South Asian Marriage: Seven Tips to Prevent Divorce

divorceDivorce is a life-altering and potentially traumatic event. For most couples who get divorced, significant time, energy and heartache were spent before coming to the decision of getting divorced. Most South Asian countries have some of the lowest divorce rates in the world. As men and women are becoming more equal and are becoming aware of the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships, the divorce rate in South Asians around the world is rising.

Before divorce becomes an option, here are some tips to help couples improve their relationship:

Identify weak communication skills. By knowing the signs of healthy communication, couples can identify where they are lacking and can improve their communication skills. Without clear and open communication, couples can have numerous misunderstandings that can build up unnecessary resentment. (Read more)

Speak clearly and openly. Couples who engage in passive aggressive communication slowly chip away at the health of the relationship and add to the negative cycle of communication. Learn how to clearly speak your mind and ask for what you need. Your partner is not a mind reader and cannot know how to be a good partner to you without your help. (Read more)

Overcome resentment. Resentment is one of the most destructive emotions that can permanently damage a relationship. It leads to contempt in a conversation, which only escalates arguments. Learn about the signs of resentment and how to overcome it. (Read more)

Know the signs of an invisible divorce. You may not be financially or legally separated but perhaps a divorce has already happened. The impact of an invisible divorce can be just as detrimental, if not more so, than  legal divorce. (Read more)

Build a healthy relationship. Strong, happy and healthy relationships do not occur on their own. They require time, energy and effort put forth by both parties. Be sure to prioritize your relationship amongst all of your other responsibilities and establish a healthy relational pattern. (Read more)

Stop blaming. Besides abuse, almost every single problem in a relationship exists because of both parties, not just one person. If you find yourself blaming your partner for everything or you find yourself consistently being blamed, learn how to stop the cycle before the relationship cannot be mended. (Read more)

Fight fair. Arguments are a natural and normal aspect of any relationship. However, arguments that involve putting down the other person or that escalate too quickly are some signs of unfair fighting. Learn how to fight fair so that the goal of the argument is not to win but to improve your relationship. (Read more)

Seek marriage counseling. Most couples that end up in marriage counseling do so when the problem extremely serious. Attending counseling in the early stages of marital trouble has been shown to have a positive prognosis for the relationship’s health. Learn about the facts of couples counseling and seek the aid of a trained professional early. (Read more)

Despite all of these tips, for some couples divorce is inevitable. If the relationship involves any type of abuse, if one or both partners are not willing to compromise for the sake of the relationship, or if one or both partners feels everything has been tried, divorce may be the best option. Constant fighting or avoidance of marital problems has a serious and negative impact on each partner’s physical and emotional health. If children are involved, they also will be hurt by an unhealthy marriage.

If you feel your marriage is falling apart or if either partner is feeling dissatisfied or unhappy, address the problems early before divorce becomes an option.

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