What are the signals that you’re in a destructive relationship?
Relationships are an important component of how we define ourselves and find worth in life because humans are social creatures. Our personalities, decisions, and overall well-being are all influenced by our relationships.
While relationships can be beneficial sources of deep emotional connection and delight, not all of them are. It’s critical to understand how to distinguish between a healthy and an unhealthy relationship, especially when it comes to selecting an intimate partner.
A Healthy Relationship’s Signs
The easiest method to tell if a relationship is healthy is to examine it closely and see if it possesses the positive characteristics that characterise a good relationship. These characteristics can include, but are not limited to, the following:
Respect in communication and engagement that is consistent and displayed, including recognising and responding positively to limits.
- Affirmation, acceptance, and inclusion are provided through positive communication and socialisation.
- A person’s broad sense of serenity, well-being, contentment, and safety.
- A readiness to be honest and vulnerable without fear of rejection or judgement on a regular basis.
- A readiness to compromise, get a greater understanding of one another, and work together to overcome obstacles.
- While no relationship is perfect, if good actions such as these do not occur on a regular basis, it may be time to reassess the partnership’s current situation.
Significances of a Diseased Relationship
It can be difficult to tell if a relationship is toxic since relationships, especially intimate partner relationships, contain so many complexities. It’s normal for people to overlook warning signs that a relationship is unhealthy. The following are some of the more subtle indications of a bad relationship:
- Ignorance of boundaries and a refusal to learn or pay heed to them on a regular basis.
- Disrespectful, snarky, condescending, or generally cruel remarks or interactions on a regular basis.
- A persistent sense of uneasiness, fear, or worry about the connection that is not alleviated by talking to the other person.
- An unwillingness to talk about or solve problems.
- Refusal to accept the other person and their demands or requirements on a regular basis.
- Restricting or monitoring communication with or access to loved ones, financial bullying, and extremely jealous tendencies are all examples of controlling or dominating behaviours.
- Emotional manipulation and routine targeting of stressors and weaknesses in order to influence the actions and decisions of others.
- Neglect or exclusion on purpose.
- Against the other person’s will, purposeful exposure to or participation in negative, damaging, or dangerous behaviours.
- Codependent (people-pleasing) actions are manipulated.
- Negative indicators can appear in a variety of ways, including verbal, physical, sexual, financial, and other settings. Furthermore, if such negative indications are allowed to persist, they may evolve into more serious red flags, signalling that a relationship situation needs to be changed.
Violence by an Intimate Partner
Intimate partner violence (IPV), commonly known as domestic violence (DV), is a type of violence that affects people at all levels of society. “Intimate relationship violence” is defined as “physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, or psychological trauma by a current or former partner or spouse,” according to the CDC. This sort of violence can occur in heterosexual or same-sex relationships, and it is not dependent on sexual intimacy.”
Sexual, physical, and psychological aggression/abuse, as well as stalking and the control of a financial, social, or job position, are all examples of IPV. Furthermore, while IPV can and does occur against men, the vast majority of IPV occurs against women.
One in every three women and one in every four men has been physically assaulted by a spouse at some point in their lives, and one in every seven women and one in every 18 men has been stalked by their partner. The following are some of the symptoms of IPV:
- Sexual harassment and assault in all kinds are examples of unwanted or forced sexual engagement.
- Unwanted touching, talks, statements, or sexting are examples of this.
- Threats, shouting, and swearing are examples of verbal abuse.
- Slapping, striking, shoving, hair pulling, and any other physically abusive behaviour are examples of physical abuse.
- Consistent feelings of envy, distrust, or rage, even if they are unfounded.
- Controlling the time and money of a spouse.
- Isolating a spouse and prohibiting them from leaving the house or situation for whatever reason.
Intimate Partner Violence Solutions
The abused spouse in intimate partner relationships frequently has no way out or does not know how to seek help. However, there is hope, and there are numerous methods that can assist the afflicted partner in escaping the circumstance. To begin, call a clinical psychologist on 08000432584 immediately if you know someone who is in danger. Your airtime will not be charged if you phone the hotline at any time. It is a toll-free telephone number.
Call Now to SAVE A LIFE: 08000432584
