When you first met your girlfriend or boyfriend you were probably drawn to them because they were charismatic and seemed like a lot of fun. You probably enjoyed the energy and attention that you got from the person and thought that you finally found the right person for you.

That was until, you went out and spent time with other people socially. You may have gotten a few odd looks when you explained that you really liked the person or that you have a lot of fun together. Little did you know, these were looks of empathy that you didn't yet understand.

After going out socially you probably started to see a different side of the person. You may have wanted to go home and they kept begging off, asking for just a little bit longer, and a little bit longer still. Suddenly you look around and you realize that your date is the life of the party. With a bit more attention to what is going on, you see that not only are they the life of the party, they are a true party animal!

This can be quite a shock, especially if this is not your personality and what you expected from the person that you are dating. It can be difficult to reconcile who you thought the person was with who they appear to be when they are in social situations. You may find that you feel angry, irritated, or even a little bit sad when you realize that this person isn't who you thought they were. You may need to remove yourself from the situation and do some serious soul searching. It's not that you can't date the party animal, you just need to decide if this is something that you are willing to do or something that you are willing to put up with.

For a lot of people, dating the party animal is a good thing. It allows for them to come out of their shell a bit more and start experiencing more exciting things in life that they may not have done otherwise. A lot of people find that this other side of the person that they are dating is a lot of fun, assuming that they are able to put away the party animal persona from time to time to have serious relationship moments.

You may find that dating the party animal is something that you are not willing to do. A lot of people are turned off by someone who loves to party a lot, and you are the only one who can determine if you are comfortable with the behavior or not. You may need to sit down and talk to the person you have been dating and see if this is really a part of who they are, or if they are able to be serious and responsible when called for. You may be able to strike a balance with the individual or you may just not want to party with them.

Dating the party animal can be a lot of fun but it can also be really hard if you are not the party type. You need to really look within yourself and decide if the relationship is one that you are willing to work for if you don't mesh 100%. If you just want to know that you will get that much energy and excitement when they are with you, chances are the party animal will not be a bad person to date!

(By Keshiya Leitch)