In the case of love, it leads to physiological arousal and the desire to be united with the loved one. Originally the word meant suffering or agony, as of a martyr. And when passion wanes, as it usually does, both parties to the relationship may feel that original meaning. Sternberg believes that passion is quick to develop and quick to level off. Then, using Richard Solomon's opponent process theory of motivation, which says that desire for a person or substance involves two opposing forces, he notes that the negative force, the one that works against the attraction, is slow to develop and slow to fade.
Withdrawal symptoms occur.
Depression and all its consequences can appear. The slow starting, slow fading negative force is still there after the person or the substance is gone. It's like an addiction. Since this type of stress can have significant impact on hearing impairment, another complication arises for those having that condition. Certainly, there is a variety of commitment, emotion and motivation in every loving relationship and Sternberg admits that his theory is a simplification of a very complex and usually subtle phenomenon.