Most people know what it feels like in the beginning of a relationship when both of your brains are busy bringing you together, as in the “honeymoon phase.”  Romantic love produces high levels of dopamine, creating euphoric feelings and the resulting behaviors for each other.  You are at the beginning of building emotional safety, putting energy into prioritizing, listening and validating each other.  Your best face is forward in your kindness and attentiveness as you slowly build important trust between you.  You spend a lot of time thinking about each other, and you may feel the warm and fuzzies of a love buzz.
Much have been said about the fact that this phase typically fades. Couples are hopefully left with the aspects of each other that they fell in love with to flow with the ups and downs of life together.  It can be fairly seamless but often not.  If there was an over-focus on the high of early love and not enough insight into the realities of each other, including the less desirable parts, the transition may be a challenge.  As vulnerabilities or “warts” start to reveal themselves, how well do couples adapt?
Back to emotional safety.  With the glow of

Originally published at http://loveandlifetoolbox.com