It’s difficult to break up with someone you love; I know, and I’ve been there too. Some signs show you when it’s time to let a person go and when the relationship no longer works. Even if you may be hurt at first, peace of mind can bring you another level of pleasure that you may not have known until then.

In the long run, people pass few moments when they consider breaking up. We all experience rough times in long-term relationships or marriages. Sometimes these moments are defeated with the effort of both partners, but some of them can be relevant for ending the relationship because it may no longer be suitable.

In this article, we discuss the time when you can choose to be by yourself and whether the relationship can be saved or not.

1. One-sided compromises

Being in a relationship comes with the general norm that both people should make sacrifices for each other. Sometimes, for example, you have to move to a new city because your partner gets a new job or do extra work around the house when they are busy.
But here’s a thing.

When only one person seems to make the most compromises, it can feel overwhelming and like there’s no balance. This person may feel like they have less power and their voice is not being heard anymore. This can seriously destroy the happiness and the bond two people share. This is why it’s so important for both partners to try to share the load so they can both feel valued, and fairness will replace the frustration.

2. Trust issues

Trust is a big deal in a relationship, and you know too that a lack of trust can mess things up. If you feel like you can’t trust your partner or that they can’t trust you, just remember that this is building resentment. Such feelings will create a huge power imbalance because one person will always second-guess everything.

From here, it will be easy to arrive at constant conflicts and misunderstandings. To be honest, if trust was not built over time, this may be a sign that your relationship is not the right fit. Trust is the foundation of any strong relationship, and of course, things will fall apart without it. You should know the relationship isn’t the right thing because of these trust issues, and at this point, the healthiest thing to do for both people would be to end it in case they are not able to solve it with open communication.

3. Values are misaligned.

We always talk about how important it is to be on the same page with your partner. When you don’t share core values, and they may even be contrary, this is a major reason why a relationship can’t work long-term. Yes, you can get along well day to day, but if your life goals are not crossing at some point, this will lead to serious issues down the road.

Let’s take raising a family, for example. If one partner wants a big house with kids and a stable job with decent money and the other one wants to travel and live from one city to another his whole life going to all his favorite artist tours across the globe and moving on an island when he’s bored of so much partying, this is a huge deal. In this situation, no matter how much love these two people may feel for each other, this fundamental difference may create tension and end in heartbreak.

With core values misaligned, your lover can’t be a part of what you want your life to look like anymore. Over time, the differences will become more and more obvious, and the fact that it’s hard to build a future together will cause a lot of stress and resentment. Sometimes it’s better to end it, even if it’s tough, and it’s better to recognize this earlier than struggle for years.

4. Growing apart

We all change as we go through life. It’s part of our personality to find the most suitable interests or values, and yes, they evolve. This can be a reason why two people in a relationship can fall apart. Unlike some other reason where you can find fault in somebody, here things are flowing naturally.

Think about the things you cared about and that made you feel passionate a few years ago. They are probably totally different now. Developing new hobbies or new goals apart from your partner can create a gap between you two. Your outlooks on life start to diverge, and this is making the relationship slip and go out of sync. Somehow, you guys managed to evolve separately, and even if there is still love and respect, you don’t have the same connection.

The best is to be straightforward and put it on the table. Probably what you feel is concerning your partner too. You can both decide that the relationship isn’t the best fit anymore, or you can decide to work on your bond. However, the most important thing is to find the path that makes you both happy in the end.

5. Frequent fighting

Everyone fights in a relationship, and it’s totally normal to have disagreements. It usually happens when the stress from other “departments of your life interferes with your communication with your partner. There is a certain situation when partners are constantly fighting, and this is an alarm for deeper issues.

If you experience fights coming from stress that you can’t handle, this book may help you. Stress and How To Manage It talks about worries, anxieties, and other problems and it teaches you to deal with stress and get back your life.

Constant conflict creates stress and tension. We know that these types of fights start with little things, but they hide a whole iceberg of unsolved issues. There are, for sure, undiscussed problems or feelings that are not addressed in the right way. Facing the breakup may be tough, but this is the only option when the fights never seem to end. Think about the calm love you once shared; remember that you can get this again and that both of you deserve to feel peaceful in a relationship, to be happy and understood, rather than constantly stressed out.

6. Experiencing abuse – an absolute reason for a break up

In a relationship, abuse can come in different forms, some more subtle and some in a scary, crystal-clear form. Abuse is a form of trying to gain control and take power away from an individual.
I was planning to do a hierarchy for the patterns of abuse, but honestly, all of them seem equally outrageous. These are the forms of abuse that you can see, or sadly, experience in a relationship: emotional, physical, financial, digital, stalking, sexual, sexual coercion, or reproductive coercion.

If you find yourself here or know someone who’s in danger, remember that there is always someone to offer support. There is emergency help by calling 911 and other specialized lines for domestic violence.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7, and you can contact them

• via phone at 800-799-7233
• or text by texting START to 88788

There are many other resources available, so you can consider local support too, based on your demographics, for in-person support or temporary housing.

Keep in mind that healthy relationships have positive effects on your overall health, and unhealthy ones will reflect on your body, mind, and whole demeanor and recognizing certain signs may show a person when it’s time to break up.

Read next: 5 Signs of Powerful Chemistry You Can’t Ignore