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It’s frightening to face up to the possibility that you and your partner may no longer have a future together but until you are honest with yourself about your doubts, you will be stuck in limbo, unable to move onto either the road to relationship recovery – or to separation.
Recognising the signs
So what are some of the symptoms of a broken relationship? The warning signs include:
- Feeling lonely and unable to talk to your partner
- Sex and intimacy not being what it used to be, or feeling awkward
- Experiencing boredom and loneliness
- Avoiding making future plans; talking and thinking about the future in terms of ‘I’ rather than ‘we’
- One or both of you looking at other people
- A pattern of violence (including emotional)
In the latter case, where an unhappy relationship has become an abusive one, it is important to be aware of the provision for domestic violence victims in your country/local area. There is often a dedicated domestic violence team you can call for help and guidance and, of course, the emergency services.
Fixing it or ending your relationship?
Relationship trained therapists at the Acton-Coles Psychology and Counselling Clinics offer two programmes specially tailored to either help you and your partner repair your relationship or to end it healthily.
If you need to end your relationship, we will address all important issues including money/assets, making sure any children are OK and that each of you understand each other clearly. Ending a relationship in a healthy way, resolving guilt and resentment happens within a five-session programme.
Repairing a relationship will usually be managed during a twelve-session program in which you will explore how your relationship used to be, what is wrong with it now, what doesn’t work anymore and the key components that you need to bring back, including:
- Trust
- Hope
- Commitment
After completing either programme, one or both of you can opt to continue therapy on an individual basis.
Acknowledging that your relationship may be over is a big step to take but, by making it real, you will be a step closer to resolution.
If things are really difficult it can be just as effective for you to come along without your partner. The absolute worst decision if you are in this bind is to do nothing.
Click here for another of my articles on relationship rehab.