20 Signs Your Relationship Might Be Over, According to Couples Therapists
1. If you fight all the time
When a relationship is not going well, it can be difficult for partners to find the common ground and sense of connection that once existed. As a result, fights can become more frequent and heated. These fights are often a symptom of underlying issues.
2. If you are too indifferent to fight
Fighting too much, and not even being too lazy to fight, are signs that your relationship is no longer what it used to be. If one or both parties do not see their relationship as something worth fighting for, and if they avoid fighting, the relationship is usually over.
3. If one (or both) of you doesn't want help
Seeking professional help, whether for individual or couples therapy, can help heal some of the cracks in a relationship. A partner who chooses not to go to therapy or seek help is apathetic toward their relationship, especially if their partner is not willing to do so despite their wishes.
4. You always feel like you need a break
Relationships should be fulfilling, supportive, and at the very least, enjoyable! A relationship where both parties feel the need to take frequent breaks and get away from each other is a relationship that is on the brink of failure.
5. If you dream of being single
In addition to wanting a break, you may also fantasize about being single if your relationship isn’t what you want it to be. If you occasionally fantasize about a life without your partner, it’s safe to say that this relationship isn’t fulfilling for you.
6. If there is a lack of closeness
It is natural for couples to experience ups and downs in their sexual lives. However, if your closeness has decreased significantly and you are not trying to “work on it, create communication that will strengthen the bond between you, then you are not prioritizing it. Sexuality, physical closeness is not just a physical satisfaction, but also a situation that helps create a bond of intimacy between couples. If this distance increases and you do not care about it, it is a sign that you are no longer looking to each other for pleasure and intimacy.
7. If you stopped helping each other
Healthy relationships are not only supportive, they also involve compromise and sometimes making sacrifices to help each other. So, another sign that your relationship is going south is not wanting to make sacrifices to support or meet your partner’s needs or wants.
8. If there is sabotage involved
If one or both partners want to end things but don't know how, they may try to sabotage the relationship. This sabotage may manifest itself in the form of a clear change in behavior, expectations that are no longer met, constant mistakes, and a lack of remorse for mistakes.
9. If you avoid each other
Another sign of a failing relationship is when both parties avoid spending time together, prioritizing other activities or friendships over their relationship. Spending time alone is very important in relationships, but when it gets to the point of neglecting the relationship, there is a problem.
10. If you can't imagine the future together
A big part of a lasting relationship is being able to plan for the future and be excited about building a future together. When the partners in a relationship can no longer imagine the future together, when they can no longer see each other in future plans, when their ideas are not compatible, that lasting component disappears.
11. If you don't want to bring your partner together with your loved ones
Think back to a time when the two of you were happy together. You were probably proud, excited, and eager to have your partner around with your friends and family. When a relationship starts to crumble, you probably don't want to see your partner around.
12. If you want different things
This can often be the first downfall of a relationship, as you realize that you both want different things that are non-negotiable. For example, one of you may want children and the other may not, or one of you may want to leave town and the other loves it where they are. True love is about compromising on things and finding common ground. You don't want to compromise if the special bond between you has been broken.
13. If you feel angry
As problems within the relationship begin to build, and even if you communicate about the problems, resentment can continue to grow. It is never a good sign when partners in a relationship despise each other.
14. If you don't miss him when you're apart
Personal space and alone time are very important in relationships. However, the best part of spending time alone is finally being reunited with the person you love. If you like the time you spend alone or away from your partner more and don't miss them during this time, it may be that your relationship is about to end.
15. If his/her existence consumes you
Couples should bring each other joy and happiness, not boredom. When a person feels emotionally and physically drained by their partner for a long period of time, it is a sign that the relationship is over or should be over.
16. You don't support each other or celebrate wins
When you feel bad or when there is a special event to celebrate in your life, you expect your partner to be there for you and to support you under all circumstances. This support situation is a very important step in the bond of trust in relationships. If your partner is not there for you or you are not there for him/her in times of difficulty or happiness, your relationship is in great trouble.
17. If you treat each other badly
We are not talking about occasionally getting angry, upset or even fighting with each other. We are talking about general bad behavior. In a relationship, the parties should respect each other. If this respect is lost, feelings such as lack of affection, bad behavior and contempt will emerge, which will prepare the way for the end of a relationship.
18. If there is a lack of trust
Perhaps some of the problems in the relationship stemmed from cheating or lying. If this is the case and you are both willing to fix it, it is possible to repair it with professional help. However, if the parties cannot compensate for the distrust they have caused each other and cannot rebuild trust, it will be very difficult to continue the relationship.
19. Everything they do bothers you
This is a core issue that is related to many of the other signs above, like constant fighting, exhaustion, and feeling angry. If you feel inexplicably angry even when your partner is breathing hard, something is definitely wrong.
20. If the relationship feels hopeless
When there is no hope that things will ever get better in a relationship, it is a clear sign that it is probably over. In order for two people to resolve their issues, both of them have to be willing and able to work on it. If one or both of you think it is not possible, it will never happen.