It's the three words every newly-engaged couple is given as well-meaning advice at some point: "marriage is hard".

But we also hear that "familiarity breeds contempt" - and over the course of a few decades, highs and lows are normal ... right?

When two people marry - they'll bring with them different hobbies, different expectations, and different ways of communicating.

So, it's unlikely you'll mesh perfectly, 100 per cent of the time.

But - those disconnects can leave you feeling... well, lonely.  

Is some level of loneliness in a marriage to be expected?