How to save a family on the verge of divorce: practical advice from a psychologist


Any happy marriage can be overtaken by various kinds of crises and difficulties; few people are ready for them and know how to solve them in a way that is environmentally friendly for the relationship and each of the partners. One of the ways to solve difficulties in a couple is divorce.

When it comes to divorce, couples have several main tendencies:

  1. Some want to get a divorce as soon as possible and do not intend to find out anything.
  2. The latter want to find a solution and save the family.
  3. In the third case, one of the spouses wants a divorce, and the second wants to save the family, this also happens.

Thoughts about divorce can appear for many reasons: the birth of a child, an unstable financial situation, fading feelings, etc.

But it happens that instead of divorce, people suddenly remember all the good things that happened and decide to try to save the relationship.

But you should understand that if thoughts about divorce appear in a relationship, this is definitely a reason to think about what is happening in the relationship and how it can or cannot be changed!

Marriage is the mutual movement of both partners towards each other, the solution of joint issues and tasks. The same movement will be the way to preserve the family if the partners decide to save the marriage.

Divorce is one of the quickest, but most difficult and not always suitable decisions for a couple; this decision arises at the time of interpersonal problems.

Today we will talk about possible ways to deal with the difficulties that have arisen in relationships and solutions if a couple does not want to get a divorce, but does not see any other way besides divorce.

To save a marriage, sometimes the desire of each partner to try to save the family is enough, even if the application for divorce has already been written!

Why do people get divorced

The husband and wife need to figure it out and understand why they want to separate. The investigation should begin by looking for the reasons. Although every couple is unique, problems in relationships always develop according to similar scenarios and have similar causes:

  • Cheating is the most common reason for breakups, even among loving couples. The pain of betrayal is so strong that many are unable to overcome it and move on.
  • Frequent conflicts and quarrels are another factor that can lead to thoughts of separation. A favorable atmosphere in the family is the main condition for happiness and mutual understanding in a relationship.

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  • Alcoholism and other types of addictions also lead to separation. An unhealthy hobby of one of the spouses affects not only the relationship, but also the quality of life. Addiction destroys all areas of life.
  • Lack of understanding of what is happening in relationships and lack of knowledge about how they can be restored. Due to the fact that the spouses do not see it possible to correct on their own what does not satisfy them, they decide to break the connection. But this is not a solution, because without understanding what is happening, you can encounter the same problem in future relationships.
  • Lying destroys mutual trust - the foundation of a happy marriage. Divorce can be delayed for a long time, but it will still happen sooner or later, because deception does not provide the opportunity to get closer and be happy.
  • The discrepancy between life goals is the reason why there is no point in working to restore feelings. For example, if one partner wants children and a house outside the city, and the second wants to devote his life to travel, then a full-fledged family will not work.
  • In the case of protracted financial or housing problems, relationships can also collapse. If the spouses are unable to agree and reach a compromise, a breakup is the only way to improve the situation.
  • A popular reason for divorce is cooling of feelings, lack of mutual sympathy. For example, dramatic changes in the appearance of one of the spouses.
  • Often, separation is the result of long-term dissatisfaction with sex life. Passion leaves the relationship, so partners no longer want intimacy.
  • Excessive interference in a marriage by relatives, such as parents-in-law, is a common cause of divorce, especially if the spouses live together.
  • Lack of attention to each other, too different interests and hobbies lead to cooling and loss of love. As a result, divorce becomes only a factual confirmation of the lack of real intimacy.
  • Dissatisfaction and disappointment in relationships due to inconsistency in everyday habits, views on raising children and other disagreements in which it is not possible to reach a compromise is another factor that provokes separation.

After discovering the root causes of a protracted crisis, you can understand how to restore a relationship on the verge of divorce. This will help you find the right direction and develop your plan to save your marriage.

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How to talk to your husband about breaking up calmly and without hysterics

A family on the verge of divorce: 7 challenges in relationships that will lead to love

It will take a lot of time to experience the true feeling called love. Not all couples achieve this revelation; some get stuck halfway, while others even break off the relationship without ever experiencing this happiness. Let us arm ourselves with the knowledge of the laws of love, and they will help us pass tests and experience true feeling.

  1. The first stage is falling in love. The state of euphoria, butterflies in the stomach, in a word - chemistry. Lasts from a month to a year. At this stage, lovers tend to idealize each other: she is a goddess, he is the one and only. Well, enjoy the moment, go for it. Get to know each other better, find out if your views on life coincide. Just don't make plans for the future.
  2. The second test is satiety. At this stage, lovers begin to take a closer look at each other. Some of the partner's shortcomings are already visible. The need to constantly be nearby disappears, selfishness manifests itself. Resentment and irritation accumulate. We take a closer look at each other, study habits, surroundings, notice shortcomings. You like each other and begin to behave naturally. We defend interests, but very delicately. Lasts up to one year. Grinding occurs. Couples gain experience in various life situations, learn to make decisions together and cope with assigned tasks.
  3. The third test is rejection. All the positive aspects are forgotten, the emphasis is placed on each other’s shortcomings, and claims are made. “Where my eyes were looking!”, “Mom told me!” and so on. Sex becomes a formality or is absent altogether. Every couple goes through this stage, but not everyone remains a couple in the end. Look for compromises, eliminate conflicts. Respect each other. Remember the period of falling in love.
  4. The fourth period is acceptance. Common ground is found, the understanding comes that you both feel good, and feelings are reborn. Problems are solved together. You are truly dear to each other. Traditions appear. Your motto: patience and tact.
  5. The fifth test is service. Dedication stage. I want to do everything to please my partner. Gratitude, respect and tenderness are experienced. At this stage, it is important to revive romantic relationships, experiment, look for new things, make surprises.
  6. The sixth period is intimacy. There is complete trust in each other. Secrets, intrigues, provocations are a thing of the past. Spiritual intimacy ensues. Don't stop surprising each other, look for new sensations.
  7. The final stage of a relationship is love. Spouses, as one whole, understand each other without words. A true feeling is born, which is not afraid of any tests.

If one spouse wants a divorce

Regardless of who initiates the separation, if one of the partners wants a divorce, the other is not able to do anything alone. To restore harmony, joint efforts and mutual desire are needed. But not everything is so hopeless. The partner who wants to save the marriage has the opportunity to influence the situation. The advice of a psychologist will help him with this:

  • it is necessary to begin constructive communication;
  • you should find out why the partner initiates the divorce;
  • It is important to say about your readiness to change, to make the relationship better.

You can involve a family therapist in working on relationships. Even if it is not possible to save the marriage, psychotherapy will make the separation less painful and will also help to avoid a repetition of the situation in the future.

Tips for women

Family is a huge value for women, so they are often ready to make concessions to avoid divorce. It is possible to influence your spouse’s decision; to do this, you need to take several steps:

  1. Take care of your external attractiveness.
  2. Try to rekindle the extinguished fire of feelings.
  3. Do not impose, give the man the opportunity to analyze and make decisions on his own.
  4. It’s worth whetting your husband’s interest and making him fall in love again.
  5. It is important to forget about claims and criticism.
  6. You need to start paying more attention to your relationship and your spouse so that he feels valued and important in a woman’s life.

It is a woman who is able to create the most favorable emotional atmosphere in a marriage, so her actions will not remain without results. But if the spouse has already made the final decision, it will be extremely difficult to convince him. In such a situation, there is no question of choice - to get a divorce or save the family, because the partner does not want it.

Tips for men

If a wife wants a divorce, and a man wants to save the family, he is also able to influence his wife’s decision. Overcoming problems in a marriage is the responsibility of two, but the husband is able to change what he can. Here's what a man can do to protect his family from divorce:

  • find out what exactly does not suit your spouse;
  • give her more attention;
  • make her feel loved and valued;
  • give her what she lacks.

You can do something alone so that a family on the verge of divorce does not fall apart. If the wife notices positive changes in the man, she may reconsider her decision.

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How to stop being nervous after a breakup if you have children together?


How to stop being nervous after a breakup if you have children together? Be sure that the younger generation will understand without words that living together with your partner will not bring anything good in the future.

There is no point in hushing up the event, but turning children against their father (mother) is not a noble thing to do. Your other half has proven to be a bad wife (husband), but as a parent this person can be impeccable.

When the emotional storms “subside”, agree with your other half on how you will take care of the children in the future. If it still hurts you to see your partner, then try to keep his or her meetings with your son or daughter out of your sight.

If both want to save the relationship

A protracted crisis is easier to overcome if the couple starts working on it together. You can save a marriage when both husband and wife want it, as follows:

  • start spending more time together;
  • pay attention to each other;
  • restore romance, arrange surprises for each other, go on dates;
  • join forces to solve everyday problems;
  • agree to discuss any problems and not be offended;
  • stop criticizing each other, changing the pretentious tone to a constructive style of communication;
  • find common interests and common ground;
  • eliminate routine and boredom from relationships;
  • harmonize sex life.

When two people are working on a relationship, it is important to learn to reach a compromise. These are solutions that do not completely satisfy anyone, but are the arithmetic average. The ability to give in is the basis on which you can build a happy marriage, even if the family is already on the verge of divorce.

Lack of attention

The couple's busy schedule leads to shifting priorities. Spouses get so bogged down in solving everyday problems that they stop being interested in each other and forget about basic signs of attention. If a wife and husband want to save the family, then it is worth reconsidering their attitude towards marriage. To do this you do not need to have any specific knowledge or skills.

It's simple - you can make your tired wife her favorite tea and help with housework. The wife may begin to become more interested in her husband's affairs and offer support and care. Elementary simple signs of attention in everyday life can save a marriage on the verge of divorce and even make it happier.

Extra control

Married relationships should be close, but without violating personal boundaries. If a husband or wife wants to divorce, the family can be saved by changing the attitude towards the partner’s personal boundaries. Excessive control is a sign of a trust deficit and low self-esteem. It is possible to eliminate this negative factor - you need to start working on developing trust and increasing self-esteem.

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The biggest mistakes in conflicts

The most serious mistakes in conflicts are those that lead to a decrease in the partner’s self-esteem. Those words and actions that put pressure on his weak point. Remember, anything that lowers your partner’s self-esteem destroys your relationship.

A person’s self-esteem can be lowered by:

1. Referral to third parties. You are like your mom (dad).

2. Depreciation. Words: in general, never, you can’t do anything, you don’t know how, it’s absolutely impossible with you, you’re not capable of anything, you’ve never been able to, you always do everything wrong, you’re the same as always, everything is clear with you, you never. By uttering such sharply devaluing, radical words, you indicate that the person has made an extremely serious mistake, and at the same time you leave him no room for maneuver. This immediately sharply lowers self-esteem and does not allow him to turn around; with these words you pour concrete into him. It is impossible to hope that there will be no conflict after this.


3. Avoidance and avoidance of conversation also negatively affect the partner’s self-esteem. You do not allow him to speak out, be heard and solve the problem together. You deprive him of room for maneuver with the words: well, okay, okay, okay, I understand you, we’ll figure it out, we’ll see, okay. Words that allow you to avoid conversation and at the same time can offend, hurt, or infringe on your partner.

4. Disagreement. It is clear that the conflict itself is a consequence of disagreement, and if it arose, it was precisely because of a difference in opinions. But actively demonstrating your complete disagreement is an indicator that you are on the opposing team and have no intention of joining. Your partner, when faced with your “no,” either avoids or becomes irritated and attacks.

What not to do

All efforts aimed at avoiding a divorce from his wife and protecting his family can be annulled by mistakes made in the process. If the husband wants to save the family, you should not shift responsibility for problems in the marriage only to him. It’s the same with a spouse—in an unhappy marriage, there is no one person to blame, both partners are responsible. There are other mistakes that can provoke a deterioration in relationships and speed up divorce:

  • silencing complaints, unwillingness to speak openly about them;
  • unwillingness to give in or compromise;
  • mutual reproaches and complaints instead of a constructive search for solutions to problems;
  • reluctance to take the initiative in reconciliation.

Relationships cannot always be restored. You need to be able to understand when everything is over and stop in time, without wasting your emotional resources on futile attempts.

Advice from a psychologist: is the family worth saving for the sake of the child?

You honestly analyzed your relationship, weighed all the pros and cons, and discovered that, except for the child, you have nothing in common. Yes, it is good when a baby lives in a complete family, but this is not all that is required for his full development. Why saving a family for the sake of a child is not worth it:

  1. In a family where there is no love, an atmosphere of hostility or indifference reigns. Even if parents do not show their emotions in front of their child, there is still a spirit of pretense and deception in the air. And this is a model of behavior that the child absorbs like a sponge and will apply it in his family. Moreover, without having before your eyes an example of a real relationship, the presented behavior will be considered as the norm.
  2. Divorce of parents is certainly a shock for a child. But this is a one-time event. It is much worse if the baby is involved in an endless showdown.
  3. For children, the meaning of the word “marriage” is unclear; for them it is important to have a mother and father. Even if they are divorced, but both are happy, they will give more to their child than tolerating each other in an unhappy marriage.
  4. Over time, you will begin to reproach the child, saying that I dedicated my whole life to you, and you...

Living with guilt is a big burden. When deciding to save your marriage, do it for yourself and your happiness.

Stages of relationship restoration

When starting to work on relationships, you need to develop an effective strategy. Consistency and taking into account all the nuances will help bring love back into the family and avoid divorce:

  1. Someone has to take the first step, so the change starts with yourself. Seeing a positive example, the second partner will also begin to advance in development.
  2. It is important to decide on the vision of happiness in marriage. When you realize what it should be, you can direct your efforts towards creating the relationship of your dreams.
  3. Next you need to tackle conflict resolution. They cannot be suppressed, hidden or avoided. Constructive communication and clarification of relationships will help identify marriage problems and eliminate them.
  4. It is important to be positive and create a favorable atmosphere. You can change the environment, for example, unwind on a joint vacation, or simply harmonize the emotional background.

Going through these stages in a relationship, partners will become closer, gradually eliminating all the shortcomings in the marriage. This does not mean that quarrels and conflicts will completely disappear from the family; on the contrary, they will be present, but will no longer be able to have a destructive influence on the relationship.

How to save a family?

It is difficult to determine which of the reasons becomes the starting point for the collapse of a marriage. There may be several reasons. Answer to the question: “Is it worth saving a falling apart marriage?” each person can only give himself. But efforts to save him should be made by both spouses.


The initiative, as a rule, comes from the woman. It is no coincidence that she is called the keeper of the hearth.

Actions to save relationships must be thoughtful. Try to look at the situation from the outside, exclude screams, scandals, stormy scenes to sort things out. Make an informed decision: to be or not to be your marriage union. If there is love, children, you have a lot in common, of course, such a family simply needs to be preserved. If she remains tired of unsuccessful relationships, life with her spouse becomes unbearable, then think: is it worth saving such a marriage?

If you decide to save your family, follow the advice given here from professional family psychologists:

  • You need to tell yourself: “Stop!” Stop scandals and showdowns. Forget about betrayal, hurtful words, ugly actions. Moreover, do not remember how other men offended you. Don't compare your husband with other men. Don't try to take revenge. Try to sincerely forgive your partner. It is very difficult. But this must be done if you want your couple not to break up.
  • Start talking. Not to sort things out, but to talk. Try to avoid the topic of divorce. Don't try to figure out who is right and who is wrong. Find a common topic for conversation: children’s studies, shopping, relatives’ problems. Discussing an issue that interests your spouse will bring you closer.
  • Don't make spontaneous decisions. Speak and act only thoughtfully. Remember that the situation is tense to the limit and any word spoken in the heat of the moment can negate all your efforts to save family relationships.
  • Don't isolate yourself. Remember: your husband, just like you, worries about the fate of the marriage. The “I’m not talking to you” attitude is not the best way to save a marriage. Listen to your spouse, try to understand and take into account his possibly fair claims.

This terrible word is treason

Betrayal by one of the partners is an objective reason for divorce. There is no point in thinking about how you can save a marriage from divorce under such conditions:

  • the spouse continues the relationship on the side and does not plan to end it;
  • there has been no love and mutual respect in the family for a long time;
  • the spouses do not want to continue the relationship.

But if the deceived party has the strength to forgive, and the cheating partner is ready to correct himself, then everything can be restored. To avoid rupture you need to do the following:

  • start with forgiveness;
  • work to restore trust;
  • find out the reasons for the betrayal;
  • eliminate them.

The betrayal of spouses is driven by dissatisfaction with family relationships. We need to look deeper for the reasons and begin to work through all problematic areas of family life in order to avoid a repetition of the situation in the future.

Looking for a replacement for your loved one is not an option

What depresses partners most after a divorce? Most people claim that they are worried about whether they will be able to arrange their personal life after what happened?

How in demand will they be among the opposite sex? Therefore, many believe that “they knock out a wedge with a wedge.” They try to immediately find another partner.


Looking for a replacement for your loved one is not an option

Psychologists emphasize that this is a grave mistake. All “surrogates” trying to fill the place of the former chosen one (chosen one) provide only temporary relief. Disappointment and even greater bitterness may follow.

Advice: Give yourself time to calm down. As the sages say: “In silence, even troubled waters settle.”

What will be more effective for you - peace or, on the contrary, involvement in the vibrant activities of public life - is up to you to decide. First, let's try to understand how to soften the acute period of the gap.

General recommendations: how to prevent divorce

A marriage doesn’t fall apart overnight, and if you work on your relationship regularly, you will be able to avoid separation. Here's how you can get your relationship back on track with your wife:

  • you need to talk more often and not avoid problematic topics;
  • it is important to learn how to conflict;
  • it is necessary to value each other’s personal boundaries;
  • it is worth diversifying family life, refreshing emotions;
  • need to take a break from each other.

Love is not always a solid foundation for a relationship. To prevent a family from falling apart, you need to put in a lot of daily work, patience, respect and understanding of each other’s needs. This is the only way to prevent divorce and build a happy relationship.

Conflict leading to development

A relationship without any conflict is most likely a relationship without love. Conflicts are also necessary, they must exist, at least 10% must be negative in the family, because it is thanks to these ten percent that everything else that is positive is valued. The main thing is not to catastrophize what is happening, not to generalize shortcomings, not to criticize a person, not to make the person himself bad and guilty in a conflict. Don't lower his self-esteem.


So, how to improve relations with your husband on the verge of a crisis in family relations? Talk about what is happening to you, how you feel, why exactly you are unhappy, what doesn’t suit you and what you would like. Don't criticize your partner, don't criticize his personality. Do not attribute to him as a person his actions, his behavior. Talk about yourself, your own feelings and wishes. Learn from these conversations to recognize yourself and your desires. Open up to yourself and your partner, pull out internal dissatisfaction in the form of a story about yourself, and not in the form of accusations, and then you will significantly increase the likelihood of a positive outcome.

When divorce is the only option

In some circumstances, you shouldn't even try to save the relationship. Divorce is the only possible scenario.

  1. The partner uses physical force and is aggressive. Beats does not mean loves. If you want to maintain your physical and mental health, end your marriage as early as possible.
  2. One of the spouses suffers from addiction. It is impossible to cure an alcoholic, drug addict, or gambling addict without his desire. You will spend strength, energy, health, time on salvation, but you may not see the result.
  3. Different views on fundamental issues. If your partner does not want to have children, and this is very important to you, then you should not expect him to change his mind. It is likely that this may not happen, and you will lose valuable time. This applies only to fundamental and vital issues; getting divorced because of different food preferences is not worth it, look for compromises.

Where has the love gone?

When there are a lot of conflicts in a relationship, and the relationship is mired in mutual criticism, mockery, insults and discontent, then it seems that there is no more love. But it often happens that love is simply hidden behind criticism. She became invisible because you began to perceive the person as an absolute aggressor or hysterical, and behind all this nightmare you stopped seeing the person himself and what you loved him for.

Take a closer look. It's still him. Perhaps the reason you fell in love with him is still with him. Try to see it again. Try to see these qualities in each other together, and then you are likely to see and feel love again.

Reasons that lead to relationship breakdown

fizkes/Getty Images Pro

First, let's talk about the reasons for the breakup

. Everything is clear here, you say. Usually this:

· treason;

· Lack of money;

· lack of separate housing;

· gone feelings;

· bad influence of girlfriends or friends and a lot of other reasons.

Don’t forget about “they didn’t get along” - this is another reason that is often given, without sometimes realizing how ridiculous it is. In fact, the real reasons

not so prosaic and material. These are the real culprits that make marriages fall apart:

· laziness;

· selfishness;

· neglect;

· children;

· insufficient communication skills.

Try to disagree with this – and you won’t succeed! And for those who still doubt that marriages most often break up precisely for these reasons

, let’s look at how each of them individually can harm relationships in marriage.

Laziness

Probably everyone is ready to admit the fact that interpersonal relationships are a rather complex matter that constantly needs to be worked on. It would be great, say, if at a certain age we were taken to some kind of special school

, from where we would emerge armed with specialized knowledge that would allow us to act one hundred percent correctly in any relationship.

Kaspars Grinvalds

However, such a school does not exist (the basics of family science, now offered as part of secondary education, should be especially taken seriously

not yet). Therefore, a fairly impressive number of marriages in our country (and throughout the world too) end in divorce.

Now think about laziness.

No, not the kind of laziness that interferes with work, because you can be a workaholic to the core, but be lazy to work on your relationships. What prevents us from learning as we go through life, drawing appropriate lessons and drawing the right conclusions?

based not only on other people’s, but even on your own mistakes? Aren't family relationships worth a lot of effort and work to preserve and develop?

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