What brings two people together and creates a lasting connection filled with love, passion and excitement? And what is it that can ultimately extinguish that spark? How is it that people who once felt such a deep love and attraction can find themselves feeling alone, misunderstood, even dead inside, because the passion has been replaced with pain?

Relationship stress comes in many forms, but it doesn’t have to signal an ending.

The key to avoiding these pitfalls is to understand the common stressors that negatively impact your relationships and how each source of relationship stress can ultimately devastate your connection if not addressed. It’s also essential to establish clear lines of communication with your partner so that you both focus on fulfilling each other’s deepest desires and needs, instead of ignoring these needs and contributing to greater relationship stress.