All couples go through bad patches but sometimes a bad patch can turn into a crisis.
In addition, there are life changes most of us have to go through at some time - moving house, a new job, children leaving home for the first time, death of a parent, illness and retirement. All these can throw our lives into confusion and make extra demands on us, creating tension and a myriad of unsettling emotions, ranging from fear and anger to despair and loneliness. For some, it's a succession of smaller problems that seem to build up over time - or a gradual sense of growing apart that threatens the long term stability of a relationship. If you no longer share interests or feel taken for granted, or if you feel the romance has gone out of your life, you may feel that being on your own is preferable. The heady excitement of a romantic liaison, and being sexually attractive again, can lead to an affair - one of the most common causes of couples seeking counselling and a prime cause of relationship breakdown.