There are some relationships which seem to be headed towards disaster, and yet the couple involved seems blind to this possibility until it’s all over. Often, these relationships have early warning signs, but those involved, just can’t see the signs until it’s too late. How can you recognise these signs and protect yourself and the ones you love from getting caught up in a destructive relationship?
There are many reasons why you might ignore the signs which tell you that you are in a relationship which you should avoid. Sometimes, you could literally be blinded by love. The emotions and the chemistry you and your partner feel are so overwhelming that they drown out all the other aspects of your relationship.
Sometimes, both of you might feel that you have invested too much in the relationship, been together too long and that you might as well go through with the wedding despite your doubts. In extreme cases, either you or your partner might feel insecure or undeserving about finding a better relationship, and so you both hang on to each other even though you feel that you are not quite as happy as you should be.
# Controlling BehaviourThis aspect of a relationship may creep up on you without you recognising it. Initially, you might feel flattered that your partner is so interested in everything you do and concerned enough to let you know what he or she thinks you should do. However, there is a point when the behaviour moves from concern to control.
Are you finding your partner dictating where you should go, what you should do, how you should dress or whom you should spend time with? It might be overt or it might be couched in needy and manipulative behaviours, but if you feel afraid or hesitant of making everyday decisions that you’ve always made on your own, and if you find you need to seek “permission” from your partner, then you may have a problem.
# Addiction or AbuseThere is no such thing as a “little habit” when it comes to drugs, addiction, gambling or abuse, physical or otherwise. If your partner is always losing money on horses, 4D, mah jong, or frequently blacks out after drinking all night, is taking drugs or has hit or hurt you, you need to get out of the relationship fast. Until and unless your partner has the commitment to seek treatment and really come out of the addictive and abusive behaviours, you cannot have a healthy, positive relationship together. Your partner has no space for an “us” if they cannot be personally responsible for the choices they make for themselves.
# Broken PromisesIt’s true that there will be times when either one of you cannot keep a promise, but this should be an exception and not the rule. It should also be accompanied by an explanation, an advance notice and arrangements to ensure that no-one suffers because of the inability to fulfil the promise. If your partner is constantly breaking promises, then there is a deeper issue around responsibility, reliability and respect for the relationship which you both share.
# InfidelityThere are couples who move beyond infidelity but this is usually due to extreme commitment on both sides, a shared desire to protect the children in the marriage, perhaps an affair that was one time and under unusual circumstances, and much counselling and forgiveness. However, it is fairly common for most people who are unfaithful to be repeat offenders. So, if your partner has “friends with benefits”, or if you’ve found them to be unfaithful, you should take some time to seriously reconsider your relationship. If your partner cannot make an exclusive commitment to you, your partner is not ready to marry you.
# Financial IrresponsibilityLike it or not, after you get married, you will share financial responsibilities with your partner. If your partner does not have the same financial attitudes as you do, this will lead to many disagreements in your marriage. If you have children or buy a home or make any other significant investments, you will want to make sure that you are on the same page in terms of the financial sacrifices and priorities which you will both want to keep to. Pay attention to financial red flags such as: your partner is often out of work, runs up large credit card bills and goes into debt, borrows money for non-investment spend, often spends money on personal “toys” which are expensive and unnecessary and you find yourself always paying the bills for your dates together.
# You Can’t Stand Your Future In-LawsYes, we are talking about a marriage between 2 wonderful people. But you need to know that after marriage, you will have to get along with your future in-laws. If you don’t, your future spouse will always be stuck between you and them and the stress and strain on the marriage will be significant. If you can’t stand your future in-laws and your partner does not understand why you cannot get along, you may need to re-evaluate your ability to become a part of your partner’s life.