Whether it’s because of children, cheating, or a Candy Crush addiction, here’s how to help your union withstand anything
Most of us put enormous amounts of time, effort and energy (not to mention the cost of buying fancy underwear) into the honeymoon stage of a relationship. But that stage only lasts a year – or maybe two – so what happens five, 10 or 15 years down the line? ‘The dopamine flood we get at the beginning will always wear off, so making sure your relationship goes the distance takes a lot of hard work from both parties,’ says couples therapist Judith Wright. Instead of waiting for your relationship to hit crisis mode, having coping strategies in place for when things do go wrong can help a partnership survive. Judith suggests couples have ‘relationship assessments’ – like seeing a counsellor every few months, or checking in with each other to see how you’re feeling – to avoid becoming another statistic. Here’s how to deal with the most common marriage danger points.
Affair-proof How do you avoid being one of the 22% of married men and 14% of married women who cheat on their partner?
HAVE A FULL-DISCLOSURE POLICY ‘The myth that once we are married or in a committed relationship we’ll never be attracted to anyone else can be very damaging, because it can create feelings of guilt or shame,’ says couples counsellor Dr David Perl. ‘Acknowledging your feelings to your partner can allow you to redirect yourself. By not discussing these issues, they become “secret”, and it actually becomes easier to get involved in an affair.’
This story is from the April 2018 edition of Essentials.
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This story is from the April 2018 edition of Essentials.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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