A toxic marriage tend to lead many people to contemplate a divorce. However, not too many people know how to spot the signs of toxicity in their marriage. There’s a few indicators in particular that you might want to keep an eye out for…
Toxic Marriage: Spot The Signs
Contempt
Contempt is one of the biggest indicators of a toxic marriage. This is when your partner feels like they are better than you. As a result, in their view, you and your thoughts don’t deserve to be considered. Some signs of contempt are eye rolling, mean words, negative sarcasm, and constant dismissal.
The issue with contempt is it can be hard to recognize. Many times, it’s easy to explain away the actions with excuses, like “they’re in a bad mood” or “what I said was wrong”. However, really think about what they say and how often they say it. That can show you if they really do hold contempt for you.
Fighting
Fighting is something which will happen in all marriages. After all, you and your spouse aren’t going to agree on everything all the time. However, it’s all about how often you fight, and how nasty those fights get, which can indicate a toxic marriage.
Consider the types of things you and your partner fight about. Are they trivial matters which aren’t all that important, and don’t warrant a fight? Also, do they escalate very quickly into name-calling or put-downs? Those are quick ways to spot when your marriage has become too toxic for the both of you.
Silence
Too much negative talk is one way to spot a toxic marriage. However, a lack of communication can also be a sign that things are getting toxic. Proper communication is key for any healthy relationship. It keeps you and your spouse connected, and strengthens your marriage overall.
If your spouse refuses to talk to you, then that can be a sign that something isn’t right. For instance, they may constantly ignore you when you speak, or bring up ideas. They might even go so far as to pretend you aren’t even in the same room with them. This kind of rude and immature behavior can be an indicator of a toxic partner.