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Navigating the Hard Choice: Clearing the Path to the Next Step in Your Relationship Decision
Have you been thinking about ending your relationship but something keeps holding you back? You're not alone. This raw and thoughtful exploration unpacks the invisible barriers that keep us stuck in relationships we're contemplating leaving.
Drawing from 20 years of personal experience in a relationship complicated by depression, I walk through the first of my seven-question framework designed to clarify relationship decisions. By examining the real obstacles that prevent us from moving forward, we can transform seemingly impenetrable walls into challenges we can address with compassion and strategy.
Financial fears often loom largest when contemplating separation. When I faced this barrier, creating detailed budgets helped me see that while changes would be necessary, survival was possible. For parents, concern about impact on children creates profound hesitation. The truth? Both staying in an unhappy relationship and ending it will affect your children - what matters most is how you support them through either decision.
Many of us also struggle with letting go of the "fairy tale future" we envisioned, feeling trapped by time already invested, or fearing dating again or permanent solitude. Perhaps most heartbreaking is the fear that ending a relationship might trigger a partner's mental health crisis or self-harm - an impossible position that requires tremendous self-compassion.
Whatever obstacles stand between you and relationship clarity, identifying them is your first step toward making an authentic decision aligned with your values, whether that means staying or leaving. Join me in this vulnerable conversation about finding your way forward when depression complicates your relationship choices.
Take a step today - whether toward action, rest, connection or self-care. Getting to a more joyful, connected place is possible for everyone, even when depression is in your bed.
- If you are looking to take the first step towards improving your connection and communication with your partner, check out this FREE monthly webinar on "Becoming a Conscious Couple,".
- If you and your partner are ready to co-create the roadmap to the relationship of your dreams, join us for the next in-person "Getting the Love You Want" Weekend Couples Retreat!
For support in how to have deeper connections and better communication in the relationships that matter most in your life, follow the host, Trish Sanders on Instagram , Bluesky or LinkedIn.
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By Trish Sanders, LCSWHave you been thinking about ending your relationship but something keeps holding you back? You're not alone. This raw and thoughtful exploration unpacks the invisible barriers that keep us stuck in relationships we're contemplating leaving.
Drawing from 20 years of personal experience in a relationship complicated by depression, I walk through the first of my seven-question framework designed to clarify relationship decisions. By examining the real obstacles that prevent us from moving forward, we can transform seemingly impenetrable walls into challenges we can address with compassion and strategy.
Financial fears often loom largest when contemplating separation. When I faced this barrier, creating detailed budgets helped me see that while changes would be necessary, survival was possible. For parents, concern about impact on children creates profound hesitation. The truth? Both staying in an unhappy relationship and ending it will affect your children - what matters most is how you support them through either decision.
Many of us also struggle with letting go of the "fairy tale future" we envisioned, feeling trapped by time already invested, or fearing dating again or permanent solitude. Perhaps most heartbreaking is the fear that ending a relationship might trigger a partner's mental health crisis or self-harm - an impossible position that requires tremendous self-compassion.
Whatever obstacles stand between you and relationship clarity, identifying them is your first step toward making an authentic decision aligned with your values, whether that means staying or leaving. Join me in this vulnerable conversation about finding your way forward when depression complicates your relationship choices.
Take a step today - whether toward action, rest, connection or self-care. Getting to a more joyful, connected place is possible for everyone, even when depression is in your bed.
- If you are looking to take the first step towards improving your connection and communication with your partner, check out this FREE monthly webinar on "Becoming a Conscious Couple,".
- If you and your partner are ready to co-create the roadmap to the relationship of your dreams, join us for the next in-person "Getting the Love You Want" Weekend Couples Retreat!
For support in how to have deeper connections and better communication in the relationships that matter most in your life, follow the host, Trish Sanders on Instagram , Bluesky or LinkedIn.