Is your Marriage Failing? Signs of a Bad Relationship

Marriage/relationship is work, hard work, requiring regular attention and care. The stress of life may at times take one’s focus off it but each one should remember that it is better that two share the stress rather than only one person bearing the brunt of it. In fact, sharing stress together binds the relationship further and brings the two closer together.

Yet, many couples all over the world give preference first to themselves, then their work (with all its stresses and strains) and lastly to their marriage or relationship. The emotions and feelings of love in the relationship begin to dwindle, and soon the relationship begins to fall apart. One should always be alert about these signs springing up in a marriage and not make the mistake of taking them for granted.

Before the final breakup of a marriage or a relationship, the cracks in it begin to show up. Some of the warning signs of a marriage in jeopardy or a bad relationship are as follows:

• Doubt emerging in a relationship/marriage: When one is confident of his/her partner no amount of doubt from anywhere can break the bond between the two in love. Doubt may come through friends or relatives, even close ones who are secretly jealous of a great relationship in marriage or otherwise and put doubt in the mind of one's partner. There may have also been some misunderstanding of the partner's innocent communication with a person of opposite gender.

  It may also come about because of one partner found flirting with another of opposite gender. There may even be infidelity on one partner's part. Once a doubt begins to raise its head in the marriage/relationship for whatever reason, it is a gross sign of a failing marriage. There is little room for forgiveness. They begin spying on the activities of the other, when s/he is on internet to see what s/he is looking up, to whom s/he is emailing, who all s/he calls up through phones or visits or talks in person. They may spy on their own or through friends, or even involve their own children.

• Disinterest in the partner: A dwindling marriage or relationship makes itself evident also through the lack of interest one partner may begin to show towards the other or both towards each other. S/he is no longer interested in his/her problems, requirements, achievements or the like. The partner is left to fend for him/her-self.
• Lack in caring for oneself: When a marriage/relationship is on the rocks, the partners begin to lose interest in their physical appearance. They become shabby in their dressing up and their looks. The brightness and the twinkle in the eyes vanish. These together are a sign of mental depression which grips all those going through a failing marriage/relationship.
• Loss of respect for one another: Loss of respect for one another shows that they no longer value each other’s presence; each is mentally rejected by the other. They may communicate with each other using abusive language. A lax in respect, one towards another, is a clear sign that the marriage/relationship is headed for a breakup unless timely reparative action taken.
• No common goals: A marriage or any other relationship goes steady when the two have common goals to share. When the relationship is on the brink of failing, the goals of the two partners are no longer compatible. Each begins to have desires and aims in lives which are contrary to the other's. This becomes more and more deliberate as the separation widens. They no longer wish to sit together and work things out and negotiate.
• No time for one another: A marriage/relationship at a stalemate finds the two partners having no quality time to spend with each other. When they do have free time on them, they want to spend it the way they like, deliberately avoiding to use that time to spend with their partner. They may make programs to go out with their friends, chat on internet, watch TV, go for an event or spend time with their pets but the spouse/partner is never in the agenda. They will do all they can to not give time to each other.
• Lack of co-operation: A failing marriage/relationship has the partners refusing to co-operate with each other making matters worse for the other person. The consideration and compassion they once had for one another are made obvious by their absence. They make it a point to get their own work done and not to cooperate to help out the other partner and get his/her work done as well.