Are you in a dead-end relationship?
All relationships go through rocky patches, and it's normal to occasionally question if your partner is right for you and reassess your feelings. However, when you're in the middle of things it can also be tricky to see the bigger picture and recognise when a relationship is failing, and when it's time to let it go.
Irrespective of how bad things have become, if at least one of you wants to make it work, many people end up floundering in dead-end relationships when they would perhaps be happier flying solo.
So, what are the signs of a dead-end relationship? We asked the experts for practical tips to guide you through:
1. Lack of respect
Respect plays a vital role in a relationship because it shows that each person understands the other and doesn't charge through boundaries. If one of you constantly belittles or questions what the other says and does, then 'a boundary violation is occurring,' warns Annie Bennett, psychotherapist and author of The Love Trap.
'Behaviour like this is a sign that one person has stopped acknowledging the other's values and no longer accepts that person for who they are,' adds Bennett. This is bad news because without respect, love alone can't hold a relationship together.
What to do
Tell your partner how their actions make you feel.
Suggest you both limit teasing.
Listen more actively and be more positive towards each other.
If your partner doesn't see a problem, you're at a dead-end.
2. No time for each other
Channelling your free time into something that's not connected to your partner is a sign you've lost interest in your relationship. No partnership can survive without a time investment from both sides.
'Excessive commitment to distractions that take a person away from giving energy to a relationship is another sign that your relationship is stuck and in need of help,' says Bennett. Distractions could include anything from hobbies and sport to computer games.
What to do
Set aside time for each other every day.
Do this in a clear and structured way.
It may not be spontaneous, but having a plan and sticking to it shows you want to work things out.
If you or your partner won't commit the time, it's a sign that you're at a stalemate.
3. Incompatible goals
You want children, he doesn't. He wants marriage, you don't. You'd like to live abroad, he wants to stay put. Incompatible goals in a relationship can be as vast as these or as small as one of you wanting to spend more time together and your partner wanting more space.
In some cases, having mismatched goals is a sign you need to be more open with each other and improving communication can be enough to put things back on track. In other situations, they are a sign of problems that cannot be overcome. Ultimately, it comes down to whether you can find a middle ground that you're both happy with.
What to do
'What's important is not to focus on persuading the other to come around to your point of view,' says relationship counsellor Tracey Williams, 'but to work out whether or not you can find a compromise together that makes you both happy.'
If you do find a compromise, make sure you're both behind it 100 per cent.
Otherwise, a blame game will start further down the line that will bring your relationship to an end.
4. Boredom reigns
You're fed up, you have nothing to say to each other and have fallen into a routine worthy of a couple who have been together forty years or more.
'All relationships go through a stagnant stage, partly because developing a routine with a partner is comforting in the early stages of a relationship,' says Williams. 'If the routine lasts too long and couples don't make an effort to change the status quo on a regular basis, boredom will set in.'
What to do
Make changes and think about finding new interests or challenges together.
Try to introduce variety across different areas of your life.
Go to new places to eat, try new ways of being together and turn off distractions when you're together - the TV, computer, mobile phones - and start talking.
If you or your partner are not interested in making changes, this is a sign that your relationship may have run its course.
5. Bickering and fighting
Constant petty bickering tends to be a habit couples fall into to avoid larger, more painful issue.
'Arguing all the time doesn't necessarily mean your relationship has hit a dead end,' says Bennett. 'It depends on what you're arguing about and the nature of your fights.'
Angry and abusive fights show that consideration and thoughtfulness have disappeared from your relationship.
What to do
For constant bickerers, call a truce and see if you can stick to it for a week.
If your relationship has become abusive, it's time to call it a day.
No desire to call a ceasefire? Then you're at a dead end and it's unlikely the relationship can be saved.
Alternatively, you may want to consider couples therapy.
How to be single again: 8 coping strategies
If you do decide to break free and go solo, try these 8 coping strategies and embrace your new single life:
Grieve for what you have lost
Ending a relationship is a loss that needs to be worked through, even if being together made you unhappy. Often, we are encouraged to 'forget them and move on', but this will only keep your ex firmly on your mind.
Seize the advantages of being single
As a single person, you have total control over what you do and where you go in your life. Start making plans to take advantage of your new freedom.
Mobilise your support system
Being with friends and family allows you to vent your emotions as you sort through your life. They can also help you see how much you are loved and needed in your own right.
Reinvent yourself
Get a haircut, change your look or take up something you've always fancied. Just don't do anything rash that you may later regret, such as leaving your job.
Sort out your financial affairs
Breaking up can be stressful from a financial point of view. You may be left paying the rent or mortgage, or have to find a new place to live. If you're finding things a stretch, get some professional financial advice.
Accept you'll have down times
Don't expect everything to be fine and dandy. Prepare yourself for some lonely moments, but remind yourself that they will pass and you will be happy again.
Set your own life goals
One of the worst things about ending a relationship is seeing your future as a blank slate that was once filled with potential. Set new goals, be they work ones, travel ones or ones that broaden your life.
Let yourself be happy
Single life may not be your ideal, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it. Say yes to invites, make plans for your social life and work on finding a new way of living that pushes you out of your comfort zone now and again.
Need relationship support?
Try one of the following resources:
Relate - Relationship counselling support for couples and families.
Samaritans - Free, 24/7 emotional support to anyone in distress.
Marriage Care - Marriage guidance and support.
Spark - Free, confidential relationship help.
Care for the family - Marriage support
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