It is a sad fact that of all Americans who have been married, one out of three has also experienced at least one divorce.
With the vast majority of people in America being married one or more times, it is common knowledge that every couple goes through a few rocky patches.
Many marital problems can be solved with open communication and a solid commitment to one another.
For more serious issues, some couples turn to marital counseling and may find renewed strength at the end of that journey.
Unfortunately, some problems escalate into insurmountable barriers to a successful marriage.
Generally these seemingly unsolvable issues stem from one or both partners refusing to address their problems while they are still manageable.
Someone's feelings get hurt, resentment festers, and eventually one spouse detaches emotionally from the other.
The further into this cycle a couple is, the more likely they will find themselves in divorce court.
The downhill slide that ends in separation usually begins with communication problems.
It may start with keeping secrets, and soon one or both spouses avoid talking to each other about marital problems or possibly even life in general.
A failure to communicate with each other indicates a lack of trust, which is the foundation of marriage.
Shortly following a breakdown in communication, a partner may begin to employ personal defense mechanisms that will continue to weaken the marital bond.
Stonewalling tactics, being overly defensive, or dismissing the other spouse's feelings makes healthy conflict resolution impossible.
Avoiding conflict or engaging in negative defense mechanisms serves only to poison a marriage.
On the other hand, a spouse may make multiple efforts to address marital problems only to be shut out by the other who is utilizing unhealthy defenses.
Eventually the spouse making an effort to correct issues in the marriage will tire of being ignored and may even begin to distance his or herself from the other partner.
At this point, it is highly likely that one or both spouses may give up entirely and lose any interest in saving the marriage.
Is there a "point of no return" when a marriage is doomed? Certainly there is.
However, that point is different for each couple.
The key to saving a marriage is willingness to save it.
If one or both spouses have given up on their partnership, there is not much hope.
For couples who have not given up, the road to marital recovery requires honesty, communication, patience, forgiveness and commitment.
It is a long and bumpy road, but then so is the road to divorce.