PH
Close relationships can gradually influence someone's sense of identity.
Researchers call one aspect of this inclusion of other in the self.
Partners can begin incorporating each other's perspectives, resources, interests, and experiences into their own sense of who they are.
This doesn't mean healthy couples literally lose their individuality.
Instead, “me” can gradually expand to include parts of “us.”
That's one reason the end of a serious relationship can sometimes feel like losing part of yourself rather than simply losing another person.
© Journal of Personality and Social Psychology