According to U.S. News & World Report, for every 1,000 married people in Washington state, approximately 12.06 people will get divorced over the course of the year. That means divorce is a very real possibility for many married couples, which can be disheartening to consider. There are signs your marriage may be headed for divorce, and being able to recognize these signs is crucial to make the best decisions for your marriage.
According to Fatherly.com, many people have “dealbreaker” issues that simply can’t be worked around to find a resolution for a couple’s problems. These issues often involve addiction, infidelity, abusive acts, or emotional detachment. While working on these issues can be beneficial, and may even be capable of saving a marriage, both parties must be willing to put the work in. Perhaps the greatest indicator of a divorce is when both parties give up their efforts and start to take divorce planning steps more seriously.
Love is at the basis of all healthy marriages. When one partner begins expressing contempt towards another, divorce could be on the table. Contempt involves attacking your partner personally as opposed to focusing on actions. Contempt can also affect a person’s self-esteem, which leads to defensiveness since the other person always feeling under attack. Stonewalling or unneeded criticisms are also signs of a marriage in trouble.
It’s common knowledge that endless fighting can destroy a marriage. However, some couples go beyond this point and completely shut down when it comes to communication. This can be caused by fatigue as a result of constant fighting, and while it does keep the peace, there is no real reconciliation without communication. Some posits that couple’s who fail to argue are more likely to meet their demise than couples who constantly fight.