9 Reasons why People Stay in an Unhappy Marriage by apnahumsafar.com 01814640041
The following are nine reasons that people choose -either consciously or unconsciously u2013 to stay in an unhappy marriage: by apnahumsafar.com 1 u2013 They Are Afraid to Be Alone At some level, most of us harbor a fear of being alone. We crave love, acceptance and companionship. And so even if a marriage is miserable, it may seem preferable to stay with the devil you know that risk being alone and unable to find someone new.This becomes especially true with longer-term marriages. After spending years or decades together, you may have become dependent upon your partner for certain things and the thought of not having them to depend on becomes daunting. If the marriage is more unfulfilling than actively agonizing, the risk of this trade-off may not seem worth it. Furthermore, if the marriage is founded on an anxious attachment style, the act of grasping becomes more important that who youu2019re holding on to. 2 u2013 For the Sake of the Family It is not uncommon for couples to elect to stay together for the sake of the children. Whether to avoid the emotional upheaval of divorce on the family or to maintain the family structure, the childrenu2019s needs are placed before the happiness of the couple. Sometimes this is permanent and other times it simply delays the decision to split until the children have grown. This motivation can extend beyond the children. Sometimes people cannot bear the thought of losing the connection with their extended family, which has taken them in as one of their own. A divorce impacts far more people than simply the two who exchanged the vows. And sometimes we choose to put the well-being of others ahead of our own. 3 u2013 To Maintain a Lifestyle We are familiar with the idea of an unhappy marriage that is sustained on life support so that one or both of the partners doesnu2019t have to face a change in financial status. Yet that is not the only reason that marriages are maintained to avoid a shift in lifestyle. If both people are content with the entirety of their lives u2013 home, extended family, friends, jobs, etc. u2013 save for their marriage, they may reach the decision that they are willing to sacrifice a happy marriage for a happy life. And there is truth that divorce often brings a dramatic change in financial and social status that may never be fully recouped. And for some, the trade-off of staying unhappily married becomes an intentional trade-off. 4 u2013 Because of Religious or Cultural Beliefs For some, the decision to divorce means also divorcing themselves from the beliefs that have been instilled in them since childhood. Divorce may be perceived as sin no matter the circumstances or the dissolution of a marriage may bring immeasurable shame to a family. In these situations, divorce may be more painful than staying in an unhappy marriage. Divorce means a decision to deny your core beliefs and risks being ostracized from your family or community. So as long as the marriage is not an abusive one, staying may be the better choice. 5 u2013 Inertia or Habit We are creatures of habit. All too easily, we do what we have always done, resisting change and bemoaning the effort inherent in forging a new path. We become accustomed to our surroundings, even when they are detrimental. Once seated, we have a tendency to stay. For many in an unhappy marriage, they may not even be consciously aware that they are in a bad marriage. They are simply sleepwalking through life, acting without thought and reacting out of routine. Those that are on automatic pilot stay in their marriages, not out of intention, but out of inattention. 6 u2013 Fear of Judgment Those that choose to divorce definitely face judgment from others. We may be viewed as weak, impulsive or unwilling to put in the hard work and persevere. If youu2019re concerned about the negative response from others, you may choose to stay quietly unhappy than risk the public humiliation. We not only fear the judgment of others, we also want to avoid self-judgment when we believe that we have failed. Few of us go into marriage with the thought of divorce on our minds. And it can be difficult to admit that we make a mistake u2013 either in our choice of mate or in how we treated them once married. And so sometimes, it seems safer to stay in denial. 7 u2013 A Belief They Cannot Do Any Better When you struggle to love yourself, you struggle to understand what you deserve. And if youu2019re in an unhappy marriage where your partner consistently dismisses or belittles you, this insecurity will only grow. Sometimes we stay in a bad situation because we believe that we deserve to be unhappy or perhaps even punished for some perceived wrongdoing or shortcoming. And that becomes even more true when we listen to our partneru2019s voice more than we trust our own. 8 u2013 Because They Donu2019t Want to Cause Pain One of the hardest things in life is to look into the face of someone you care about as you tell them something that will cause them pain. And itu2019s even harder if youu2019re the source of the pain. Sometimes people stay in an unhappy marriage because they would rather take the pain upon themselves than to transfer it to another. 9 u2013 A Fear of Retaliation One of the saddest reasons that some elect to stay in an unhappy marriage is that they fear the retaliation of their spouse if they choose to end the marriage. Perhaps the spouse has threatened to withhold financial support, isolate the other parent from the children or even suggested bodily harm. No matter the threat, it is a type of marital terrorism used to imprison the other. If this is your situation, please seek guidance before you assume that you are stuck. Ultimately, the decision if u2013 and when u2013 to end a marriage is a highly personal choice. If youu2019re struggling with that decision, here are 9 questions to ask yourself.
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