Withdrawal

• While couples who openly fight usually know that there are problems in the marriage that need to be fixed, withdrawal is more difficult to spot, points out family therapist Kalman M. Heller, Ph.D. Spouses who withdraw may begin to spend more time alone or away from home. Activities that were once shared by both partners may go by the wayside as each partner -- or only one -- pursues his own pursuits. Left unchecked, withdrawal can result in a relationship that is a marriage in name only.
  
  

Disrespect

• Many problems in a marriage result from negative communication. John M. Gottman, Ph.D., marital psychologist and author of the book "The Seven Principals of Making Marriage Work," identifies four patterns of negative communication that can ruin a marriage. Criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling are all indicators that marital communication needs improvement if the marriage is to last. While constructive criticism can be helpful in a healthy relationship, a spouse who is critical of the other's personality is harmful, as is communication that conveys contempt, such as eye-rolling, sneering and name-calling. A defensive communication style is destructive as well, as it can escalate a disagreement. Eventually, a partner may disengage from further communication with the spouse altogether, a behavior that is called "stonewalling."
  
  

Failed Repair Attempts

• When a couple argues, often one or both eventually attempt to repair the conflict. Your marriage may be in trouble if you make consolatory efforts toward your husband and your efforts are rejected. Your spouse may doubt your sincerity, be tired of a repeating negative pattern or be too angry to accept your peace offering. A marriage in which no one is attempting to mend a misunderstanding or in which a partner rebuffs these efforts indicates marital distress, according to Dr. Gottman.
  
  

Emotional or Physical Infidelity

• Not all infidelity involves an affair with another person, although this is certainly not an unusual occurrence, and signals the end of many marriages. Infidelity can also take the form of an inappropriate emotional relationship with a person outside of the marriage. For example, a woman who is dissatisfied with her marriage may become "best friends" with a male colleague, sharing ideas and feelings with him that she does not share with her husband. These relationships lack boundaries, and can signal that a marriage is beginning to fall apart.