Intimacy might not look the same for everyone, as intimacy is not really a black and white concept. What defines intimacy for you, might not have the same appeal for someone else. Society is changing as we know it, and it’s becoming more and more accepting of every sort of relationship and love today. Amongst all the types of relationships, throuple relationships are one of them.
The spectrum of romantic relationships is gradually widening, and people are slowly beginning to recognize and respect throuple relationships, instead of ridiculing them or dismissing them as immoral and dirty. Even though we have come a long way, we still have a long way to go.
So, what is a throuple relationship, what it is like to be in a throuple, and how does a throuple relationship work?
Related: 4 Practices To Build Intimacy In Relationships
What Is A Throuple Relationship?
A throuple relationship or a three-way relationship is a kind of relationship where three people love each other and collectively form a romantic or sexual relationship together, with everybody’s consent, of course.
Even though a relationship like this might seem very appealing and exciting from afar, sometimes three-way relationships demand more effort, understanding, and investment than monogamous relationships.
Is There Any Difference Between Throuple And Open Relationships?
Even though it might seem like that, but no, they are not.
In open relationships, a couple decides to see other people apart from their partners (again, with consent!) but just for sex. In open relationships, romance and companionship are not really the focus, sex is.
But in throuple relationships, everything matters, not just sex. People in three-way relationships are not just interested in physical intimacy, they are equally looking out for emotional and mental intimacy too. However, sometimes throuple relationships can be polyamorous i.e., they can choose to be physically intimate with other people outside the relationship they are in.
What Are Some Examples Of A Throuple Relationship?
Even though there are no rules in a throuple relationship as such, but yes, there are some things you can keep in mind if you are thinking of exploring this. How a throuple relationship will look like, will honestly depend on the people in it; not every relationship will look the same, you know.
Ultimately, it’s up to them to decide what rules their relationship will be based on. There are many different ways in which three people can build their relationship.
Here are some of them:
- Three people decide to be in a relationship together and only date each other; there is no scope for other people. They are exclusive to each other.
- A married couple introduces a third person in their relationship.
- Three people are in a committed relationship, but they choose to also date people outside of their relationship.
- Two people date the same person, but they never date each other.
Related: 10 Factors That Promote Intimacy in a Relationship
How To Know If A Throuple Is Right For You?
There can be some benefits to being in a triad relationship like this. If someone is already in a committed relationship, a throuple might work in someone’s favor if:
- Both partners are equally interested in exploring something like this.
- Both partners have the same opinions and choices when it comes to how their throuple will look like.
- They have an extremely healthy and stable relationship with each other, with impeccable communication skills and understanding.
- Even though they might feel jealous at times, both partners have healthy coping skills for dealing with those unpleasant feelings.
- Both partners know how to set boundaries and communicate those boundaries to one another, and also voice out their needs, expectations, and feelings.
4 Tips For A Successful Throuple Relationship
1. Communication, communication, and communication.
No surprises here! Communication is that one thing that can make or break your relationship for good, and without communication, you can never hope to have a healthy and open relationship. For a healthy throuple to work, communication becomes even more important.
All the partners must put in equal efforts in ironing out differences, voicing out their boundaries, developing healthy coping skills, sharing their feelings, both pleasant and unpleasant, and most importantly, continuously working towards having a strong relationship.
In case, someone is feeling jealous of the other partner, it’s important to sort it out in a mature and open-minded way so that all three partners are able to live in harmony. That’s why communication is the foundation of a healthy and successful throuple relationship.
2. Knowing how to handle insecurities and jealousy.
One of the biggest misconceptions about throuples is that none of the three partners get jealous or insecure. Ever. That’s completely wrong. They do get jealous sometimes, as it’s a very natural and human feeling to have. For example, when two partners are getting closer together, it might cause the third partner to feel jealous, insecure, and left out.
The best way to navigate jealousy is by practicing transparency. If one partner is feeling jealous, they should openly express it to the other two partners. Meanwhile, instead of dismissing their feelings, the other two partners need to treat them with respect and try to resolve the issue.
Jealousy will always be a part of a romantic relationship, no matter what kind of a relationship a person is in. But what matters is knowing how to navigate jealousy and coming up with the right solutions to deal with it.
Related: A Truth About Intimacy, Love, And Romance
3. Setting some important ground rules.
Having some ground rules is one of the most important rules in a throuple relationship, and all the three partners should come together and agree upon some ground rules that will help them build a happy and stable relationship. And not just this, they should also know how to set boundaries in a throuple relationship.
All three partners should agree on the rules, and nobody should be ignored, dismissed, or steamrolled by the other partners.
For instance, a throuple may decide that all three of them will be exclusive to one another, and won’t date anyone else outside of the relationship. Another throuple might set the ground rule that even though it’s acceptable to have sex with someone else, romantic feelings must not be involved.
4. Spending enough quality time with each other.
Spending quality time with each other is another one of the most important throuple relationship rules. Just like in any other relationship, quality time is non-negotiable if one wants to have a healthy bond with their partner, or in this case, partners. Having the same hobbies, likes and dislikes are important to having a happy long-term relationship.
Going on dates together, cooking together, or simply just watching a movie together – these things can really help the relationship in the long run. Giving time to each other, and prioritizing each other is extremely important, and should not be taken for granted.
Benefits Of A Throuple Relationship
The benefits of being in a throuple are quite similar to the benefits of a monogamous relationship:
- Always having more than one person to fall back on for emotional support.
- Having people to emotionally support when they are going through bad times.
- Finances are well taken care of and sorted.
- In case of arguments, there is always a mediator who is focused on resolving the fight.
- Having ample emotional, and mental support.
Related: What Kind of A Romantic Partner Are You? QUIZ
Disadvantages Of Being In A Throuple
Just like being in a throuple relationship has it’s advantages, there can be quite a few disadvantages too:
- Once the decision has been made to introduce a third person to the relationship, both partners should be ready to undergo a major shift in their relationship dynamics. Unfortunately, most couples find it hard to handle this.
- There’s always a strong possibility of having major communication issues.
- Most of the time, the third partner is at a disadvantage since they came in last and haven’t been in the relationship for as long as the other two partners.
- It’s quite easy actually to become biased in the relationship towards a specific partner, and this can incite feelings of jealousy and insecurity in the third partner.
- If three partners do not respect each other’s boundaries, it can lead to major issues, and can even lead to the breakdown of the relationship.
If you ever wonder what it is like to be in a throuple, come back to this article and read through it. As emphasized above, being in a throuple relationship comes with its own advantages and challenges; it’s completely up to a person what kind of relationship they want to be in. Intimacy looks different for everyone, and there should be no judgments about that.
Want to know more about throuple relationships? Check this video out below!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) –
What is a polyamorous relationship?
Being polyamorous means being romantically and intimately involved with more than one person. Generally, polyamorous relationships are built with the consent of all the partners involved.
What is a ‘unicorn’ in dating?
A unicorn is referred to a person, generally a bisexual female, who joins a heterosexual couple and forms a throuple.
Can throuples marry?
Throuple couples can marry, but all three partners can’t marry each other. Either two people can marry each other, or none of the partners marry each other.
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