Around 42 percent of marriages end in divorce.
How is it that almost half of the folks who say “I do” end up legally separated? What causes that once hopeful love to fizzle out?
Read on to discover the seven most common causes of divorce.
1. Poor Communication
You’ve heard it before, communication is key. It might seem overplayed, but poor communication can single-handedly destroy a relationship.
Communication is at the root of every layer of your relationship. When the ability to communicate goes, everything else in the relationship seems to crumble around it.
2. Extramarital Affairs
Infidelity is another top cause of divorce.
The affair may be the entire problem or the last straw in a myriad of issues.
Infidelity can stem from the other common causes of divorce. If you’re not intimate or getting emotional fulfillment from your partner, you may look elsewhere.
Infidelity is a violation of trust that many couples can’t recover from.
3. Finances
Financial stress is one of the biggest burdens on a relationship. It impacts people of all income levels, not just those struggling to pay the bills.
Money problems have the ability to condemn the strongest of relationships. Whether you’re not making enough to support the family, can’t agree on how extra money should be spent, or have trust issues regarding money.
Financial issues are one of those things that follow a person even after a divorce. There are guides that can help one navigate the financial turmoil of a failing relationship like Mediate UK.
4. Intimacy
Lack of intimacy is an issue that is often coupled with other turbulence in the relationship. Stress in life can circle back and impact the ability to be affectionate towards your partner.
When you start to feel more like roommates than lovers, lack of intimacy is at play.
5. Physical and Emotional Changes
Much of marriage is navigating the changes you make individually and as a partnership. Sometimes this change is too substantial for the relationship to withstand and some couples grow apart. No 40 year old should be the same person they were at 25.
It’s no secret that our bodies change as we age. Sometimes the extra stress of life or new physical limitations can impact our health and priorities beyond the typical decline.
People may become unattracted to their partners if they’ve gone through a noticeable physical transition, like substantial weight gain. It may sound a bit shallow, but it’s a valid reality in many relationships.
6. Equality
Many marriages end because the partners don’t feel like equals.
There doesn’t have to be a clear-cut reason for feeling this way, but there are recurrent themes seen amongst divorced couples. An uneven split of housework, different views on gender roles in the home, and financial contributions can all create feelings of inequality.
7. Abuse
Domestic abuse is all too common in long-term relationships. Physical, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse are absolutely valid reasons to end a marriage.
If there is a pattern of domestic abuse in a marriage, that’s certainly a valid reason to walk away from your marriage.
Being in an abusive relationship is not healthy for any parties involved. This is especially true when there are children present. If you need help contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Common Causes of Divorce
Life-long relationships are challenging to navigate. Knowing the common causes of divorce can be helpful whether you’re a newlywed or a marriage veteran.
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