Every marriage has its ups and downs, but some marriages are in more danger than others.
Do you know the signs of a troubled marriage?
If not, this blog post will help you identify warning signals that your marriage is in crisis.
We’ll go over 50 different signs that show that your relationship might be headed for trouble.
Your spouse stopped caring about how their behavior affects you.
Your marriage is in crisis if your spouse has recently stopped caring about how their behavior affects you. If they are not concerned with the effects of their actions on others, then it’s likely that there will be problems ahead for your relationship. This can also happen when one person becomes overly aggressive or “on the attack” to cover up insecurity and self-doubt (such as an affair).
Many people who fall victim to affairs do so because this gives them feelings of power and control over another individual – even though these interactions typically cause more damage than good throughout any relationship.
You are growing apart.
If you feel like you have nothing in common with your spouse anymore, this is a sign that things are not going well for your relationship. It’s important to note that some couples go through phases where they don’t connect on the same level as before (usually after getting married or having kids). However, if there is no hope of reconnecting at all, you might be in a troubled marriage.
If you feel like your spouse is more distant and less interested in the things that used to bring you together, this could also indicate problems within your relationship. It’s important to know what attracts each other (and yourself) to another person and use this as fuel for building intimacy – without it, your emotional connection will not grow or thrive over time.
You’ve stopped feeling attracted to one another.
It’s normal for couples in a healthy relationship to feel less physically attracted over time, but this typically changes when there are deeper problems within the marriage itself (such as poor communication or lack of intimacy). For example, if you struggle with looking at your spouse and wanting them sexually – even though they look the same way they always have, it could be a sign that something is wrong with your marriage.
In addition, some people pretend these feelings no longer exist because their partner doesn’t seem interested anymore either. Ultimately, however, pretending that physical attraction isn’t important will only hurt both parties involved down the road!
You stopped arguing.
Arguments are a normal part of marriage. They can be healthy if they’re kept to a minimum and used as constructive outlets for the issues that both spouses have with each other. When arguments stop, it could mean that one spouse feels disrespected by their partner or doesn’t feel like there’s anything worth arguing about anymore. If you find yourself no longer fighting in your relationship, then this might be an early sign of a troubled marriage.
You feel a lack of emotional intimacy.
Emotional intimacy is part of what makes a marriage work. Without it, spouses will drift apart and grow further and further apart. If you find that there’s no longer any emotional closeness in your relationship anymore, then this might be an early warning sign of trouble ahead for the future. Couples need to have some way to connect on an intimate level if they ever want their bond to last into old age.
You are physically intimate but not emotionally.
Physical intimacy is vital to a marriage. If you find that the physical part of your relationship is there, but there’s no emotional component involved, this might be an early warning sign of trouble ahead in your future together. Couples must have a mutual passion for each other and work well together on both levels for their bond to last through thick and thin.
Your spouse doesn’t listen when you talk about problems.
Have you felt everything that comes out of your mouth lately around your partner go unheard? One way that spouses show love towards one another is by listening carefully while someone shares their heart with them during difficult times. If you find that your spouse doesn’t listen to what you have to say anymore, this might be an early warning sign of trouble ahead.
Your spouse avoids spending time with you.
It’s normal for spouses to have their own lives apart from each other. However, if they’re avoiding being together and feeling like they don’t want to spend any of the free time that they do have available with you, then this might be an early warning sign of trouble ahead in your future marital life. Couples need some way to connect beyond just having sex.
You are no longer on equal footing financially.
When a couple gets married, there should always be equality between them regarding money matters. If one partner starts making more than another or spends too much without consulting their marriage partner first, this might be an early warning sign of trouble ahead for the marriage.
One spouse wants to live like a single person.
Marriage is about sharing your life with another. Still, suppose one partner refuses help or pushes away their marriage partner somehow. In that case, it might be because they don’t want the commitment of being married anymore and are trying to act out on this feeling by starting to do things they did when they were single again.
This can include anything from partying too much with friends or spending more time than usual at work after hours without notifying their spouse first. If you see these warning signs in your relationship, talk to them immediately before it’s too late!
You’ve stopped having sex.
When you got married, your sexual relationship with your spouse should have been one of the cornerstones of their marriage. Suppose it becomes clear that neither partner is interested in pursuing a romantic or physical relationship anymore because they are not physically attracted to each other. In that case, this could be another warning sign that the two of you might want to talk about together before things get worse and lead to divorce.
You’re fighting more than usual about trivial things.
If you and your spouse constantly fight about minor things, it’s a sign that the relationship is in trouble. When you’re in love, little things don’t bother you. It’s normal for all couples to disagree about issues from time to time, but if your disagreements turn into fights most of the time, it may be a sign that there is something wrong with your marriage.
You’ve stopped caring about the small stuff too.
When couples stop bickering over minor disagreements but don’t have anything else meaningful to talk about either, then they might be at risk of divorce. It can mean that you both feel disillusioned with each other or that one partner has already checked out of the marriage emotionally even though he/she hasn’t told his spouse yet.
You feel like they don’t love you anymore.
If your partner doesn’t seem as happy with you – or even at home – lately, this could be another warning sign that something is wrong within the union and needs immediate attention before it’s too late! If these signs of trouble sound familiar, make sure that both partners talk about what has happened between them. One or neither of you have ulterior motives towards coming up with ways to escape from the relationship because those feelings might cause irreparable damage if not addressed soon enough! Don’t let problems fester inside until they become more severe than they need to be – trust each other and talk about what’s going on in your lives and how to move forward together.
They’re more concerned about their phone than they are about you.
If your spouse constantly checks their phone when they should be paying attention to you, it’s not a good sign. If this has been happening for an extended period (a few weeks or longer), there may be something wrong with the relationship.
They’ve stopped making sexual advances toward you.
This is one of the most common signs that people consider symbolic of severe problems within relationships – but many couples don’t realize how important sex can be in maintaining healthy relationships! Sex isn’t everything; however, it does play a significant role if both partners want to succeed together and continue loving each other despite any challenges that come up along the way.
If your spouse is emotionally abusive, it may be time to leave.
When your spouse treats you with disrespect and constantly puts you down, it can be easy to believe that things will get better. But if the emotional abuse continues over time, this behavior may escalate into physical violence or even criminal activity. If your partner is no longer respecting your boundaries or trying to improve their behavior, then it’s time to leave before someone gets hurt.
Frequent lying about little things can lead to more significant problems later on in the relationship.
Lying might not seem like a big deal when they’re telling white lies about what they wore last night or where they went after work, but these small deceitful acts are warning signs of trouble ahead. When a person starts regularly lying to avoid conflict, it’s usually because they’re seeking their short-term happiness by doing things behind your back. If this pattern continues to happen, it can cause serious problems in the future when more significant issues come up.
You don’t want to spend any time with them anymore.
When you first started dating, all you wanted to do was spend as much time together as possible.
You couldn’t wait for the weekends so that you could be with them, but now your spouse drains all of your energy and leaves a bitter taste in your mouth when they come around. If this sounds familiar, then it’s likely because the two of you have become more like roommates instead of partners.
They find every opportunity to be rude or disrespectful
When you first met your spouse, they would never have dreamed of talking disrespectfully towards you, but all that has changed now is making them feel better by putting you down as much as possible with cutting remarks. It might not seem like a big deal at first, but over time those small comments will add up and start affecting how happy (and safe) you feel around them, which leads us to our next warning sign…
You’ve tried everything you can think of, but nothing seems to work anymore.
If you’ve gone to therapy, read self-help books, and tried your best, but nothing seems to work, then it might be time to seriously think about whether this is something that you should continue. It takes two people working together for a marriage to succeed, so if one of the partners has already given up before you’ve even started trying, there’s probably little hope left.
They don’t respect your boundaries or believe that you know what’s best for yourself.
When a person doesn’t respect another person, it can be hard to feel safe and comfortable around them, which is why this sign should have everyone who sees it running the other way instead of being willing to take on someone else’s baggage. Your spouse should trust you enough to treat you like an adult who knows what they want out of life without always needing their input. If not, there are bigger problems at work than simple miscommunication.
You’re constantly walking on eggshells because everything seems to be triggering something negative from their past.
It’s normal for couples to have disagreements occasionally. Still, when someone is constantly dragging up past hurtful experiences, it can be difficult not to take their words personally, which makes this a warning sign that you need to pay attention to. If your spouse was belittled or emotionally abused in the past, then they might feel the urge to do that same thing themselves without even realizing what they’re doing, so try and reach out before things get worse than they already are.
They’ve cut you off from their family and friends.
If your spouse has started to cut you off from their family or friends because they don’t trust you around them anymore, there’s a huge red flag waving in front of your face. It might not seem like the end of the world to be cut off from friends or family but when they do it out of spite, then imagine how much worse it could get if things start getting rocky between the two of you!
You no longer recognize them as the same person.
Suppose your spouse has undergone a complete personality change for the worse since you first met. In that case, it could indicate more significant problems underneath all of this hostility towards others. Try sitting down with them during one of their calmer moments (when there aren’t any warning signs present) and gently asking them if everything is okay.
They constantly keep score of all past wrongdoings and bring previous arguments back up whenever they feel like it.
If your spouse is someone who has no problem bringing up things that happened weeks, months, or even years ago simply because the two of you are not currently on good terms, then this should ring some serious alarm bells inside your head.
It’s normal for couples to remember events differently. Still, if one person continues to hold onto old grudges without taking responsibility for anything that might’ve contributed to ruining the relationship, then there isn’t much hope left.
They’ve gotten into legal trouble recently.
A minor offense is not necessarily cause for concern if someone has never gotten into any criminal activity before; however, when people get into repeated legal issues after marrying each other, it could indicate brewing problems within the relationship.
You don’t see each other anymore.
There is a problem when an individual can go weeks or even months without exchanging more than a few words with their partner every day. Even if you work long hours every week and need to schedule time together, there should be at least some quality time spent with one another outside of the bedroom for your relationship not to feel like it’s slipping away from underneath you.
They’re always finding new ways to change your behavior or appearance.
When a spouse constantly points out flaws in your behavior, appearance, or personality, it’s a sign that they’re unhappy with you. When you notice this happening more and more often over time, there might be an issue within the marriage.
They blame you for everything.
If your spouse had never taken responsibility in the past when something went wrong, they probably wouldn’t start now. Therefore, paying attention is essential if they’re constantly trying to make things all about you instead of taking a step back and looking at their actions critically before pointing fingers elsewhere.
It takes two people for a relationship to succeed, so if one person always gets off scot-free no matter what happens, there are bigger problems.
They’re always looking for ways to point out how much better things were done by someone else.
If your partner constantly compares you to other people, whether it’s family members or acquaintances, this shows that they’re not completely satisfied with the marriage.
They’ve become obsessed with their appearance or social media accounts lately.
When a spouse starts obsessing over their physical looks or social media presence after getting married, there might be some underlying problems in the relationship itself. If someone was unhappy before but now wants everything to look perfect all of the time, even though nothing has changed between the two as far as appearances go, something might not be right within the household dynamic.
The overall mood has turned sour recently (compared to how things used to be).
When you notice that the overall mood has turned sour between your partner and yourself, it could indicate a problem within the marriage. If it used to be more good days than bad ones in your relationship, but now it feels as if this is no longer true, take note of those warning signs!
They tell you that your relationship should be better than any other couple’s relationship ever was or could be.
These types of statements show that one partner believes their marital expectations aren’t being met by their significant other and believes another person would do a much better job fulfilling these needs than they do now. Statements like this usually come from passive-aggressive partners who don’t want to confront their issues with their spouses directly.
They’re always making excuses for why they can’t do something with you anymore or cannot meet your expectations now, no matter how often you ask/plead/demand otherwise.
Your partner continues to make every excuse in the book whenever you spend time together or attempt to discuss problems within the household dynamic. It means there’s a good chance they might be unhappy but doesn’t want things between you two to end just yet since they don’t know what else they would do.
They’ve started to be suspicious or accuse you of cheating on them without any proof that such a thing has taken place recently.
When partners start accusing one another of infidelity, they’re not satisfied with the marriage and feel as if their spouse is going behind their back whenever allowed to do so (such as during work hours). If your partner starts asking you about where you were and who you talked to all day long when there’s no need for this type of questioning since nothing happened between these two people, then take note!
They’ve stopped making any effort to care for themselves or look good when they go out with you.
When you go out on a date with someone, you expect that they will take the time to get ready and look presentable. If your spouse isn’t taking care of themselves anymore or wearing clothes that make them feel good about their appearance, it’s an indicator that there is trouble ahead for your marriage.
They keep bringing up how much better everything was when they were single and not committed to anyone else (while ignoring all progress within the relationship).
These kinds of statements come from people who feel unhappy with whatever life has handed over since getting married but are too afraid to end their marital ties because this would mean they’d have nothing left in their lives. If your significant other keeps bringing up how much better life was when they weren’t tied down to a relationship, it means they have been dwelling on this for too long and aren’t able to move past their unhappiness.
You can tell that something is bothering them by the way they keep asking you if anything specific in their lives bothers you lately (when everything with both of you used to be fine).
If there’s one thing people who are unhappy in their marriages do, it’s an attempt to solve problems within the household dynamic through questioning since this forces an answer without having either partner confront each other about these issues directly. This form of communication is very passive-aggressive, which means things will never get fixed between the both of you if this is the only method your spouse uses.
You can tell they don’t care anymore by how often they say things like “whatever” or “I really don’t care” when you’re discussing your problems together.
When one spouse doesn’t care about the other’s issues anymore, it shows that they’ve lost interest in their marriage or don’t want to make any effort towards solving these types of dilemmas even though there is still time for them to do so before things get worse between both partners.
They’ve stopped engaging in conversation during meals together.
If your significant other previously loved having conversations over dinner, but now they won’t talk when you eat together, something might be wrong with the relationship. This could be one sign of a struggling marriage because silence can speak volumes about what’s happening behind closed doors between two people who used to share everything! So, if this happens more than once or twice, it could mean a lot more.
They’ve stopped asking you how your day went or if anything is happening with them at work.
When was the last time that they asked about what’s going on in your life? If there has been no concern shown for whether things are well with you and how much stress you’re dealing with as of late, then this might be an indicator that there is trouble ahead because those questions show caring and love towards another person!
So, if those conversations aren’t happening anymore between the two of you, take note now before it gets worse than just losing interest in one another: it could lead to breaking up altogether!
They’ve stopped taking care of themselves physically by not exercising or eating right.
If one person in the relationship isn’t taking care of themselves, this could be a sign that they don’t feel like anyone cares about them anymore! If someone starts to show indifference towards their health and well-being, then there is probably something wrong with how they feel because it’s only natural for people who are depressed or disappointed in life not to want to keep up on things.
So, watch out for other warning signs if you notice that your spouse has lost interest in caring for their body and mind: it can lead to breaking up altogether!!
They’ve stopped complimenting each other when looking nice before leaving the house.
When was the last time that someone said “Wow” after seeing how good you look? If compliments aren’t being given between two people in a relationship when someone takes the time to look nice for their significant other, it could be one of the warning signs that your spouse is no longer interested in you.
They’ve stopped physically touching each other more than just hugging and kissing on special occasions or right before bedtime.
When was the last time they put an arm around your shoulder? If physical touch between two people has disappeared from marriage, this can indicate trouble because those things show love and affection! So, if either person hasn’t shown any contact, then something might be wrong with how they feel about each other.
They’ve started complaining all the time about work, family members, and friends.
Complaining about innocent bystanders not connected to an individual’s marital problems usually comes from partners who don’t feel satisfied with whatever life has handed over recently.
Their personal hygiene habits have changed dramatically.
Clothing choices, showering times, and even how much perfume/cologne they wear could all be signs that your significant other doesn’t care about their looks or how they smell anymore.
If one partner has started to show a lack of concern about how clean they are, this could indicate that something is wrong in your marriage! Your spouse might not feel there’s anything attractive left inside them, so don’t see any reason to make an effort with hygiene and dress anymore because it won’t help them get what they want out of life. If that happens, then watch out for other warning signs to follow!!
They have started to show signs of disrespect.
Respect is a huge part of every marriage!
Suppose someone doesn’t care about respecting the other person anymore. In that case, it’s time for them to leave because that means they are no longer interested in being trusted by their significant other or being allowed to feel valued as an individual anymore.
As soon as respect disappears from a relationship (especially if it was once present before!), trust and love will follow shortly behind!!
You try and bring up your marital problems by saying, “we need to talk,” but they brush off this statement as if nothing needs discussing at all (and don’t want to discuss anything).
Suppose your partner keeps brushing off any conversation about potential marital struggles without even wanting to attempt resolving such dilemmas anymore. In that case, it shows that they aren’t interested in trying things out together anymore. If you believe your issues should be addressed, but your spouse simply isn’t seeing it the same way, then watch for other warning signs to appear!
They never want to go out with you anymore.
If they used to love going out on dates with you, but now it seems your spouse would rather stay in and watch TV or hang out by themselves, this could be a sign of trouble ahead for the marriage!
Being social together shows an interest in one another’s lives, so if there isn’t any care shown toward whether things are well with you or not, it might mean that problems are brewing beneath the surface. Keep checking their behaviors to see what happens next!
Conclusion.
Marriage is a big commitment, and there’s no shame in admitting that you need help. If your marriage has been struggling, it may be time to take the first step toward recovery by checking for warning signs of an impending crisis.
The 50 signs we’ve listed can provide some perspective on how healthy or unhealthy your relationship is so you can decide what steps to take next. As you read through this list, think about how many signs apply to your relationship and give you cause for concern.
Do you see any of these warning signs in your marriage? What other red flags have you noticed lately?
It’s important to know that if you do, there is hope. There are many resources available for couples who want help with their relationships and marriages. We hope this article has helped clarify some of the different problems that might arise in a marriage and how to spot them before they get worse!
Meet Marcella Raskin: Founder, Editor-in-Chief, and a Maven in Human Potential
Dive into the rich tapestry of Marcella Raskin’s life and you’ll discover more than just an editor-in-chief. At the core, Marcella is a passionate writer, deeply committed to unlocking the boundless human potential. Armed with expertise in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Life Purpose Coaching, and Group Life Coaching, she’s carved a niche in helping both women and men unearth their true selves through the art of writing. Every article she pens is a gateway, inviting readers to shift mindsets and embrace transformation, even when change seems impossible.
Beyond her literary pursuits, Marcella is a fitness enthusiast, underpinned by her background in Exercise Physiology. And when she’s not empowering others or delving into the science of movement, she’s reveling in the joys of motherhood, raising two incredible girls, and sharing life’s moments with her beloved spouse.
Trust Marcella’s words; they’re backed by expertise, passion, and a journey full of learning and growth.
Reviewed By: Joanna Perez and Brenda Tillman
Edited By: Lenny Terra
Fact Checked By: Matthew Mansour
Photos Taken or Curated By: Matthew Mansour