Many marriages run well past their sell-by date. While keeping it together for the kids or to avoid upsetting an aging parent is often seen as honorable, it is unlikely to benefit you or your spouse.
When things are not working out, they can soon go from bad to worse if left unchecked. Divorce is not necessarily your first option. Therapy, counseling, or just talking to each other can often sort out marital issues, and couples who do this may well stay married until the end. Yet, in many cases, divorce is the only viable solution.
Here are a few hints it might be time to move on:
Your marriage has become violent
Not all violence is physical. Some spouses can terrorize their partners with mind games. If you are starting to doubt yourself or feel no one else could ever love you, it is a sign you are in a dangerous situation.
Try thinking back to how things were before you married. If you used to have lots of friends and now have none, consider why it stopped. Isolating you may be a tactic to control you.
You feel depressed
We all get the blues occasionally. Yet, if it is becoming a regular occurrence or lasts for days at a time, you might be looking at depression. While doctors can issue you medication to cope with it, often, it is better to tackle the cause. Many things can cause depression, including a marriage that no longer functions.
You no longer care
When you get to the stage where you can no longer be bothered to raise issues that need raising, consider why this is. Have you given up hope in the marriage entirely?
If any of these signs sound similar, think carefully about your next move. Divorce is never easy, but in the long run, it may be easier than continuing as you are.