Of course, some live-together relationships are successful, and there are single people out there who couldn’t be happier. And some marriages are downright debilitating. A truly bad one has chronic stress as its defining feature, and that can lead partners to experience a variety of mental and physical problems. Even common colds can occur more frequently and last longer for the unhappily married.
But that’s not the general rule, and chronic stress isn’t found in most marriages. The fact is most couples who stay married eventually find their partner is worth hanging around for, even if at one time they thought their marriage was a disaster.
So, if your marriage is not what you want it to be, it still may not be as bad as you think. Those who believe life would be better under different circumstances might face a few unpleasant surprises. They’re not likely to be happier with a single and cohabiting lifestyle, and if they marry again, there’s a very good chance it won’t be any better than their first one.
That’s because sometimes it’s not who you’re with, it’s who you are.
