It’s a sad truth that many people end up stuck in unhappy relationships because they’re clinging to the happiness and stability they once had. Here are a few signs you should hit the eject button on your relationship.

They Go Out of Their Way To Make You Appear Stupid

If you’re out together and either you or your partner take the opportunity to make the other look stupid in the presence of others, warning lights should be flashing. This is a classic vindictive move to tip the scales in the effort to make one of you look superior and the other look foolish; and to be on the receiving end feels terrible.

If you or your significant other is guilty of this you should take the chance to talk it out. If it’s regularly dismissed with an off-the-cuff comment regarding your lack of a sense of humour it’s an attempt to discredit your character and defend their blatant insensitivity. Unfortunately if it becomes a regular occurrence, it’s time to cut ties.

There’s An Elephant in the Room

Either you’re both dealing with a situation that has made you unhappy, or something just isn’t the same anymore and you can’t put your finger on it. It could have been the result of so many arguments that talking about it now feels totally redundant; or it’s a completely unspoken tension where one or both of you knows something is wrong and neither wants to address it.

This is the start of an ugly downward spiral and it’s a very difficult and delicate situation to address. If you haven’t spoken about it you’ll need to address the issue head on and if you’ve spoken about it and this is still happening, consider getting out of the relationship completely.

You’ve Become Intolerant of One Another

So long as you can remember you’ve sung along to the radio or clicked your tongue whilst you’re thinking… but all of a sudden these habits have started to annoy your partner. You’re also starting to notice how annoying it is that they hog the duvet and leave their discarded teabags in the sink.

Things that never used to bother you now cause you to rage into a red-haze meltdown. On occasion this will happen from one person’s perspective whilst the other is still completely comfortable within the relationship and this is where you’ll encounter some serious problems.

Your Sex Life Is Non-Existent

Every couple goes through the odd ‘dry patch’, but showing one another affection shouldn’t be something that suffers as a result. If it’s been a while and even the sight of your usual sexy games aren’t turning them on maybe try talking it out. They’ll have been expecting it to come up in conversation.

If they’ve stopped the little things they used to like holding your hand in public; kissing your forehead and pulling you closer as you watch TV together, the problem is probably a deep-rooted one. Chances are this is the result of a guilt complex; them going through a difficult time handling a matter that has affected them profoundly, or just the fact that they’re not feeling the relationship anymore.

One Or Both of You Are Snooping

It’s never been a problem in the past but you’ve recently caught your significant other scrolling through the texts on your phone; or they’ve been acting ‘strangely’ lately so you decide to have a quick rummage through their internet history.

A lack of trust in a relationship is a difficult thing to bounce back from and to be caught snooping through their personal correspondences or belongings is a huge indication that something is very wrong. If you’re not in the kind of relationship where you can comfortably trust each other and talk about what might be bothering you; then it isn’t one which will be good for either of you long term.

The Gloves Come Off

You’ve had your differences in the past; but suddenly your arguments have taken on a venomous and underhand tone. They use your secrets and fears against you; you retaliate with cheap shots about something you know they’re sensitive about. Before you know it, you can’t remember how the argument started in the first place and you’re hurling terrible insults back and forth. Control your tongue, and speak to each other with respect. There’s no validity in professing to love someone one second and verbally destroying them the next.

How have you escaped from bad news relationships and what were the signs?

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