10 Couples Discuss Why Some Serious, Long-Term Relationships Need To End

Sometimes, the person you assume you’re going to spend the rest of your life with isn’t mean to be permanent. Here are some heartbreaking stories about couples who had to put an end to their serious, long-term relationship that lasted five or more years:

“I think after a period of time you fall into a routine. You’ve been with each other for so long it’s not as simple as just going your separate ways. It’s kind of an epiphany that you realize suddenly all the little things have added up, they’ve changed – you’ve changed, the dynamics of the relationship have changed. You just have to make the call in the best faith for both parties and it’s not an easy thing to do. You get used to the security, the structure and comfort a relationship brings and the thought of being single again after so long is terrifying.” — CodexAcc

“Unless someone cheats, it’s usually not sudden at all. It’s a slow, gradual, sometimes subtle change. Eventually one day you sit back and realize WTF, this isn’t working out, and hasn’t been working out for quite some time… and then you end it.” — stratys3

“We were together for almost 7 years starting in college. It was definitely a slow fade. He was finishing his education and thinking about the next stage of his life – ultimately we didn’t want the same things, despite talking about the future frequently over the years. We got to a point where I wanted to get married and have kids and he couldn’t tell me enthusiastically that he wanted the same things. It was a long process of realizing that we were better friends and roommates than anything more. Eventually I broke it off on really good terms. I’m grateful that over a year later we’re still friends.” — Beatandbeating

“Honestly, it just never really worked at all. The whole relationship was broken almost from the start. It just kept going on because I just kept putting up with it and being with someone was more important to her than being with the right one.” — skeletorsleftlung

“Recently broke up with my girlfriend of 9 years. She is a really great person and I will always love her, but the reason we broke up is because her family took precedence over our relationship. She would check with her mother with decisions in our relationship that didn’t involve anyone but the two of us. They also never liked me and apparently told her she could do better than me for years behind my back. I never felt like a part of her family, while my family was devastated that we broke up.” — mitchftwlol

“Most of my long-term relationships lasted largely because one side was putting in more work than the other to the point that it remained satisfying enough for the less emotionally interested party. Eventually, someone gets tired, and realizes just how little the other side is contributing, and the death of that relationship begins.” — GroundhogExpert

“I got blindsided. I love you but I’m not in love with you. Found out she was crushing on a coworker and she ended it before she cheated.” — 800oz_gorilla

“He hit me and one time was enough for me to end it.” — Mizzlaki

“In my case it was almost exactly five years and I realized he is/was an alcoholic and I just couldn’t live with that. I have my own issues with coping with life and I needed someone who was not an alcoholic. I found that guy and life is good. My ex got married to someone who could accept his alcoholism.” — snowbunnyA2Z

“Age and life experience (or lack there of) are major factors. I met my ex-wife when we were in high school. We were together almost 10 years. In that time we grew up. It reached a point where neither of us could grow any more as people. The relationship became a barrier to us developing in a healthy direction. Breaking up was critical for us. That didn’t mean we loved each other any less. We just needed room to grow.” — Govinda74