Feeling ignored or neglected by a spouse is a common marriage problem but it is also one of the reasons why marriages fail. No one wants to be in a marriage where they feel they are low on their partner’s list of priorities. Also, no one wants to have to beg for their partner’s time or attention.

The reason why emotional and physical neglect is one of the top reasons for divorce is that spouses are rarely on the same page regarding this issue. While one spouse feels ignored and all alone the other may be feeling as if their spouse has unrealistic expectations and is asking too much of them.

What to Do if You Are Feeling Neglected in Your Marriage

It goes without saying that the first thing that you should do if you are feeling neglected in your marriage is to talk to your spouse about it. However, the way you present the issue to your spouse can make a big difference.

The last thing you want is for your spouse to feel accused or attacked because this could drive a bigger wedge between the two of you. You also don’t want to nag your spouse as this will make it more difficult for them to really hear what you are saying. You need to articulate what is bothering you without criticizing, blaming or jumping to conclusions about why your partner isn’t giving you time and attention.

What to Do If Your Spouse Is Feeling Neglected

Your spouse feeling neglected doesn’t make you a bad wife or husband. It’s also doesn’t mean that your spouse does not appreciate all your efforts so don’t get angry or defensive.  It’s just that different people require different levels and types of emotional support and engagement- failure to acknowledge this is why marriages fail.

Sometimes, your spouse can feel neglected even if you are giving them all the time and attention that you can afford to without neglecting your other responsibilities. The way to deal with such a situation is to integrate your spouse into all other areas of your life. This is because feeling neglected is sometimes the result of feeling relegated to one area of a spouse’s life.

Emotional and physical neglect is one the top reasons why marriages fail but it is also one of the easiest marriage problems to resolve. As long as you catch it early, you can resolve it pretty quickly and go on to have a very happy marriage.