Hello all,<BR>I have been with my partner for 18 months, although we don't live together.<BR>We have had much conflict in the last 6 months, due to stresses of study, my children (all extraneous events), which has led to him being in the withdrawal state several times. <P>It was a relief to read the marriagebuilders.com web site, at last I feel as though our relationship is 'normal'. However, I would like some advice...<P>I really love my partner and believe he loves me, I just am sick of being on my own because he needs timeout... I usually switch to intimacy as soon as he withdraws, very strange, which makes his withdrawal very painful.<P>I don't know whether we have what it takes to make it, I don't know how to get him to open up again, most of all, I don't know how to avoid us getting back into this situation again, when conflict arises.<P>All comments would be much appreciated.<BR>Help...!