All married couples fight. Conflicts are a natural part of any relationship. What distinguishes a healthy relationship from an unhealthy one is not the presence of conflict, but how these conflicts are resolved. If you find yourself screaming at your partner or calling him or her names during your disagreements, or if you find yourself bottling up your feelings in an effort to avoid a conflict with your spouse, you are not in a healthy relationship.
For a couple in an unhealthy marriage, there are two options: nurse the marriage back to health by changing how they interact or ending the marriage through a divorce.
If you are constantly in conflict with your partner but you are not sure if divorce is right for you, consider attempting to save the marriage through one or more of the following strategies. Afterward, you might find that your marriage is stronger than ever before.
Seek Marriage Counseling
Marriage counseling is a specific type of psychological counseling that is meant to help couples work through their conflicts and develop healthy communication habits. During your counseling sessions, you and your spouse will work with a licensed counselor to determine how to fix the problems in your relationship. Then, you will try to fix these problems through techniques like talk and behavioral therapy. If your partner refuses to attend marriage counseling with you, go alone. There is a lot you can learn from a solo counseling session and after you have attended one, your partner might be more willing to attend a session with you.
Determine Your Issues
Chances are, there is one glaring issue from which all of your conflicts stem. This issue might be your financial well being, your career path or your partner’s career path, your children, or your relationships with others. During your counseling sessions, you will determine what is causing the rift in your marriage. If you cannot determine where your problems as a couple start, you cannot overcome them.
Fix What is Causing Your Stress
Once you have determined the root issues in your marriage, work with your marriage counselor to fix them. You might need a tighter household budget or a realignment of household responsibilities. Work out strategies to make changes in your marriage and stick to them. Remember, the conflicts that tear marriages apart cannot be resolved instantly. You and your partner both need to be willing to invest your time and energy into rebuilding your marriage by changing how you communicate and how you operate.
Work with a La Crosse Divorce Attorney
If you are having problems in your marriage, consider working with your spouse to resolve your issues before you decide if you need to get divorced. But if you cannot work through the issues in your marriage, a divorce can be the healthiest option for both you and your partner. Learn more about the divorce process by working with an experienced divorce and family attorney from Moen Sheehan Meyer, Ltd. Contact our firm today to schedule your initial legal consultation with us.