Marriages take all shapes and forms — and what’s right for one couple can be very wrong for another. However, unhappy marriages tend to have the same basic traits in common, no matter what else is going on.
There’s no point in staying in a marriage that’s doomed to fail eventually. Prolonging the agony doesn’t help you — or your spouse. The kindest thing for everyone is to stop putting energy into something that doesn’t work.
So, what are the signs that your marriage is really all-but-over already? These are the clues:
1. You no longer laugh with your spouse.
Laughter is the ally of a happy home. If you can’t remember the last time you and your spouse actually laughed together about something, that’s a sign that you no longer relate on the same level.
2. You no longer share everything with your spouse.
Are you keeping secrets? Is your spouse? If you’ve started to build walls in your relationship and are keeping emotional, physical, or financial secrets, that’s a big indicator you’ve lost trust in your spouse — and no marriage can thrive without trust.
3. You no longer have anything to talk about.
If you and your spouse aren’t communicating about anything more important than what to have for dinner — and even that much conversation seems like a chore — you probably emotionally withdrawn from the relationship already.
4. You’re avoiding each other.
Happy couples want to spend time with each other. Unhappy couples find every excuse to be somewhere where they don’t have to be alone with each other.
5. The intimacy has left your relationship.
Sometimes physical intimacy takes a hit due to stress or sickness, but if that’s not a factor, you should be questioning why your love life has died. If you aren’t physically attracted to your spouse — or your spouse isn’t attracted to you — that’s a sign that you’re not emotionally connected any longer, either.
6. You just don’t feel like yourself with your spouse.
If you find yourself “faking it” when you’re around your spouse, face it: That’s no way to live. If you can’t be the real you in your own home with your own spouse, you aren’t living your best life.
If you’re pretty convinced that the above list describes your marriage, talk to a family law attorney in Georgia about a divorce.
