How to Conquer Your 10 Biggest Marriage Fears

By Dawn Papandrea

Fretting about your relationship doesn’t end with pre-wedding jitters. It’s quite common-and healthy-to have worries during the marriage, says Jane Greer, PhD, licensed marriage and family therapist, radio host and author of What About Me? Stop Selfishness from Ruining Your Relationship. “Fears can be useful in heading off future problems. Take them seriously, and make them work for you rather than against you,” she says. Here’s help for overcoming 10 common marriage fears. Photo by Getty Images

“We’ll eventually have nothing in common.”

The honeymoon-phase excitement tends to fade “after around seven years when the partners are dealing with the stresses of young children,” says Paul Hokemeyer, PhD, a New York-based marriage and family therapist. “That’s when parents stop having sex, stop connecting emotionally and begin to have separate lives,” he says. So double your efforts to feed your marriage during this period. “Propose something old that you can bring back or something new you can explore together,” suggests Dr. Greer. That way, you’ll still have shared interests.

“If I get sick, he won’t be able to hold it together.”

Traditionally, women are the caregivers, so not being able to perform that role is a legitimate fear. Use your concern as an “opportunity to make out living wills, which designate care in case of incapacitation,” says Tina B. Tessina, PhD, psychotherapist and author of Money, Sex, and Kids: Stop Fighting About the Three Things that Can Ruin Your Marriage. Or simply start a conversation on the topic. Dr. Tessina suggests something like: “I see Aunt Fanny needing so much care, and Uncle Fred struggling. I don’t want us ever to be in that position. Let’s talk about what happens if you or I get sick.”

“I don’t want to end up like that couple.”

Whether your friends are going through an ugly divorce, or you grew up in a home where fighting was the norm, it’s hard not to wonder how those marriages deteriorated and fear it could happen to you. “Pay attention to the hazards so you can figure out what to do to avoid it,” says Dr. Greer. For instance, if you’re around a couple who belittles each other at a party, open up a discussion with your husband during which you pledge to always respect each other in front of others. “Put up safeguards so you don’t slip into those behaviors,” says Dr. Greer. read the rest