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2nd February 2025
05:16pm GMT
A relationship expert has revealed the one clear sign that indicates the end for most couples.
Many wonder whether or not it's possible to see the end of a relationship coming, especially considering the worst part of most break-ups is the shock of it ending.
More often than not, one party doesn't see the end coming, and the heartbreak that follows is often brought about by the feeling of getting caught off guard and having the rug swept from under you.
In a Reddit thread titled: "What screams 'we are not going to last long' for couples?'", users discussed the point in a relationship where there's no going back.
One person shared an insight they received from a marriage counsellor, and it was voted by many of the other users in the thread as the most accurate answer.
"I was at a party one time and there was a marriage counsellor there that had been working for 20-something years in couples counselling," they wrote. "I asked her what the number one sign was that the couple wasn't going to make it.
"Without hesitating, she said, 'If one person shows contempt for the other's feelings, it's over!'"
Contempt in a relationship typically comes in the form of a person mocking their partner, speaking to them with condescension, or using sarcasm for cruelty.
Another commented: "The way they speak to each other when they’re not alone.
The user wrote: "I noticed this after my divorce and I started dating again, because you speak to these new people with a lot of respect and kindness. Then we’d get around married couples and they’d saw awful things to each other in nasty snappy tones, and it was jarring.
"Fast forward ten years and all those couples I noticed doing that are divorced now."
Jeff Guenther - a marriage and family therapist with 2.8 million followers on TikTok - shared five major problems that couples may find impossible to work through.
@therapyjeff 5 ways to figure out if you’re tolerating too many flaws in your partner. #relationshiptips #datingadvice #therapytok #mentalhealth #dating #relationshipgoals ♬ original sound - TherapyJeff
The first one he highlights is if a couple starts neglecting the little things in the relationship - like flirting or giving each other compliments.
Dr Guenther says that this 'creates a significant gap' between you that can be difficult to mend.
Another is constantly finding yourself arguing over the same things.
Guenther cites growing apart and craving independence as more signs your relationship could be coming to an end.
Lastly, if one person starts to develop feelings for someone else, that’s usually a sure fire indicator that things are over.
"The redirection of affection for someone else renders the task of mending the original relationship extremely difficult, if not impossible," he added.
