The fighting, the stony silences, cold shoulders, and the constant berating. When a relationship is in the midst of a crisis, it can spell disaster for other aspects of your life, too.

If your relationship is in the dumps, it’s likely that it’s affecting your performance in other aspects of your life, as well. That’s why when things aren’t going well, taking a break is a great option to just recharge yourselves and focus on yourself.

So when do you know if you need to spend time apart? There’s no magic formula, but there are some warning signs that should be a red flag:

Question: Dear Dr. Bousa!!
Is getting intimate with the person you love wrong??
I guess this is very sensitive question that Im trying to find out the answer for…..As you know, when you met someone on Arab Lounge most of them are long distance, and it’s very rare to find someone in your own town and click together [...]

Question: Dear Dr. Bousa,
I was forced to marry a man when I was 20 years old. Our marriage was brief and I’ve been divorced for 15 years. Over the years, many men have come forward from my community. However, I’m never really attracted to these men and find them incompatible. Also, these men seemed unstable [...]

Question: So the question of  “do you drink?” comes up. People have a tendency to judge, whether they actually say it to you or not. And I don’t blame them, cuz I get completely turned off when I know someone smokes, which is a whole other story. My angle is that I’m a responsible adult, [...]

Question: Hi Dr. Bousa!!I’m a 26 years old girl, I been here in US for almost 12 years from Syria,,,When I moved here I end up getting married because of family choice, not mine;  it was an arranged marriage …The guy was born back home but lived here most of his life…I tried as much [...]

Question: Hello, Dr. Bousa. I’d first like to say that I am a big fan of your advice section and I am hoping you can help me with my dilemma just as you have helped others. My boyfriend recently ended our relationship, and I have been experiencing a wave of guilty emotion ever since. Here’s [...]