reasons to divorce

Power of Two teaches couples the skills they need to repair and upgrade their marriages. Sometimes, however, separation is best for the health, happiness, and safety of everyone involved. These top 6 warning signs should never be ignored. Any of these problems are serious reasons to divorce, especially when a spouse refuses to get treatment to change his/her behavior.

1. Your spouse tries to control your behavior, friends, finances, or activities by using threats, anger, or excessive criticism. This is emotional abuse.
2. Your spouse has a persistent history of gambling, drug or alcohol use, or other behavior that harms you, your children, and/or family relationships.
3. Repeated infidelities or an on-going affair with no willingness to change.
4. Your spouse exhibits violence or inappropriate sexual behavior towards children, biological or not. Of all reasons to divorce, this situation begs you to remove yourself and the children from this person immediately and seek professional help.
5. Mental illness can challenge a relationship, but with proper treatment generally can be successfully managed. At the same time, a spouse’s uncontrolled mental health or personality disorder can be unsafe and unhealthy. This is an issue that is best dealt with on his/her own.
6. Physical violence or abuse also calls for immediate action. Repeated violence toward anyone, especially you or your children, without commitment to get help, is a deal-breaker. Physical abuse includes putting you in dangerous situations or preventing you from getting medical help.

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Both sadly and happily, most separations in America today occur for much less pressing reasons to divorce. Ongoing unpleasant interactions, disappointment, or emotional distance are what lead most couples to believe their marriage is over.  Unfortunately, most divorcing couples don’t know that many of these problems can actually be repaired.  The key? Upgrading your marriage skills. Try a marriage boost with Power of Two’s unique couples counseling program! Best of all, it’s effective even if only one of you does it.

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