Marriages don’t always end with a dramatic breakup. Sometimes, one partner ‘quietly quits’. Things appear normal on the outside, but they simply stop trying.

Connection Expert, Karina Chapman, tells Mike when emotional connection disappears, people can become numb.

They may stop sharing a bed, withdraw affection, stop planning things together, and gradually begin living separate lives while remaining under the same roof.

“Research shows that responsiveness from a partner is an important part of relationship satisfaction,” says Karina.

“But when a partner tries repeatedly to reconnect and nothing changes, it can feel easier to withdraw than to blow up their entire life - particularly when there are children, finances or other reasons keeping them together.

Connection requires effort from both people. If one partner continually reaches out and the other stops responding, eventually that person may simply stop trying. The warning sign may not be arguments.

Sometimes, it’s silence.