It's often said that the two things that couples fight over the most are sex and money. In reality of course there are many, many things that can cause marital strife and a breakup; having a good sex life or lots of money obviously won't insulate anyone from considering divorce or separation.

Some of the common issues that plague marriages today may include:

• Trouble with in-laws interfering with a marriage.
• Differing values and goals in life; this might include the desire or lack of desire for children or a career, excessive materialism on the part of one spouse, and so on.
• Different religious and moral views.
• Different views on gender roles and responsibilities.
• Deep-seated prejudices or strong opinions about cultures, politics, world events, and so on, that clash with the partner's views.
• Substance abuse, including alcoholism and drug addiction, whether to illegal or prescription drugs.
• Other addictions, including gambling, sex, pornography, or food.
• Mental or emotional illnesses and issues, including clinical depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or past abuse suffered as a child or previous traumatic events.
• Stressful careers, such as being a police officer, firefighter, air traffic controller, or jobs that take one from home for extended periods of time.
• Unemployment, extreme illnesses, or other prolonged issues outside the marriage.
• Domestic violence on the part of one spouse or another.
• Differing opinions on child rearing, including how to handle stepchildren and their particular issues.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the problems that many face in marriage, and often the real issues can be a combination of any of these types of things.

And while these are some of the more major problems that couples may face, there are of course everyday issues that may not be as serious and critical but that still seem to eat away at the marriage bond every single day, leading to an eventual breakup. These issues might include:

• Extreme selfishness on the part of one spouse; the "It's my way or the highway" attitude.
• A general lack of communication between the two; assumptions made by one that the other "should just know" what he or she is thinking or planning.
• A failure to take into consideration one's partner and his or her feelings when making decisions or plans, or in one's actions overall. This might include thoughtless actions such as constantly teasing the spouse in front of others, degrading their decisions or actions, everyday criticisms or sarcasm, and other such calloused behavior.
• A generally poor attitude on the part of one spouse; constantly finding reasons to complain or find fault with others or with life in general.

Do any of these things sound like you and your marriage? Can you easily see your spouse in any of these descriptions? And more importantly, can you see yourself in any of these descriptions as well?