Signs of a One-Sided Relationship and How to Address Them

At its heart, a marriage is "give and take," with both partners making each other feel loved and receiving love in return.

However, if a marriage devolves into a one-sided relationship, it may not be readily visible to a partner who really loves their better half unless they are aware of the signs.

One of such signs that you are pulling the weight of the relationship is not being prioritized by your partner.

A partner that prioritizes you will invest most of their energy into engaging in different activities with you.

But if they are lacking in this department, that's a sign that they are not as committed as you.

Similarly, if you are the one putting most of the effort into making the marriage stable, you are likely in a one-sided relationship.

Suppose you are with a partner that rarely initiates activities to make the marriage fun or develop special rituals for a strengthened emotional connection.

Their inability to make these efforts is a sign of their lower sense of commitment.

Another way to tell if your partner isn't performing their spousal duty to reciprocate love is a lingering sense of fulfillment in the marriage.

If you spend time with your partner and instead of feeling happy and motivated afterward, you are feeling dejected; it may mean that they are not putting a lot of effort into satisfying your emotional needs.

You can read on to know the signs of a one-sided relationship and how to address them:

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You are Not Their Priority

When you are not your partner's priority, it becomes relatively easy to see that you are in a one-sided relationship.

It may hurt to realize that you aren't their priority, but you have to discover if that's the truth in your relationship so you can address it.

If your spouse is making decisions without involving you, there's a significant chance that they don't consider you a priority anymore.

When they make solo decisions about a job switch, a new substantial investment portfolio, or a new hobby that takes up a lot of their time, that is a strong indicator that they don't prioritize your thoughts anymore.

Also, if you notice that they don't have time for you in their schedule, it may be because they no longer prioritize you.

When a partner that used to spend quality time with you before changes and spends more time with friends and other interests, it's evident that you have dropped in their order of priority.

Once you notice that this situation is going on in your marriage, be ready to take action to get the best out of your marriage.

Make sure you consider their actions well so you don't make errors in judgment.

Then you should confront them calmly and make them see how you have been hurt while suggesting how things can be better.

You are Putting in Most of the Effort

A marriage where one partner puts in most of the effort to make the marriage a blissful one is generally considered a one-sided relationship.

If you notice that your partner always blames you for bad things in the marriage instead of making an effort to be introspective to see their guilt, that could be a sign that you are the one putting most of the effort into the relationship.

Equally, if you go all out for your partner's birthday, marriage anniversary, or other celebratory event and your partner never takes the initiative to plan your birthday or other events, it means they are not making any effort to make the marriage blissful.

After discovering this fact, it's essential that you sit them down and have a long, meaningful conversation with them.

Tell them how unhealthy it is to live in a marriage without the reciprocity of love.

This will let them realize that their behavior is enough ground for you to leave.

There is a Lingering Sense of Unfulfillment

A one-sided relationship can cause you to have a constant sense of unfulfillment because your partner's inability to reciprocate your efforts constantly worries you and gives you no hope of better days.

Primarily, the unfulfillment comes from a place of unmet expectations.

When you were going into the marriage, you likely had your fantasies about your spouse's emotional and physical attention, but now they have failed to deliver.

It becomes more saddening when you realize that subtly asking them to make efforts for you to be happy equates to begging for their love and attention.

Thus, the sense of unfulfillment will continue to grow.

However, you can address this by looking inward and analyzing your unmet expectations to verify if they are realistic.

Prune the unrealistic ones and talk to your partner about the unmet, realistic expectations causing you to feel unfulfilled.

Engaging in a blame-less conversation will show them that you only want love, making them change.

You Make Plenty Excuses for Them

If you notice that you have been making endless excuses for your partner's behavior in the marriage, that may signify a one-sided relationship.

The endless excuses may include you saying they are going through a tough time, hence why they can't communicate with you, or their friends follow particular interests you don't engage in, thus why they hang out more with their friends than with you.

It's absolutely normal to make reasonable excuses for your partner when they do something you don't like, but when such instances become regular, it may be a sign that you should do something about it.

To address this issue, you have to make a conscious effort to review their actions thoroughly and think of how they could have dealt with their problems while still creating time for your happiness.

Afterward, talk to them about it and let them know that excuses can not replace displays of love.

A paper broken heart hanging from a string

Unbalanced Financial Contribution

An imbalance in the financial contribution of partners to a marriage can understandably cause resentment.

For example, if a partner contributes 90% of the household income while the other contributes 10%, this can lead to resentment, especially when they never planned to have it that way.

Suppose your financial plan was for you and your partner to contribute equally to the income.

It becomes a one-sided relationship when they have consistently contributed only a little while you handled the more significant part.

The matter becomes more worrisome when their inability to contribute equally is due to their lack of effort to find a well-paying job or their desire to live off you.

Once you identify this sign in your marriage, you can address it by initiating a conversation about it, sharing the house's financial needs, creating a budget, detailing how much you should contribute, and planning with your partner to get them a good job.

Conclusion

Going from a blissful marriage to a one-sided relationship can creep up on you if you don't know the signs.

But if you know the signs, you can address them and ensure that the relationship is put back on the blissful track where you and your partner equally made efforts to strengthen the emotional bond.

The warning signs you should look out for include you not being their priority, putting in the most effort, having a sense of unfulfillment, making endless excuses for them, and contributing a large part of the finances.

Resources

https://hackspirit.com/signs-youre-not-priority-your-husbands-life/

https://www.bustle.com/p/am-i-giving-too-much-in-my-relationship-7-signs-youre-putting-in-more-effort-than-your-partner-2971335

https://www.lifeingraceblog.com/2019/07/5-reasons-youre-not-fulfilled-in-your-marriage/

https://hackspirit.com/one-sided-relationship/

https://www.bustle.com/p/how-to-know-if-your-relationship-is-failing-based-on-the-excuses-youre-making-for-your-partner-9342190

https://www.moneycrashers.com/how-to-handle-income-inequality-in-marriage/

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About the author

Adewale Ayeni-Bepo

I'm a lawyer and content writer committed to helping people learn how to live mentally healthy lives. My pieces focus on identifying the issues and highlighting their solutions. It's my belief that every person can live a mentally healthy life.