Knowing the red flags to watch for in your marriage can help you make sure that you aren’t missing warning signs that things aren’t going smoothly. Sometimes, it’s hard to recognize when a marriage is on the rocks until it’s too late. We often get in a rut, and don’t realize how much time passes without things improving. If you are feeling a little stuck, make sure that you and your partner aren’t displaying any of the below warning signs. For example, if there is a lot of unhealthy conflict, or even more concerning, aggression. Additionally, resentment can tear away at a marriage. This can often arise from feeling like the relationship is one-sided. Finally, if you feel like your partner is lying to you or hiding things, it can be a definite warning sign that you two need to really examine your relationship. Hopefully, if you find any of these red flags, you can take precautions to help get your marriage back on track or have a healthy conversation about divorce.
Red Flags to Watch for in Your Marriage: Warning Signs that Things are Going South
Unhealthy Conflict
One of the main red flags to watch for in your marriage is unhealthy conflict. Every couple has disagreements from time to time. However, if huge arguments are becoming the norm in your life, it might be time to really examine your relationship. Furthermore, your arguments shouldn’t involve a lot of shouting, name-calling, or aggression. If this is the case, it’s important to speak to a marriage counselor or somebody that can help you learn to deal with conflict in a healthy way.
Resentment
Another of the red flags to watch for in your marriage is resentment. Resentment often builds and builds and builds until one partner explodes and takes the other by surprise with a year’s worth of complaints. Instead, make sure that you are both checking in with each other periodically to make sure that you both feel that you’re being treated equally in the relationship.
Lack of Effort
Feeling of resentment often arise because one parter feels like they are contributing a lot more effort to the relationship than the other. Or they feel that their partner is not supporting them very well emotionally. A lot of these types of feelings can come up with things like household responsibilities, childcare responsibilities, or mental work is not equally divided. Make sure that you work together to figure out the things that need to be done and divvy up tasks equally.
Deception
Finally, another important one of the red flags to watch for in your marriage is deception. If you feel like your partner is lying to you or hiding things, it might be an indication that you need to have a serious conversation. Similarly, if you are feeling like you need to hide things from your partner, it’s a warning sign. For example, this might include things like texting or flirting with a coworker, hiding financial trouble, or covering up how much you are drinking. All of these things can lead to significant cracks in your marriage.
The red flags to watch for in your marriage will be slightly different for every couple. However, in general, it’s important to make sure that you both are continuing to show up for one another and discuss your relationship. If it feels like conflict is becoming the norm, or your fights devolve into aggressive or unhealthy places, it might be trouble. Additionally, failing to divide up household responsibilities can quickly lead to resentment, as can a one-sided relationship. Make sure that you are both putting equal effort into keeping your relationship strong. Finally, if you or your partner are hiding things or lying, it’s a definite warning sign that there is something wrong with the relationship. If you notice any of these things, it’s helpful to get professional help from somebody like a marriage counselor. They can help you navigate difficult conversations, and help you figure out if you both are wanting to recommit to the marriage or consider alternatives like divorce. Hopefully, you can both come to an agreement and move forward peacefully with whichever you choose.
