Couples tend to enter marriages with great expectations, bringing both their own histories of hurt and unmet needs. The unspoken expectation that your partner will finally love you the way you desire is often a setup for failure. Apathy and contempt are warning signs of divorce, and also red flags that your unhappy marriage needs your attention. And the number one predictor of divorce is conflict avoidance. So if you and your partner avoid conflict and lack the skills of conflict resolution, your marriage may be in jeopardy. Dr. John Gottman, a marriage and family therapist, and a leading researcher on marriage has conducted studies over the span of 40 years to determine the predictors of divorce. His studies show that these six characteristics of communication predict the likelihood of divorce with 91 percent accuracy. If the dynamics in your marriage fit these patterns, your chance of divorce is great. RELATED: 16 Subtle Warning Signs Of Divorce Even The Smartest People Miss
The six signs your marriage is headed toward divorce:
1. You approach a conversation with conflict.
This includes sarcasm, accusations, criticism, or derogatory comments, and all are dangerous for a marriage. Initiating a conversation harshly will likely result in an acrimonious ending without resolution. RELATED: 5 Key Reasons Why Yelling Destroys Love
2. You have what’s known as “the four horsemen.”
Gottman identifies these as contempt, criticism, defensiveness, and stonewalling. His research shows a correlation between these characteristics of communication with your spouse drastically increases the likelihood to divorce.
3. You overwhelm each other with negativity.
This causes an emotional shut-down and detachment from your relationship. When you or your partner suddenly barrages the other with criticism or contempt leaving the other feeling shell-shocked, this results in disengagement and often, over time, leads to contempt. RELATED: 8 Revealing Questions To Ask Yourself If You Think You Want A Divorce (& What To Do Next)
4. You have a physiological response to your conflicts.
When one or both partners become overwhelmed and flooded, it results in physiological changes in the body. Increased heart rate, secretion of adrenaline, and an increase in blood pressure occur, and these physiological responses preclude the ability to effectively resolve conflict. Flooding triggers a fight or flight response, resulting in disengagement and/or stonewalling by your partner.
5. You’ve tried multiple times to solve issues.
If conflict isn’t resolved or is stonewalled by one partner, the likelihood of divorce increases. Conflict resolution is imperative in maintaining a healthy relationship. Stonewalling is the lack of willingness to engage in conversation and resolution around a conflict. RELATED: A Simple Way To Get Rid Of (Almost) All Of Your Problems
6. You let your conflicts rewrite your positive memories.
Couples who get stuck viewing their relationship through a negative lens end up rewriting history that’s often distorted. This extreme negative outlook impacts the historical, present, and future perception of the relationship and contributes to the demise of a marriage. Dick Schwartz, another leading marriage and family therapist, says that marriage is often a setup for failure from the start because of the expectation that your mate will be your “redeemer” and fulfill all your unmet needs. This expectation inevitably results in disappointment and discord. No partner can fulfill and redeem another. One must first learn how to lead from the self so he/she is able to connect with his/her own natural ability for caring, compassion, and courage. By identifying and working with your own hurting parts, you’re able to connect with yourself and become more “self-led.” The ability to be in “self-leadership” will allow you to avoid the expectation of your partner to fulfill your unmet needs and therefore remove the constant let-down you experience when your partner doesn’t. In turn, this will set the stage for resolving conflict in such a way that each partner feels heard and understood. RELATED: 10 Brutally Honest Signs Your Marriage Is Flat-Out Over Leslie Petruk is a Child & Family Therapist, Board Certified Coach, and Parenting Expert. She has worked with children, couples, and families to help them lead more connected and compassionate lives for over twenty years.
