Marriage counsellor shares one sign your relationship is over and there is no going back

Even the happiest relationships have their ups and downs.

Occasional arguments are perfectly normal, as is feeling distant from your partner at times, and moaning to your mates about them.

But, while going through a tough patch is usually nothing to worry about, at what point is a relationship doomed to fail?

According to an expert, there's one clear sign that signals the end of most relationships.

In a Reddit thread titled "'What screams 'we are not going to last long' for couples?', users discussed the point in a relationship where there's no going back.

One person shared an insight that a marriage counsellor had told them.

They wrote: "I was at a party one time and there was a marriage counsellor there that had been working for 20-something years in couples counselling. I asked her what the number one sign was that the couple wasn't going to make it.

"Without hesitating, she said, 'If one person shows contempt for the other's feelings, it's over!'"

According to a marriage counsellor, showing contempt for your partner is a clear sign your relationship is doomed (Getty Stock Images)

But, what exactly is contempt?

Sex and relationship researcher Kristen Mark told The Knot: "Mocking your partner, speaking to them with condescension, or using sarcasm for cruelty are all examples of contempt."

Other Reddit users shared their ideas about when a relationship is - or should be - over.

One person wrote: "I think when you just don't care anymore. You don't care to fight with them. You don't care to be intimate. You don't care to make an effort."

Another said: "Asking friends if they think you should break up. At least for me this means you've made the decision you just want it backed up by someone."

And a third added: "If you find yourself fantasising about being single again. Your gut is right more often than you think."

Other problems that may be impossible to work through include constantly arguing about the same things and developing feelings for someone else (Getty Stock Images)

And Jeff Guenther - a therapist from the US - has shared five major problems that couples may find impossible to work through.

First, if you start neglecting the little things like flirting or giving each other compliments, he says this 'creates a significant gap' between you that can be difficult to mend.

Constantly finding yourself arguing over the same things also indicates that you may be heading towards a breakup.

Jeff cites growing apart and craving independence as more signs your relationship could be coming to an end.

And lastly, if one person starts to develop feelings for someone else, that’s usually a sure fire indicator that things are over.

"The redirection of affection for someone else renders the task of mending the original relationship extremely difficult, if not impossible."