You got married five years ago, and you’re starting to wonder if your spouse is still happy. If not, you fear that your marriage may be moving toward a divorce. It just does not quite feel the same as it used to.
You want to prepare in advance, but you are not sure exactly where you stand. It’s an awkward conversation to start. Instead, you start looking for little signs to see if your spouse is unhappy being married. They may tip you off to a coming divorce in the not-so-distant future.
Though every marriage is different, five potential signs include the following:
1. Humor no longer connects you
When you started dating, you had fun and laughed together. Your spouse laughed at your jokes and seemed to enjoy talking to you. Now the conversations are always short. Your spouse just tries to get them over with. When you tell jokes or try to be playful, you just get an eye roll in response.
2. Your physical relationship declines
The physical relationship is important to your marriage. It used to be strong and fulfilling, but it starts declining. You often feel like there is just some disconnect there. It’s not just the frequency, but the quality. This could just be a symptom of no longer connecting on an emotional level.
3. Your spouse thinks you do not do enough
Being an adult takes work. Raising kids takes work. Paying bills takes work. In a marriage, both people must contribute. If your spouse starts acting like you do not do enough, it could show that a breakdown is coming. Over time, your spouse may feel worn out by attending to more of the obligations of life, and he or she may start thinking that it would be easier to be alone.
4. Insults, even joking ones, become common
It’s fine to poke fun at people in some situations, and every relationship is different. However, there is a potential problem when jokes start turning into insults — and they start getting more common. Could it be that your spouse really means some of these “jokes” and is trying to talk about it without an argument?
5. You never talk
Whenever you have conversations, you just get short, clipped answers. It feels like a chore. You often wonder if the other person is even listening. It just seems like everything else is more important, as if both of you wish you could end that conversation and go your separate ways.
The divorce process
Have you started to notice these issues in your relationship? If you have, and if you end up getting divorced as a result, make sure you understand your rights and the divorce process.