You might be one of those people who never thought in a million years your relationship would be on life support and you would find yourself in the “save marriage” category.

Couples long for a marriage that lasts a lifetime.

But unfortunately for many, once the honey moon phase passes, things go downhill, eventually leading to chronic relationship problems and a struggle to save the marriage. Spats turn into fights. And bitterness turns into battles when tolerance levels are exceeded.

When this happens, many couples put divorce or separation on the table as an option.

But before making this decision, consider the consequences. And then decide to do whatever it takes to save your marriage whatever it costs.

True, the personal cost to you right now emotionally, physically and financially, is considerable, as you try to survive the conflict. But it will be a whole lot more expensive later on if you and your spouse call it quits. Trust me on this.

Separation and divorce exact a price that many, many people say in retrospect is just too costly. In fact, their advice is to do whatever it takes to save your marriage now. So don’t wait. Take action.

Marriage is wonderful because it brings two completely different people together to create a new relationship — a new world, if you will. And it comes with personal and social benefits, and the ability to satisfy one’s emotional and physical needs.

Though married life has its ups and downs, living alone is not so easy either. All of us need someone with whom to share our feelings, dreams, and frustrations. We also need someone to support us through the hard times.

In addition to all the above benefits, marriage enables you to bring up your kids in an ideal environment. This is one of the main reasons why people prefer to save marriage rather than pursue divorce and separation.

Children require the love and attention of both parents. If they miss out on the love of one parent, they will be more prone to psychological and social problems in the future.

If you have decided to save your marriage, then you must work with your spouse to create practical solutions for resolving your marital conflict.

The most important thing is to find the root cause of your marriage problems. With this information at hand, your attempt to save your marriage will be easier. Communicate with your partner. Tell them how you feel and what you think about the situation. And remember to give them a chance to speak — hear them out. Listen.

Love and intimacy are vital for saving a marriage and restoring the relationship. If you work on healing the rift and creating deeper intimacy with your spouse, you will be pleasantly surprised how easy it becomes to solve other marriage problems.

The only question you must answer right now is this, just how far will you go to save your marriage?