Changing Behavior in A Relationship: 4 Possible Reasons And Causes

All relationships are prone to changes regardless of whether they are romantic or non-romantic. Couples mainly go through the most drastic changes in their relationship because long-term relationships rarely remain the same. It either evolves into something long-lasting or changes the people in it so much that they don’t even recognize themselves. However, no relationship changes overnight. There can be various reasons why anyone or both the partners are exhibiting changing behaviors. Your partner may suddenly stop sharing with you or have indulged in a harmful habit that affects the relationship. There are many possible causes and reasons for changing behavior in a relationship, and a few of them are following: 

  1. A habit or infatuation emerges: 

Change is inevitable, and sometimes even minor changes can change the course of your relationship. For instance, something as small as a change in work schedule or developing a new hobby can cause a shift in relationships that is both positive and negative. However, sometimes the transition can be due to a significant change in your partner. This change can be anything from something as small as suddenly starting a gym or something as big as resurfacing an old addiction. You may not realize it at first, but your partner’s shifting behavior in a relationship might be related to addiction. 

They may suddenly become violent, depressed, isolated, or shut themselves emotionally from you. In such cases, you must do the rational thing and get your partner professional help. Various institutes like Delphi Health Group and more can offer the person suffering from any form of addiction a second chance in life. Such types of rehabilitation centers can deal with all levels of addiction. You must understand that sometimes the changes in a relationship are not as simple as they seem. 

  1. The ending of the honeymoon stage: 

The honeymoon phase is the early stage of a relationship where everything feels like something straight out of a fairytale. You can’t seem to get enough of each other. There is nothing more important than a relationship, and everything is very magical. It is an intoxicating stage that may initially feel blissful. But couples who have a hard time accepting that the honeymoon period never lasts long experience the most changes. For instance, you may not ever want to get out of this period. They start to have unrealistic expectations of the relationship. They may want to continue the fairytale and find your realistic approach as the changing factor in the relationship. The honeymoon period is the time when we usually ignore any negative traits and signs. As a result, when you exit this stage, the relationship may suffer from a different viewpoint. 

  1. Lack of communication:

Communication is the foundation of every relationship. It is the source that nurtures and makes a relationship strong and everlasting. One of the reasons you may think your partner is behaving differently may be the lack of communication. You may feel that your partner is suddenly more irritated and annoyed most of the time and doesn’t want to do the things you used to do. For instance, your partner suddenly says that they don’t want to go to the movies even though it was a weekend thing before. Or, they suddenly say that they don’t want children anymore. While it may come off as changing behavior, the truth is that both of you do not understand each other’s perspectives. Maybe your partner never liked going to the movies and was doing it only to make you happy. You need to dig deeper into the problem when you feel your partner is suddenly retreating from the relationship. The behavioral changes may also be because you impose your ideas without consulting the other person and become too controlling. 

  1. Conflict and trust issues: 

Trust is the foundation of all relationships, and without trust, it becomes almost impossible to make things work. One of the reasons your partner may be exhibiting changing behavior is because they have trust issues. They may have suddenly stopped trusting you, or a situation is preventing them from building trust. Again, trust issues can also occur due to inefficient communication and misunderstandings. Maybe there isn’t consistency in the way you communicate and talk about problems. It can lead to an increase in unhealthy conflict, and you may find yourself in a toxic loop. Lack of empathy, intimacy, controlling behavior, toxic habits, and bad company are also a few reasons for more conflict than usual in your relationship. It is essential in a relationship to give each other space but not completely subsiding their feelings. 

Conclusion: 

Relationships are hard, and at any point, your partner may start to experience things that may lead to sudden behavioral changes. These changes may occur for various reasons, and your job is to look out for the red flags. Some of the most serious warning flags are that your spouse may be addicted or has an internal struggle they cannot discuss. They may also feel suffocated by unrealistic expectations, conflict, lack of trust, and controlling behavior. The key is to identify the root of the problem and develop problem-solving strategies to protect the relationship. 

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