A couple can break up for a number of reasons and there's often a combination of complicated issues behind a decision to separate. You may feel sad, angry or shocked when you hear the news.

You may also feel guilty and think that you've somehow played a part in the break up. Whatever the reasons behind your breaking up, it's important to remember that it's not your fault.

If you feel relieved, don't worry. It may seem like a strange reaction to have to such a serious situation, but if you have arguing or hurting each other, it may be better for everyone if they lived apart from each other.

Do you know when to break up? It can be a very grey area, especially if you have invested a lot of time and emotions in your relationship, but the four items below describe issues that have been sending couples to Splits Ville forever. Learn from their mistakes.

1. Verbal abuse: Common in many relationships, especially teen ones. If this type of behavior is not squeeze tightly fingers in the bud it usually continues during the duration of the relationship. There are couples who have been miserably married for 10 or 20 etc. years, because they are in a verbally abusive relationship. If you are constantly being put down by someone break up.
2. Physical abuse: Hitting, Slapping, Punching, Kicking, Shoving/Pushing. If you have just been hurt today or you hurt someone today, it's time to starting the damages in your relationship. One of you needs help, and most likely both of you do. Get healthy first. Get the help you need. It's time to break up.
3. No Respect: If there is no mutual respect in your relationship, then there is not a healthy partnership or probably not even hope for a healthy relationship. If you are disillusioned or disgusted by your partner, the work to gain that respect back is very difficult to achieve. It might be easier on everyone involved to let go. It's time to break up and move on.
4. No Trust: If you do not trust your partner or vice-versa, imagine how many arguments and sleepless nights you both will have, but if you are continually doubting and questioning your partner and you feel that this is probably part of his or her character- then it is time to break up.

Getting through a break up & divorce

The feelings with experience might differ depending on who broke up with whom, but these can include:

• Confusion
• Sadness or depression
• Stress
• Anger
• Guilt
• Low self-esteem
• Breaking up is difficult for everyone, but it's important to remember it's not the end of the world! If you break up with someone, try talking things through with your friends or even someone you trust in your family.