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Is the End Closer Than You Realize?
No one imagines that the marriage of their dreams may end in shambles someday, but the sad reality is that many couples end up breaking off their relationship because they are no longer compatible. While everyone hopes this is not true of their relationship, one cannot assume that they are safe.
To help people who might wonder if their marriage is showing signs of weakness, here are several signs that could indicate a deeper problem.
Lack of Sexual Intimacy
It’s expected that as a couple grows older together their sexual desires may change. It’s the responsibility of each person to be honest with each other and to work on these desires if they sense them changing; however, the problem begins when those intimate desires die completely. If you or your partner lose your sexual desires for one another, then there may be cause for concern.
Lack of Relational Intimacy
Intimacy extends far beyond just sexual desires; this concept also refers to the close relationship you have with your spouse. When you get married, your spouse should be your best friend, and you should have a natural desire to learn more about that person and share more about yourself with them. To put it simply, relational intimacy means you and your spouse grow closer and closer together as you learn more about each other.
If you sense, however, that you start wanting to share less with your spouse and no longer consider them your best friend, something may be wrong with your overall relationship and should be a reason to pause and reflect on where things are at.
Lack of Communication
Communication is the key to making any relationship work, whether it be a friendship, a marriage, or other relationship. In order to learn more about your spouse and to ensure you truly know them, communicating with each other is essential. While it may not be perfect all the time and may frequently result in misunderstandings, having a willing attitude to communicate and a desire to constantly work on that communication can help you and your spouse gradually improve your relationship.
Lack of communication signifies a greater problem. It could be that you or your spouse no longer share important details with one another, or perhaps you or your spouse struggle to truly listen to what the other person is saying and isn’t saying. Regardless of why, gradually diminishing communication coupled with a lack of improvement can be a sign of a marital problem.
Lack of Compromise
When two people get married, they agree to work together to come to solutions to problems that arise in their relationship; while each person may have a different opinion on how to handle certain issues, they compromise in order to make the other person happy. This is a normal part of marriage.
When selfishness starts to rear its ugly head, however, and compromise gradually disappears and is replaced with attempts at dominating the decision-making, your marriage might be in trouble.
Lack of Love
Perhaps the most obvious sign that your marriage is nearing a potential end is if you no longer love your spouse. While feelings may come and go since our emotions can be fickle and change daily, true love for a spouse is a choice to look past the bad moments and focus on making your spouse happy, safe, secure, and loved. True love is going above and beyond the normal course of the day and focusing your actions on doing what’s best for your spouse.
When you can no longer make the daily choice to love in this sacrificial manner, then your marriage may be nearing its end.
The Next Steps
When you start to sense that your marriage is coming to a close, you may feel saddened and scared about what to do. One of the first steps you should consider taking is consulting with an attorney who can guide you on what your next steps should be throughout divorce. At Schipani, Norman & McLain, P.A., we understand the emotions that come with choosing to get a divorce. We will be there for you every step of the way and will help you make the best decisions you can.
To learn more about divorce in Florida or to schedule a consultation, call us at (941) 499-8154 or visit us online.
