Our lives are changing rapidly on the back of higher economic freedom, higher education and lesser ties with family and conventions. No commitment relationships have become normal now over the last two decades and another unconventional style of living slowly moving towards becoming normal are open relationships. Open relationships are non-monogamous. People have the freedom of engaging in romantic and sexual relationships outside their primary relationships, with the consent of all parties involved.

Based on the experiences shared by those in open relationships, we share some highs and lows of being in such relationships and help you better understand this relationship style.

The Highs of an Open Relationship

• More Power

It is argued by many relationship experts that power struggle in a relationship is what leads to problems, and the ultimate power is with the person who can leave the relationship. In open relationships, this power gets more evenly distributed and relationships tend to become nicer.

• Self Aware

Having close and intimate relationships with more than one person allows for a higher degree of understanding of self. Your own desires, dreams, quirks and weaknesses. This can lead to you being more incharge of your own thoughts and actions and form more effective and closed relationships.

• No Territories

Since open relationships by definition have consent of all involved, it is an outcome of reduced jealousy.A relationship that continues to thrive in a no territory environment, becomes deeper, stronger and definitely has more dimensions than sexual pleasures.

• Better Talk

Being involved intimately with various people develops your communication skills better as an open relationship requires consent, transparency and attention. One tends to be more open to other people's emotions and convey their own thoughts in a more empathic manner. This leads to overall better communication, not just in relationships but in other aspects of life also.

• Growing Together

All relationships are about fitting into the groove, adjusting and growing. As people change with time, sometimes the changes can not be adjusted. In open relationships, the emotional needs of these changes are better addressed as there is more than one intimate connection and one can continue to change and grow without ending the primary relationship.

• Saving the forest

Many relationships end as they can not allow sexual exploration. In open relationships, emotional connections can be maintained while allowing for sexual explorations.

The Lows of an Open Relationship

But what about me

It's not easy to keep jealousy away all the time. When a partner connects with another person, it can still bring up insecurities. Many might want to enter into an exclusive relationship with someone else over time. So it requires a very thorough knowledge about self before entering into an open relationship.

• Bad Signals

Opens relationship can not survive on poor communication and will easily break if there are misunderstandings or less than optimal communication habits

• Physical Health

There is a clear and potent threat of sexually transferred infections and diseases (STIs/STDs) as most people engaging in open relationships have other partners also. Testing should be a norm in such relationships.

• Deeper Connection

Some may develop a deeper emotional connection outside the primary relationship and such emotions can become difficult to handle and may not be a part of the consent terms decided earlier. This leads to challenges and heart burns as in normal relationships.

• Hush-Hush

This style is still not accepted in the society and people still have to hide it from the society. Once brought out in the open, there is social stigma attached to it. Both the conditions lead to stress and anxiety many are not able to handle.

• Dead End

Most people are not able to sustain the challenges of an open relationships and they usually end up breaking the partnership, many other do not find themselves more fulfilled or happier by entering an open relationship.

Open relationships are not everybody’s cup of tea. The challenges are tough and one must enter the realm after careful consideration only.