Many would say a relationship can not be saved at all if one person really wants out.
But, that's not entirely true.
Long-term relationships stand a greater chance of weathering the storm, such as a potential desire to split.
This is because there is more at stake and more to lose.
Each partner has invested more time, focus and energy, money and heart, and may be more reluctant to give up on that investment.
Many may also have children too.
When one partner says "It's over", the answer doesn't automatically have to be "Okay", followed by retreat to lick our emotional wounds!.
The longer you're with someone, the more it's possible to say "I just don't accept that, what can we do to fix the problem?".
Broken relationships, especially those that haven't involved an affair, can come back from the brink.
So what brings one couple back from the brink and sends another over the edge? It really depends on the reason of the partner who wants out.
Is the source of unhappiness in the relationship - conflict between the two partners - or is it within the one who wants to split? What ever it is, if there is enough love, then communication and a sincere effort to reconnect can often fix things.
However, without the desire to work together, it's unlikely that a relationship can be saved.
Many therapists say they prefer to work with a couple who are deep in conflict than those who are filled with apathy.
If a couple fights like cat and dog, it indicates there is still some passion, care and investment in the relationship.
Essentially, there is still something worth getting worked up about! When one or both partners simply don't care what happens one way or the other, it indicates that at least one partner has already emotionally checked out.
Bringing a couple back from the brink really involves deciphering the content of the issues, and also understanding how emotionally invested each partner is in their relationship.
In a long term relationship you can say "No" when confronted with "I want to break up".
You can say,"Let's Listen to each other instead of leave each other".
And it can work.
Not all situations will have a happy ending.
One half of a relationship can't always save the whole thing.
But you can certainly try.
If one partner is faltering, the other can be a rock through hard times, and then if both of you become willing to work on the issues, the longing to leave can be replaced with by the desire and ability to stick it out and stick together.
Good relationships are what holds our world together; from the top to the bottom, both corporate worlds and private and family lives.
It's worth fighting for.