Is it time to leave my marriage?
I (37F) have been married to my husband (42M) for over a decade. From the outside, everything looks good. He treats me well, loves me, and we generally get along. We don’t fight often, and when we do it’s usually about normal things like finances or intimacy.
The issue is that I’ve realized we may not be compatible in an important area of our relationship. For a long time, I didn’t really express my needs, and over time our intimacy started to feel more like an obligation than something I enjoy. Recently, he’s been trying to step into a different role to meet those needs, but it doesn’t feel natural for either of us, and I find myself unable to connect with it.
On top of that, I’ve been struggling with attraction. I care deeply about him as a person, but I don’t feel the kind of connection I think I should in a marriage. That’s been really hard to admit, even to myself.
I don’t know how to bring this up without hurting him. He hasn’t done anything wrong, and I feel guilty even feeling this way. But at the same time, I’m not happy, and I’m starting to question whether staying in the relationship is fair to either of us.
How do you have a conversation like this with someone who loves you and is trying, without completely breaking them? And how do you know if this is something that can be worked through, or if it’s a sign that the relationship has run its course?
Any advice or perspective would really help.
Posted Apr 8, 2026, 1:05 PM UTC