Recognizing Signs
of Marital Distress

Audio Version

Along your journey within your marriage you may come to realize that your marriage is not exempt from challenges. The various hurdles within your marriage may test the strength of your relationship. In an effort to be proactive, it is important to spot the signs of possible hiccups in your marriage, before it becomes a bigger issue.

Here are some signs to look out for in your marriage:

• Loss of respect –Conflict and poor communication can cause a strain on the marriage. Often when you lose respect for your partner this can easily turn to resentment, driving a wedge between you and your partner. These feelings can lead to a decreased desire to be around your partner and your ability to respect their thoughts and opinions.

• Increased disagreements and arguments – It’s common for couples to have different perspectives and opinions. However, when you find that every little conversation in some way leads to an argument this can result in you being less inclined to communicate with them. This can also lead to increased anger between the two of you due to unspoken discontent and fear of upsetting the other if you are “having a good day”.
• Decreased communication – In an effort to avoid confrontations, you may resort to opting not to communicate at all. When communication is no longer taking place, it is hard to feel connected to your partner and you begin to operate as an individual versus a unit.
• Decrease in intimacy – Frequent fights and the absence of meaningful communication can easily filter over to a decrease in the desire to be intimate with your partner in any way. It is difficult to have the desire to connect with your partner on an intimate level if the day-to-day expectations of your marriage are not being met.

• Lack of trust – At the core of every relationship there must exist love, respect, and trust. Once you have begun to feel as though your partner is not a safe place for companionship, your trust will slowly dwindle. When this arises, it can be difficult to “fake it until you make it” as you have no trust that your partner is fighting for your relationship in the same way as you are.
• Emotional or physical abuse – Any form of abuse, whether emotional, verbal, or physical, is a clear indication of a troubled marriage.

If the above signs ring true within your relationship, it isn’t too late to begin working on your concerns. Working on these areas as soon as possible can help your relationship to grow. A marriage that has withstood the tests of time has been through many experiences and they have learned new ways and grown within their relationship to work to resolve concerns as a team. If you feel it is time to begin working on your relationship, we have warm caring therapists at Carolina Counseling Services – Fuquay-Varina, NC that are here to help.