In the early stages of a relationship, most of us think we’ve found ‘the one’. Sadly, however, more often than not we later discover they weren’t the one, but rather just one.

But sometimes it’s hard to see, especially when you’ve been together for a long time.

For some reason, it’s easy to spot when a friend’s relationship is past its expiry date but so much harder when it’s your own. We get stuck in a rut and so used to it that we don’t realise our relationship is bringing more angst than joy into our lives.

So how can you spot the signs you need to end it? Four therapists who’ve seen it all revealed to Bravo TV the relationship red flags to look for:

1. Your partner always blames you

Rarely are relationship problems the fault of just one party - as they say, it takes two to tango.

According to clinical professional counsellor Julienne Derichs, “You are in a dead-end relationship if your boyfriend or girlfriend doesn't want to work through conflicts with you and blames you for the all problems in your relationship.”

The only way for your relationship to evolve is by working through problems together, and both people need to be willing to do that.

Money problems main reason for relationship breakdown

2. It doesn’t look like it’s going to get better

Tiffs, arguments and bad patches are normal - rare is the couple that’s happy all the time - but if you can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel, it’s probably time to move on.

“The biggest way to tell if you are in a dead-end relationship is if you do not see it getting better,” therapist and health & wellness expert Jenny Giblin says.

She points out that this is, however, different from just feeling hopeless: “If you have stuck around waiting for things to change, and nothing has, and you find yourself accepting that this is just how your relationship is, and settling for that, then the issue may be simply that you are in a dead-end relationship.”

The Museum of Broken Relationships Show all 10 1 /10 The Museum of Broken Relationships The Museum of Broken Relationships A Mexican teenager made 1,000 origami cranes for his high-school sweetheart, which he told her would grant her a wish, according to an old Japanese legend. “I know these cranes represent all his feelings about our relationship: all the love he had, all the blame for the mistakes made, all of it,” she wrote. “I never counted the cranes. I know there are a thousand: I trust him.” (Tim Walker) The Museum of Broken Relationships A vintage cheerleadering uniform, bought as a turn-on for its owner’s boyfriend, who was a fan of the Cornhuskers, the University of Nebraska’s football team. “The night he ended things I almost put the uniform on in anticipation of him getting home,” she writes, “but thankfully opted for a flannel PJ set instead.” (Tim Walker) The Museum of Broken Relationships These fake, sculpted breasts were donated by a woman in Belgrade, Serbia, whose husband urged her to wear them during sex. She left him instead. (Tim Walker) The Museum of Broken Relationships These two Los Angeles lovers met in a graphic design class and bonded by debating the merits of the Davida font. “As our relationship deepened, we collected about 200 sightings of Davida all over the world… Once we broke up, I still saw Davida everywhere.” (Tim Walker) The Museum of Broken Relationships Vintage cupcake toppers (Tim Walker) The Museum of Broken Relationships Belly button lint (Tim Walker) The Museum of Broken Relationships This Spanish lottery ticket spelled the end of a 63-year friendship. The person who submitted it was one of four lifelong best friends, until they learned the other three had been playing the lottery together without them. “How did I find out? Because they won a big prize. I felt so sad and disappointed when I found out that I fell ill. The worst thing is that they never phoned me again... They won the prize, but they lost a real friend. Losing friends when you are young is hard, but losing them when you are living the last years of your life is even harder.” (Tim Walker) The Museum of Broken Relationships A wedding dress in a jar (Tim Walker) The Museum of Broken Relationships The spectrum of a star, given by an astronomer to his lover, also an astronomer, on her 26th birthday in Beijing, China. The star in question is pi3, 26 light years from Earth. “He said: look, at the time you were born, the light left this star... Every time I see the Orion constellation, I relive some sweet memories.” (Tim Walker) The Museum of Broken Relationships An 'X-Files' pin (Tim Walker)

3. You fancy other people

If you were with the right person, you wouldn’t be fantasising about that cute guy from finance or the pretty girl you saw on your commute this morning.

“If you’re constantly thinking about your other options, then your relationship isn’t as strong as you think it is,” says counsellor Jonathan Bennett.

4. It doesn’t feel right

Sometimes it’s simply a case of listening to your instincts. If your partner no longer feels like the person you’re meant to spend the rest of your life with, they’re probably not.

“If your partner doesn’t feel like ‘the one’, something may be up. You struggle to feel more in love and closer and just can’t seem to get there,” are examples offered by relationship therapist Rhonda Milrad.

Society conditions us to use the voice of reason but gut feeling is more powerful than most of us think, and it’s important not to ignore it.