How Neuroticism Leads to Divorce

In a healthy marriage, the couple works together to deal with everyday life as well as significant life events such as having children, dealing with job loss, or grieving the loss of a loved one. Life can be tough and it’s always nice to have someone on your side who can help alleviate the negative emotions you may be feeling, not make matters worse.

A neurotic spouse can make life difficult. Neuroticism is characterized by negative feelings and emotional instability. It is believed that everyone is neurotic to some degree, but a highly neurotic person may suffer from irritability, self-doubt, anxiety, or depression.

Marriages go through many ups and downs. Those who experience high levels of neuroticism tend to deal with life events in highly negative and extreme ways. This can create a lot of friction in a marriage and even lead to divorce. Here’s how neuroticism can ruin a marriage.

Strong Negative Bias

High neuroticism is so detrimental to marriage due to the strong negative bias. Those who are neurotic tend to be highly pessimistic, causing them to escalate minor conflicts or make mountains out of molehills, so to speak.

In fact, studies show that couples with higher levels of neuroticism are not as satisfied in their marriages. This is primarily because they focus on being negative, which means benign comments or actions from others are seen as hostile or threatening.

This neuroticism also creates anxiety, tension, hostility, impulsive behaviors, and low self-esteem, all which can ruin a marriage. Another thing to consider is that high levels of neuroticism can also lead to disproportionate amounts of stress, even when there are small inconveniences. This can lead to constant conflict and emotional exhaustion.

Erosion of Intimacy

Those who are highly neurotic tend to be highly sensitive as well. They get emotional at the slightest things, causing emotional outbursts. This can make their spouses regard them as unfriendly or even hostile.

As you can imagine, these feelings can chip away at intimacy. The other spouse often feels disregarded or ignored. When a person’s emotional needs are not being met, it can be hard to build trust and intimacy. Also, when one partner is constantly reacting with anger, it becomes challenging for the other to offer support. This causes the marital bond to weaken over time.

The emotions a person experiences tend to have a ripple effect on the marriage. The emotions can be transmitted to one another, so when one person is feeling anxious and stressed, it’s not uncommon for their spouse to feel the same way.

High levels of neuroticism can cause withdrawal in one or both parties. They may avoid physical contact and ignore each other’s feelings. This creates a downward spiral of resentment and even divorce.

Seek Legal Help

People can change over time, and it can be hard to get along with someone who becomes extremely neurotic. A spouse’s personality issues can be annoying and even damaging to the marriage.

When your marriage is over, let Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyer Edward J. Jennings, P.A. guide you through the divorce process. Schedule a consultation to learn more. Fill out the online form or call 954-764-4330.

Source:

psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/social-instincts/202411/1-personality-trait-that-drives-couples-to-divorce-more-than-any-other