Shiftheads - The Relief Test: Dr. Laurie Betito on Knowing When You're Done

Shane Hewitt and The Nightshift · Apr 11, 2026 · 18m

Relationship breakup signs are rarely obvious, and the moment most people act on them is far later than they think. The average couple lives in distress for five to seven years before doing anything about it. By then, Dr. Laurie says, half of them are past the point of repair.

The Seven-Year Trap

Hope keeps couples in bad marriages longer than logic should allow. Ego keeps men in them longer than women. And the fear of being seen as a failure can outlast the relationship itself. Young couples, though, are quietly doing it differently.

What Running Out of Gas Actually Feels Like

When you…