Although the divorce rate has been steadily decreasing, around 40% of marriages end in divorce. Most of the time, marriages do not end because of a huge problem, such as an affair or abuse. In fact, the majority of marriages end because of a lot of little things. Prolonging it generally only causes more pain, depression and grief while just ending it can strengthen your overall relationship with your ex and your children. So how do you know when it is time to end your marriage?
You Stop Talking
This doesn’t mean that you stop talking about the kids or the bills. It means you stop having real conversations about things that interest you or your day’s events. The conversations become stale and weak, or you might not talk at all. This is a good sign that you need a marriage counselor or a divorce attorney.
You No Longer Try to Understand Each Other
Before you got married, you tried to see each other’s point of view. Instead, you both are annoyed or inconvenienced when you discuss problems. This rapidly leads to belittling and even argumentative behavior. You don’t even want to solve a problem. You just want the other person to stop talking about it.
You Are No Longer a Priority
This is not to say that you should always be the priority, but your spouse purposely puts others above you. They prefer to go out with friends or co-workers than spend time with you. Even television or video games have become more important than you and your needs.
You Don’t Share Interests
When you first got together, you probably shared a lot of different interests and hobbies. As time passes, it is possible that your or your spouse’s interests changed. If you and your spouse don’t share common interests, it might be time to seek new ones that you enjoy together. If for some reason, you can’t find anything, it might be time to end your marriage.
You Are No Longer Intimate
Intimacy is a very large part of any relationship, and it is not only about sex. Loving couples hold hands, touch each other randomly or cuddle during a quiet night at home. When physical contact stops for no reason, ending the marriage might be an option. It is important to note that some things cause a drop in intimacy. Children, illness or stress can all cause a problem with intimate behavior. These are normal and do not necessarily indicate that the marriage should end.
You Fight All the Time
Your spouse just starts to annoy you, and things you thought were cute in the beginning are just irritating now. You get mad at tiny things and end up in a fight with your spouse. This type of fighting is not productive and is a good indicator that there are some serious problems in the relationship.
Yes, some marriages end due to big issues such as finances, but more often, it is the little things that build up over time. Once they begin to build, it is difficult to reverse the process and continuing in an unhappy relationship is sometimes worse than simply ending the marriage.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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