Can distance ever be the ONLY cause for a breakup?

[Butterfly]

I absolutely think it can be the sole reason.

Especially if we are talking about an extreme case. Regardless of how much you love one another, that isn't always enough. IMO, you need to experience those physical aspects of a relationship at some point (OR at least have those to look forward to) for a healthy relationship to continue, prosper and grow.

Just my opinion!

[LostInLove]

I think in most cases it is not the only reason, but there is the rare occasion when it is. For example, if two people love each other and want to be together but neither can move and visits are limited...they might break up even though they are otherwise in a wonderfully successful relationship. In that case distance would be the only reason. But 99 times out of 100, it's other things combined with the distance that eventually lead to the end of a relationship.

[BlueCat]

Yes, it certainly can, but I'd say in most cases it's not the only reason. In terms of relationships, the chances of meeting the right person at any time is slim, but sometimes it just works, and those LDR's and CD relationships work. There's always going to be LDR and CD people who don't work out simply because they aren't compatible. No matter how much one may love another. And I agree with something someone said above, how distance can accelerate faults, although at the same time, it may hide some others too.

But distance is hard, very hard. There's been more than one time in the past when I've been struggling to cope and perhaps thought that ending the relationship would be easier. But I could just never bring myself to do it, but I'm sure there's people who could. Not because they love their SO any less than I love mine, but because the distance is simply too taxing. When you've stayed with your SO for 6 months, and then are suddenly thrown into a world with an almost complete absence of that person, it hits you hard. Because everything you do, you're not doing that activity. You're doing that activity without your SO. And as the months pass, it drains you to no end. Of course distance alone can be a cause. Distance is the reason I sometimes hardly sleep, why I find myself crying in random places at random times, why I spend hour after hour on my computer hoping to talk to him, and at every moment try to keep my phone on me in case he messages me. I don't know about everyone else, but I've sacrificed hanging out with friends just to get an hour or two on skype, talking to my SO, and sacrificed my other hobbies if I knew he was going to be around. But sometimes, even after all that, it's still not enough. No amount of video chats on skype can take the place of a hug, or being able to hold their hand or simply touch their face.