships, the generally-accepted philosophy is that they’re not a good idea and often lead to conflict and break-ups. But, is that really the case?

The latest studies actually show the opposite. The authors of one study written about in Psychology Today surveyed married couples who were living partly or entirely apart and found some pretty surprising results: Not only were they as satisfied with their marriages, they actually reported LESS conflict than married couples who were living together.

And, get this–there was no higher incidence of infidelity, either.

The authors have a few theories about why these couples report less conflict, and one is pretty obvious: If you’re not together as much, there’s less to fight about.

In fact, after working with military couples in my practice, I’ve noticed a pattern – high conflict doesn’t start until the active duty service member comes home.

So, why do long-distance relationships get such a bad rap? Could be because, during the dating stage, both parties are usually feeling a bit insecure and can get suspicious about the other’s whereabouts. But, when you’re married, those worries don’t seem to be as intense.

Looks like we don’t need to be afraid of long-distance marriages after all – in fact, it looks like they may be a pretty good idea!

Britt