Wives Who Feel Trapped In Their Marriages Usually Do These 11 Subtle Things At Home
If a wife feels trapped in her marriage, she will show these subtle signs.
microcosmos / Shutterstock Relationships are never easy. Maintaining a healthy and happy partnership requires a lot of work. Sadly, according to statistics, 40-50% of marriages end in divorce. While many couples fight for their relationship, for others, getting out of it can be a relief. What happens to those who find themselves unhappy, but can’t seem to get out of their union?
There are numerous reasons why someone may feel trapped in an unhappy marriage. It’s easy as outsiders looking in to critique them for not choosing to step away. Sometimes, children are involved, and their parents want to stay together for their sake. Others are stuck because of financial reasons. It’s a difficult economy to be a solo earner in. Whatever the case, when a wife feels trapped in their marriage, they will show subtle signs at home.
Wives who feel trapped in their marriages usually do these 11 subtle things at home
1. She will keep to herself
Maridav
If a wife is struggling with feeling trapped in her marriage, she will likely keep to herself. She wants to avoid having conversations or spending time with the person she feels stuck with. She does not enjoy his company and will try to do her own thing as much as possible.
She may feel constantly judged by her partner, depending on the circumstances surrounding why she feels trapped. Spending time with her husband could end in damaging her self-esteem and leave her feeling mentally drained.
2. She will start saving money
Towfiqu barbhuiya from Pexels
Many women find themselves stuck in unhappy marriages due to financial security. Just about everyone I know is living paycheck to paycheck. It’s hard to be a single earner in the economy. Having the financial support of a partner eases the stress of living. If a wife is feeling trapped in her relationship, she will start saving money in hopes that she can one day escape.
Husbands may notice that their wives are spending less. She may be only getting the essentials for around the house. Saving money and buying less for herself could be a subtle sign she’s hoping to leave the marriage she feels trapped in.
3. She will put her children first
Valeria Ushakova from The Valeria Ushakova Collection
Mothers will always prioritize their children. However, when a wife feels trapped in her marriage, she will subtly start caring for her children above and beyond the way she cares for her husband. Commonly, a wife’s children are the reason why she stays in a marriage she no longer wants to be in.
Licensed social worker Shelia Robinson-Kiss says it does not have to be that way, and maybe it’s time to prioritize children outside of the two-parent family norm. “We can simply no longer treat marriage like a one-size-fits-all jumpsuit,” she wrote. “We'd do better as a society to support healthy family functioning versus rigid and outdated norms that suffocate parents struggling to do what is best for their children.”
4. She will be angry
Dean Drobot
Husbands may notice that their wives are more likely to lose their patience. A wife who feels trapped in her relationship will be angrier at home. Her fuse will be short, and she will likely snap when certain things become too much for her.
Wives who feel trapped in their relationship are often dealing with unmet needs. When she’s not getting what she wants, but she feels like she can’t leave, her anger will begin to boil over. Husbands may notice she is subtly letting her anger get the best of her at home.
5. She will be anxious
Faalguni Mandal from Faalguni Mandal
Anxiety is a subtle symptom of an unhappy wife who feels trapped. She could be feeling anxious because the idea of leaving her marriage and finding herself on her own is scary. She may be worried about the thought of loneliness.
When she’s thinking about leaving, so much change is on the line. It can cause severe anxiety over the thought of losing her personality for the last several years, says Darlene Lancer, JD, LMFT. “For spouses married a number of years, their identity and role may be as ‘husband' or ‘wife' — ‘provider' or 'homemaker.’ The loneliness experienced after divorce is tinged with feeling lost,” she writes. “It’s an identity crisis.”
6. She will feel hopeless
Kaboompics.com from Pexels
It can be draining to be in a relationship that feels like a chore. When a wife has lost all motivation in her marriage, she will grow hopeless. Maintaining her partnership will feel unnecessary when she is having a hard time mentally.
The feeling of hopelessness can present itself in different ways around the home. She may exhibit symptoms of depression. It can be difficult for her to find motivation to take care of the house and herself when she’s in a state of hopelessness.
7. She will withdraw emotionally
Antonio_Diaz from Getty Images
When a wife feels trapped in a marriage, she will withdraw emotionally, and the signs may be subtle at home. She may stop engaging in quality time with her husband. Affection and intimacy will become less prevalent. Withdrawing can be an easy way to protect her from further pain.
“To protect ourselves from emotional pain, we unconsciously employ defense mechanisms. These protective behaviors can keep us from feeling our own difficult emotions by suppressing or keeping the focus on the other,” therapist Danielle Sethi says. “Emotional withdrawal is the disengagement with one’s own emotions and with the internal experience of a partner in a relationship. When things are not going well in relationships, partners may pull away entirely in an effort to prevent getting hurt further.”
8. She will be caught daydreaming
Trường Nguyễn Thanh from Pexels
Have you noticed your wife is often stuck in her own head? Staring off into space? She could be daydreaming about a way out of her relationship that she feels trapped in.
She will find herself in a world of daydreams to escape the reality that makes her unhappy. When a relationship is harming her emotionally, she could feel that daydreaming is her only escape. This can turn into maladaptive daydreaming, a condition where patients can lose themselves in vivid daydreams, usually associated with trauma.
9. She will withdraw socially
cottonbro studio from Pexels
When a woman feels trapped in her marriage, it can be easier for her to withdraw from her social life. There is anxiety and stress that come from opening up about the situation at home. She may have once had strong bonds with friends and family, but now, she chooses to spend more time isolated at home.
She likely doesn’t want to deal with her friends and family’s judgment. It’s easy for outsiders to tell the person feeling trapped to simply leave the marriage. She may also have low self-esteem from her relationship, especially if there is abuse involved.
10. She will try to be overly pleasing to her husband
Jacob Lund
Some wives may become overly pleasing to the husband with whom they feel trapped. While some may look for conflict out of frustration, many will choose to go out of their way to please their husband to avoid arguments. It’s easier for them to simply go along with whatever he wants than to stand up for themselves.
If the reason she feels trapped in her relationship is fear-based, she will do anything she can to keep her husband happy. Sometimes it can be a real risk to make him upset. If a man notices his wife is looking to please him to avoid arguments, she could be feeling trapped in the marriage.
11. She will start fights
Keira Burton from Pexels
On the opposite end of the spectrum, some husbands will notice their wives are more combative at home. It is likely from the frustration that comes with feeling unhappy and unable to leave. Their pain could pour over into constant arguments.
I know when I am feeling unhappy or trapped in a situation, my patience is incredibly thin. It’s easy to start a conflict, intentional or not. Years of feeling trapped in a relationship can lead to a wife starting constant fights with her husband. It may start subtly, but it will become more consistent over time.
Haley Van Horn is a freelance writer with a master’s degree in Humanities, living in Los Angeles. Her focus includes entertainment and lifestyle stories.
