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Author: Robert Reeves

Maintaining Mutual Friendships After Divorce

Maintaining mutual friendships after divorce can be tricky to navigate, especially at first or while you’re in the process of ending your marriage. It’s normal for couples to face some awkwardness from their social circle after a breakup.

Maintaining mutual friendships after divorce can be tricky to navigate, especially at first or while you’re in the process of ending your marriage. It’s normal for couples to face some awkwardness from their social circle after a breakup. However, if you and your ex want to maintain all of your friendships, it’s important to discuss this as a goal and how you both plan to make it happen. For example, talk to your friends up front about your intentions to remain in the social group. Avoid trash talking one another so that you don’t force any more hostility. And finally, don’t isolate yourself or wait for invitations. Instead, be proactive. Hopefully, you can use these tips to better navigate this difficult time in your life.

Maintaining Mutual Friendships After Divorce: Focusing on the Bigger Picture

Make an Agreement

If you and your ex have a large friend group, it can be painful to think about that group splitting up. Forcing your friends to take sides in your divorce will make everybody uncomfortable and is more likely to isolate you both from your social circle. Instead, discuss with one another how important it is to maintain your friendships, and work on avoiding things like trash talking or arguing in public.

Discuss Openly

Furthermore, maintaining mutual friendships after divorce is easier if you speak directly with your social group. Let friends know that you don’t plan on forcing them to choose sides, and that as much as possible, you both can get along in public enough to get invited to the same events.

Don’t Trash Talk

One important thing to remember with maintaining mutual friendships after divorce is that you’ll have to save your venting for somebody else. If you are determined not to force your friends to choose sides, you’ll have to cut back any trash talking. Otherwise, it’s likely that you will make your friend uncomfortable. Plus, your ex is likely to find out which can make things even more contentious. 

Stay Social

While it might be difficult, it’s important to be proactive when maintaining mutual friendships after divorce. Your friends might not know exactly how to react. So instead of isolating yourself or waiting for them to invite you to events, be assertive. Invite everybody out for a meal, or ask if you can come along to any events so that they know you are comfortable being around your ex or at least being around people who are friendly with them. Isolating yourself can negatively impact your mental health and create resentment.

Maintaining mutual friendships after divorce can be easier said than done in some situations. However, if you and your ex are both committed to keeping your friend group intact, it’s definitely doable. But you’ll both have to discuss things ahead of time and work on getting comfortable with at least being at the same events together without causing drama.

Moreso, you might have to tell your friends up front about your intentions so that they don’t feel like they need to choose sides. Avoid trashing your ex because it can make your friends feel uncomfortable and can harm your relationship. And finally, avoid isolating yourself, and instead be proactive about being social. Hopefully, you and your ex will be able to navigate this tricky situation without too much difficulty and keep your social group intact.

Overcoming Resentment in a Marriage

Overcoming resentment in a marriage can be easier said than done. There are many reasons why emotions like this can build up between two partners. From the stress of managing a household together, to raising children, splitting up obligations, financial stress, or overcoming hurdles in the relationship, it’s not uncommon for one partner to feel as though they are putting in more effort. And when those feelings go unchecked, it can lead to deep feelings of resentment.

If you are feeling this way, it’s important to really examine what you want to get out of the marriage. Is it a relationship worth saving? Or would you be happier if you ended the marriage and moved forward with divorce? If you are determined to overcome your resentment and rebuild your relationship, it’s helpful to determine the root cause of your feelings. Then, you’ll need to talk about it with your spouse. Sometimes therapy can be very helpful in navigating tricky situations like this. Finally, you’l need to establish some boundaries to avoid letting resentment build up again in the future. Hopefully, you can work together to make your marriage stronger.

Overcoming Resentment in a Marriage: Moving Forward

What Future Do You Want?

Sometimes, the important question to ask yourself is whether or not the marriage is worth saving. Overcoming resentment is very possible, but it takes work on both sides of the partnership. It’s important to really give thought to what you want your future to look like, and whether your marriage will allow you to have that future. There are plenty of couples who find that they are no longer compatible, and decide to move forward with an amicable divorce.

Find the Root Cause

If you are determined to overcome the resentment and make your marriage stronger, it can be helpful to identify the root cause of your feelings. For many people, it’s a perceived imbalance when it comes to the relationship. For example, if you feel that you put more effort into your marriage than your partner. Or if you feel that you are doing more of the parenting, chores, household management, financial earning, or caregiving for aging parents. While it’s normal to have a give and take with your partner, in the end you should feel that you both contribute equally to your family’s happiness. Figuring out where the resentment is coming from can help you move forward with addressing it.

Talk About It

When overcoming resentment in a marriage, you’ll need to have an open and honest conversation with your spouse. It’s important to start the conversation when you both are relaxed, rather than when you’re already in a disagreement. Therapy can be a great place to bring up something like this. Marriage counseling can be hugely beneficial for helping you work through emotions like this, and making sure that both partners feel heard.

Prevention

Finally, when overcoming resentment in a marriage, it’s important to put boundaries in place so that you don’t experience these same feelings building again. It can be helpful to list out responsibilities that you have as a couple and split them up equally between you. It’s also helpful to establish a policy of open communication with one another. Pushing aside these kinds of emotions can just wind up making them even stronger. Instead, when you feel there is an imbalance, address it right away so that you can both work through it together.

Life is incredibly stressful for everybody. We all live busy lives and when you add in the complications of working a job, raising children, maintaining a household, or overcoming obstacles in your marriage, it can make things feel even more stressful. And when one partner feels like they are doing more of the emotional, physical, or financial labor of a marriage, it’s easy for feelings of resentment to begin to form.

Overcoming resentment in a marriage is not an easy task, but it’s important if you’re going to be able to move forward and be happy with your spouse. So think about the future you want and decide if your spouse is the person you want to share it with. If they are, you and them will need to do the work. Try to identify the root cause of your feelings, and start an open dialogue with your partner. Going to marriage counseling can be hugely beneficial when working through difficult relationship issues like this. Finally, put in place boundaries so that you can avoid these types of feelings from growing out of control in the future. Hopefully, you can both decide to work together to address any negative emotions..

Easing the Custody Transition for Children

Easing the custody transition for children is important because divorce can be quite stressful for them. They might be going back and forth between houses now, or might just be living without one parent. Either way, it’s likely a big change from what they’re used to. It can cause a lot of anxiety in children, so it’s important to make it as easy as you can for them. Prepare them in advance by talking with them about what will happen, and keep the lines of communication open. Keep their schedule as consistent as possible. Communicate with your ex about their needs and make sure that you both are on the same page when it comes to the kids. And finally, reassure your children constantly about how much you love them and how this will feel normal soon. Hopefully, you can make this time in their lives a little less stressful.

Easing the Custody Transition for Children: Smoothing a Stressful Situation

Talk with Them

It’s important to lay the groundwork ahead of time when preparing for the custody transition for children. Let them know what their schedule is going to look like moving forward. In addition, give them a chance to ask questions and raise concerns. If they are older children, or you feel that they might open up more to another person, consider getting them an appointment with a counselor or therapist. Keep the dialog going after you’ve started the transition. Check-in with them to see how they are handling things frequently.

Consistency is Key

Children thrive on consistency and schedules. Especially young children. When easing the custody transition for children, make sure to keep their schedules as similar as possible to what they’re used to. For example, make sure you and your ex are keeping bedtimes, nap times, and mealtime consistent between your houses. Try to keep them in the extra-curricular activities that they’re used to.

Communicate with Your Ex

Another important thing to remember when easing the custody transition for children is to communicate with your ex. It’s important to make sure that you are both on the same page when it comes to things like schedules and discipline. Try to remember that you need to make your children a priority. You and your ex might have some bitter feelings towards one another, but trash-talking can be harmful to children. Try to keep things civil for the sake of your co-parenting relationship.

Reassure Them

Finally, one of the most important things to do when easing the custody transition for children is reassuring them frequently. Children often feel blamed when their parents are going through a divorce. It’s important to remind them over and over that the divorce doesn’t have anything to do with them and that you both love them. Try to also reinforce the idea that this is a time of transition and pretty soon their new schedules will seem normal to them.

Easing the custody transition for children is easy if you just remember that children like consistency and like to know what to expect. Don’t try to surprise them with a new schedule. It’s a much better plan to tell them in advance and give them plenty of opportunities to voice their concerns or questions. Check-in with them frequently throughout the process. Be consistent with their schedules and make sure you and your ex can put things aside to communicate effectively about coordinating schedules. And finally, reassure your children frequently and repeatedly that you love them and that the divorce is not their fault. Let them know that pretty soon, everything will feel very normal to them. Hopefully, you can make this time in their lives a little less stressful.

How to Build Trust with an Older Adopted Child

It can be time-consuming to build trust with an older adopted child or foster child. Often, these children have been through various forms of trauma. You might not be the first parent that has attempted to build trust with them. Their past experiences will have a big effect on how long it takes. Give it time though, and understand that trust is not built overnight. You must earn it through your words and actions. For example, by keeping your promises to them. Showing them respect shows that you value and trust their opinions as well. And finally, always be honest with and in front of your children so that they can see that anybody, not just them, can trust you. Try to be patient and remember that it can take time but that the journey will be worth it in the end.

How to Build Trust with an Older Adopted Child or Foster Child

Give It Time

The most important thing to remember when trying to build trust with an older adopted child or foster child is to give it time. Many foster children and children who have been searching for adoptive parents for years have experienced trauma. Just being in these systems is traumatic. So remember that trust can take a long time to build. Just be patient and always be consistent.

Keep Your Promises

In addition to being patient, you always need to keep your promises. This will go a long way in building trust with your older adopted child or foster child. Don’t be afraid to make promises, but just be sure there isn’t a possibility of breaking them. This shows your child that you follow through on your word. You can use simple examples like ”I promise that we will read a story together tonight.”

Give Them Respect

Another way to build trust with a foster child or especially an older adopted child is to give them respect. Look them in the eye when you speak to them. Ask their opinion on things. Let them make decisions about how to play or what to do and then you be the follower. Showing them that you value them as a person and value their ideas will make them more likely to trust you as well.

Be Honest

Finally, one last way to help build trust with an older adopted child or foster child is to always be honest. Not just honest to them, but honest around them. Otherwise, they’ll see that you can’t be trusted since you lie to others. What’s to stop you from lying to them? Even if you have to tell them disappointing things be honest. Don’t keep things from the social worker, don’t sneak food into movie theaters when it’s not allowed, and don’t try to do anything dishonest no matter how insignificant. If they see that you are always honest with people then you can build up that trust with them.

Building up trust with an older adopted child or foster child can be a long and sometimes painful journey. You might want the absolute best for them and want them to know that. But unfortunately, they might have past experiences that don’t let them trust people so easily. It’s a process that can take a while, but as long as you are consistent and patient, they will trust you more and more. Always keep your promises to them, no matter how small. Show them respect and they will show you more respect and trust in return. And finally, always be completely honest with them and around them at all times. Having somebody that they can trust helps children develop socially and academically, so be patient, consistent, and trust the process.

Teen Marriages: Why Marrying Young Can Be Challenging

Teen marriages are not very common, however they do still happen sometimes. Even if you are not in your teens marrying earlier in life can come with many challenges. Oftentimes, high school sweetheart couples or couples that married very young end up growing apart from one another. It’s also normal to have your values change during your young adult life, so your and your partner’s goals for the future might not align any longer. And of course, sometimes as people age, they desire to explore new relationships or have more freedom. If you are married young and are unhappy in your relationship, it might be time to consider a divorce. There is nothing wrong or stigmatizing with prioritizing your happiness. Even if the divorce process can be stressful and tiring, hopefully, you can move forward with the decision that is right for you.

Teen Marriages: Why Marrying Young Can Be Challenging and How to Start the Divorce Process

Normal to Grow Apart

Teen marriages can often lead to divorce fairly young as well. This is because you do a lot of growing and maturing in your early adult years. When teenagers marry while they are still young, they haven’t experienced much of the world yet. When they move on from high school and college, they might realize that their personalities have matured and changed a lot over the years. This can lead to disagreements and resentment eventually. Especially if you no longer share the same values.

Differing Goals

It’s also normal for teen marriages to end because the couples have different goals from one another.

People commonly change their career aspirations and plans for life as they get older. It’s unlikely that you want all the same things that you wanted when you were eighteen years old. So when you get married at that age, you might have had similar goals and paths in life. As you get older, it’s not uncommon for these goals to change and no longer align with one another.

Desire For Freedom

Finally, it’s also very common for people who married young to grow apart because of a desire for freedom and exploration. Your early adult years are a great time to date around and get to know different personality types. Dating different people can help you get an idea of what you ultimately need from a partner. If you are married young, you don’t get the chance to experience any other types of relationships. It’s normal to have some curiosity and feel as if you might have missed out on some important life experiences.

Starting the Divorce Conversation

Teen marriages come with their specific challenges. If you and your partner are growing apart and are no longer happy, it might be time to discuss divorce. There is nothing wrong with choosing to end a marriage if you know that you and your partner are not making each other as happy as you could be. Find a time to sit down with your spouse where you won’t be interrupted for a while. Have a plan for what you’d like to say, and give them plenty of time to react to the conversation. Hopefully, you both will be in agreement on what direction you need to go.

Teen marriages come with their unique difficulties. Even if you married early in your twenties, you might experience some ups and downs as you both continue to age and mature. It’s normal to have a lot of growth and changes during your young adult life. So marrying somebody when you’re eighteen or nineteen might mean that later on you realize that you’re no longer compatible. It’s normal to change your goals in life, your career path, and your priorities as you enter adulthood.

If you and your partner both go through changes, you might find that you are drifting apart. Or even that resentment is building up between you. You might also feel a desire to explore other relationships since you didn’t get the chance while you were younger. Starting the divorce conversation can be scary and painful, but it might be the best thing for you both. Filing for divorce can give you a fresh start and allow you to find somebody who will make you happier.

Having a Baby to Save Your Marriage?

Having a baby to save your marriage is not a good idea. While movies can sometimes make us think that having a child will magically repair a broken relationship, the truth is that children just add stress. Adding a child into the mix isn’t going to help things if you and your partner are already on shaky ground. Instead, it will create way more pressure and anxiety in your lives. Plus, it isn’t fair to the baby that’s being used as a game piece or Hail Mary. Finally, both you and your partner will be limiting yourselves and the amount of happiness that you can experience. If your marriage is feeling shaky, the best thing to do is pause and work on things before ramping up the pressure with a child.

Having a Baby to Save Your Marriage: Is It Ever a Good Idea?

It Won’t Fix the Underlying Issues

The main reason why having a baby to save your marriage is dicey is that it doesn’t fix anything. If you and your partner have issues, creating a new life doesn’t address them in any way. Sure, it can kick the can down the road for a few years, but your problems will come back. You and your partner need to address your concerns head-on through open communication and counseling.

It’s a Pressure Cooker

Another reason why having a baby to save your marriage is a dangerous game is that it just adds stress to your life. Babies need constant care, and children need your full attention. Even if you have a healthy, easy baby, the parenting process is overwhelming. You and your spouse will get very little sleep, and tempers will run short. Not a good recipe for fixing marital issues.

It Isn’t Fair to the Baby

It also isn’t fair to the child if you’re planning on having a baby to save your marriage. You should bring a child into the world because you want to raise it together and give it all of your love. Not to use it as a crutch for your relationship, or a bandage. If you are already having issues, a baby is only likely to exacerbate things. This means that you’ll be bringing a child into a relationship with arguments, where neither partner is really happy.

Limiting Your Happiness

Finally, having a baby to save your marriage just means that you’re limiting your potential for happiness. You deserve to be with somebody that makes you happy. And in a marriage that fulfills you with a partner that is willing to give equal effort. If you have a baby with your spouse and then you decide it’s best to go your separate ways, you’ll be tied together for life. It’s much better to figure out what you both want out of the future now.

Having a baby to save your marriage isn’t the answer to your marital problems. Parenting is hard work, and you deserve a teammate you can count on. If you and your partner are already having issues without the added stress of a child, creating a baby isn’t going to lessen your problems. Instead, it’s likely to put much more pressure and stress on your marriage. Not to mention that it isn’t fair to the baby. And if you and your spouse are better off as exes, it’s best to find that out before you’re tied together as co-parents for the rest of your lives. All in all, the answer to marriage struggles is not a child. Instead, take a pause, do the work, and decide whether or not this is a marriage that can last.

Protective Steps to Take if Divorce is Imminent

There are several protective steps to take if divorce is imminent. If you and your spouse are heading toward the breakup of your marriage, you want to make sure that you’re protecting yourself. Once you begin speaking about divorce, your partner could get confrontational or antagonistic. Therefore, take these steps ahead of time so that you are fully protected. Speak to an attorney right away as soon as you think divorce might even be a possibility. Gather legal and financial information and make copies of important documents. Protect yourself financially and begin preparing to be on your own. And finally, be on your best behavior so that you don’t give the court any ammunition to use against you during the process. Hopefully, you can be as prepared as possible if you wind up going down the road toward divorce.

Protective Steps to Take if Divorce is Imminent: Preparing Early

Speak to an Attorney

The most important of the early steps to take if divorce is imminent is to speak with an attorney. An experienced divorce lawyer can guide you through the process and ensure that you are taking the correct steps. They’ll help you decide how best to move forward and make sure that you’re being financially protected.

Gather Financial Information

Additionally, if divorce is imminent, it’s important to go ahead and gather important legal and financial information. Look for things like bank statements, insurance information, tax returns, retirement account statements, wills, and titles. Make an inventory of personal assets and family possessions. Make copies of all documents you find so that your spouse cannot hide them or alter them later.

Protect Yourself Financially

When divorce is imminent, sometimes as soon as it’s spoken out loud, spouses begin taking vindictive steps to financially harm their soon-to-be-ex. Protect yourself from this by taking inventory of accounts. You might consider closing joint credit cards so that your spouse cannot rack up charges that you might later be responsible for. Additionally, if you do not have a credit history in your name, it’s important to begin building your credit.

Be on Your Best Behavior

Finally, if divorce is imminent, it’s time to be on your best behavior. Like it or not, your entire life is about to be put under a microscope. If things get hairy with your divorce, your ex might use any dirty tactics to get what they want out of the settlement. Focus on spending time with your children and keep a relatively low profile. Now is not the time to begin dating somebody new.

If you feel that divorce is imminent, you’ll want to take steps as quickly as possible to protect yourself financially. As soon as you and your spouse begin speaking about divorce in real terms, it could start a chain reaction. Many exes wind up getting very antagonistic towards one another, and you want to make sure they cannot take steps to hurt you financially. Speak with an attorney as soon as possible so they can begin advising you on how best to move forward. Take inventory of your money and begin gathering important legal documents. Prevent your spouse from ringing up huge credit card bills, and start building up your credit if you don’t have a history. And finally, keep your head down and be on your best behavior while the divorce process is pending. Hopefully, you and your ex can settle relatively quickly and painlessly.

Putting Effort Into Your Marriage

Putting effort into your marriage is important for the longevity of your relationship. You and your partner should both contribute equally to the marriage and make a point to continue showing up for each other throughout the years. One of the best ways to show your partner how much you care is by spending quality time together. Another way is to improve your listening skills, which counseling can be helpful with. Every marriage gets into ruts periodically or has times when your focus will be pulled towards other things. And while you’ll experience some ups and downs, your relationship will be much stronger if you both decide up front to put in the effort to make it last a lifetime.

Putting Effort Into Your Marriage: You Get Out What You Put In

Why It Matters

Putting effort into your marriage is important because it’s a way of showing your partner how much they mean to you. It’s easy to get lost in the monotony of everyday life. Especially with stresses from childcare or work. During these times, it can be easy to forget just how special your partner is and stop noticing the amazing qualities that drew you to them in the first place. Putting in the effort will remind your spouse of how much you care about your marriage.

Importance of Equality

Another important thing to note about putting effort into your marriage is that it needs to be an equal contribution. If one partner is always the one making time for the marriage but doesn’t feel that their effort is reciprocated, they might begin to wonder if the relationship is healthy. It’s normal to have certain times when one of you has a lot of stressors and isn’t able to focus as much on the marriage. However, overall, your partnership should be an equal one.

Quality Time

One way to show that you’re putting effort into your marriage is to focus on quality time. It’s easy to get bogged down with our busy work schedules. However, making time for a date night, a walk together, or just a few minutes to sit with one another is important. Put it on your calendar if you need to. Just make sure that your time is distraction-free. Put away your phone, turn off the TV, and spend some time reconnecting.

Be a Good Listener

Another great way of putting effort into your marriage is to improve your listening skills. Becoming a great listener will show your partner that you care about their interests. So make eye contact when they speak, ask insightful questions, and show an interest in what they’re saying. Another great way to improve communication skills is to speak with a marriage counselor. Even if things are going smoothly in your relationship, therapy can be hugely helpful in improving your conflict resolution and communication skills.

Putting effort into your marriage is the best way to show up for your partner and show them how much they mean to you. Every marriage has times when things are great, and times when things are stressful. The important thing is that through it all, you keep putting in effort to strengthen your bond. That will give you the tools you need to get through the more stressful times. Make sure that both partners are committed to the marriage, and that things aren’t one-sided. Consider spending more quality time together distraction-free. Or work on improving communication skills through counseling. By putting

All About Common Law Marriage

Common law marriage is something that gets referenced frequently but is not recognized in many states. This type of union happens when two people live together and claim for the world to be married, but never go through a formal ceremony. There are certain requirements that they have to fulfill, and the rules vary from state to state. People in this type of marriage still retain all of the rights of a married couple and have to file for divorce if they decide to end their relationship. If you are interested in marrying in common law, speak to an experienced family attorney in your state to determine if it’s a possibility.

All About Common Law Marriage: Is It Legal Everywhere?

What Is It?

Common law marriage is a union between two people who are living together and representing themselves as husband and wife without going through a formal marriage ceremony. These unions were popular long ago when rural areas didn’t have as many churches or government buildings. Especially in states where the population was low. However, now that most people have easy access to government offices, most states do not recognize them.

Where Is It Legal?

Most states do not legally recognize couples who are married in common law. Only ten states, plus D.C. allow them. These are Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. However, some states, like South Carolina no longer allow these marriages to form. They will recognize an already established common-law marriage, but this is not an option available to couples moving forward.

Requirements

You can’t accidentally marry somebody in common law just because you live with them. There are several requirements for a common-law marriage, that vary from state to state. A couple must be living together, although the length of time varies. Additionally, they must both be of sound mind and legally able to get married. Finally, you must hold yourselves out to others as a married couple, and represent as spouses in public.

Divorce

A common-law marriage is just as legally binding as a typical marriage. It comes with the same rights and privileges for spouses. And just like an official marriage, the only way to end one is through divorce. The divorce process is similar to a typical divorce; spouses must split up assets and deal with issues like custody and spousal support payments.

Common law marriage was very popular at one time but is slowly fading out of existence in our country. Now that most people have access to government offices where they can legally obtain marriage licenses, many states no longer recognize non-official marriages. However, there are still a few loopholes in states where you can marry your partner in common law. The requirements vary from place to place, especially with the amount of time you must live together. But typically, this type of marriage requires that you cohabitate, that you’re legally able to marry, and that you present to the world as a married couple. Similarly to an official marriage, you must go through the divorce process to end a common law relationship. If you have questions about common-law marriage in your state, seek the advice of an experienced attorney.

How to Spot a One-Sided Marriage

If you are in a one-sided marriage or relationship of any kind, it can quickly become exhausting. In any relationship, both partners should be giving equal amounts of effort throughout their time together. Naturally, there will be times when outside distractions make it difficult to focus on your marriage. However, over time, you should both be contributing equally. If you don’t feel like this is the case, it can be a symptom of a deeper problem. It can happen gradually over time, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you are doomed as a couple. Through counseling and communication, you can rebuild your relationship and begin contributing equally again.

How to Spot a One-Sided Marriage and What to Do About It

How Does It Happen

A one-sided marriage simply means that one partner is putting in more effort than the other one. At the start of a relationship, both parties are often equally committed and interested in putting in the effort. However, over time, there can be a disconnect. It might feel like one person in the marriage is always the one planning dates, initiating intimacy, and working on improving the relationship.

Why It’s a Problem

Sometimes a one-sided marriage happens because of outside stressors taking the focus of one spouse away from their partner. Or because one person has never had a healthy example of marriage to model. But sometimes it happens because one spouse realizes that they have outgrown the marriage. Maintaining a one-sided relationship can be exhausting for the person who feels they are giving more effort. It can quickly build resentment.

Signs

The main sign of a one-sided marriage is if one partner feels they are always the one trying to work on the relationship or improve things. Another sign is if you begin to feel like an obligation, rather, a priority. Intimacy might fade away, or one partner might always have to be the one to initiate it. Finally, you might begin to feel like they don’t have any interest in your relationship issues, or refuse to acknowledge them at all.

What To Do

If you find yourself in a one-sided marriage, try to figure out exactly how you want to move forward. Speak to your spouse and see if they are willing to try marriage counseling or other techniques to improve your connection. Work on building up your communication with one another. If they don’t seem interested in putting in the work, then it might be time to explore other options. It’s not fair to stay in a marriage with somebody that doesn’t love you back.

Being in a one-sided marriage can be exhausting and can build a lot of resentment and self-doubt. If you feel like you are the only person making any effort in your relationship, it’s important to get to the bottom of exactly what’s going on. Try to figure out if this is a temporary phase of your marriage because your partner is dealing with stress or other issues. Or if it’s a long-term issue that you’ve been dealing with for years. You might feel like your spouse doesn’t care about your happiness, or doesn’t want to talk about your relationship at all. If this is the case, think deeply about how you want to proceed. Marriage counseling can be beneficial, but it still requires both you and your spouse to put in mental work. You deserve to be in a marriage with a partner that respects you and loves you enough to put in the effort.