If you’re unsure if you want to marry your fiance, this advice is for you.
Let’s say you have gotten engaged and told your family and friends. Then you find yourself raising questions about whether this is the right step. In fact, you are feeling quite anxious about taking the plunge. So you are probably mystified: “Is this normal “pre-wedding jitters” or is this something you need to take very seriously?”
You probably would not be reading this article if you were not already beginning to take it seriously. The following questions will help you decide what to do:
1. Have you discovered anything about your partner that makes you question his or her character?
A few examples could include:
- Excess drinking or drug use
- Abusive behavior toward you or others that is either physical or verbal
- Dishonesty or deliberate acts of misleading you or others
2. Do you still enjoy major activities with your partner?
3. Has your partner seemed distant since you became engaged?
4. Do you feel that your partner is choosing loyalty to family over loyalty to you?
5. Have you and your partner engaged in battles that do not seem to lead to meaningful making up and decisions about how to do things in the future.
6. When your partner challenges your point of view, do you feel you diminished rather than supported?
7. Does your partner withdraw into a shell and avoid dealing with many issues?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, you would be wise to investigate things further. Each of these issues could well point to trouble in the future. They do not necessarily mean that you cannot build a good marriage. But the truth is, you can make the most meaningful and effective change now rather than when you are married, especially after you have had children.
A counseling process may lead to you to decide not to go through with the marriage. However, if you do make this decision , you will feel that you gave it your best shot and will have less regret or concern that you made the wrong decision.
Effective tools for dealing with the above issues can help the two of you build a successful and meaningful marriage. Talk to your partner about your concerns. Plan to seek some premarital counseling as a way of building a great marriage or relationship from the beginning.
Be sure to read:
12 Topics and 75 Questions You Should Talk about Before You Get Married
Provocative article by Maureen Dowd about “Whom Not to Marry.”
List of Other Premarital Articles
Dr. Jim Walkup sees many couples for premarital counseling. Sometimes they come wondering if they really should get married and what tools do they need to gain in order to confidently walk down the aisle to build a great marital relationship. For an appointment call Dr. Jim at 914 548 8645 or email at dr-jim.com.
