Is my Relationship Healthy or Unhealthy?
What is a healthy/unhealthy relationship?
A healthy relationship is a relationship in which everyone benefits from being in the relationship. An unhealthy relationship on the other hand, is a relationship where everyone does NOT benefit from being in it.
What is in a Healthy Relationship?
In a healthy relationship you should expect to find many positive aspects, but the most significant are
- Respect
- A person should respect their partner's ideas and opinions. They should also be open to ideas and not be rude in any way. For example, a person could listen to someone talking about their dreams and career.
- Trust
- A person should trust and have the trust of their partner, such as the trust of not cheating.
- Honesty
- A person should be honest, but in a nice way, to their partner. They should not be lying, unless it is to avoid hurting feelings. For example, you can be honest about expenses, or tell someone they're not fat (even when you might think they are).
- Support
- A person should support and be supported by they're partner in what they feel. For example, if a person wants to pursue a career in law, then their partner should support it.
- Fairness
- Both partners should be fair in the relationship. For example, splitting things that is beneficial for both.
- Good Communication
- Both partners must have good communication in order to avoid complicated scenarios where one didn't understand the other. This is arguably the most important aspect of a healthy relationship, as it can impact one majorly. An example can be auto-correct, in which a person meant to type one thing but was auto-corrected, and the message ended up being bad.
What are the benefits of a healthy relationship?
- Physical: Strengthened immune system, longer life
- Social: Less lonliness, emotional support
- Emotional: Reduced stress, reduced depression
What is in an Unhealthy Relationship?
In an unhealthy relationship, you will most likely find a lot of red flags, with the most significant ones being
- Anger
- A person should never be angry at their partner (unless something huge happened). Anger can cause violence which is another red flag, and is dangerous to your health. For example, if someone get's angry at another for simply forgetting to place the mouse on the mousepad, then that is a sign of an unhealthy relationship.
- Isolation
- There are many forms of isolation, such as isolating oneself and isolating another. Both are bad, and can cause harmful effects on emotional and social health. An example of isolation is a person trying to isolate you from other relationships, which is an instant red flag. It can cut you off from important people, and also cut you off from possibly trusted people who you can use as resources if you need help.
- Violence
- No one should ever be violet, whether in a relationship or not. Violence can lead to serious injuries and legal consequences, and is not healthy. For example, someone can hit another person in their relationship with a baseball bat, which will cause a serious injury.
- Abuse
- Abuse is a major red flag of an unhealthy relationship. Abuse can indicate hatred towards a partner, and can cause serious emotional, physical, and social harm. An example of abuse is when a person touches their partner innappropriately WITHOUT consent.
- Selfishness
- A person should never be selfish, an example being taking all the food for themself, or taking all the blankets for themself. This is unfair for the partner, and causes stress and hardships for them.
- Dishonesty
- Dishonesty can lead to major trust issues, which is a problem in a relationship. It can also cause miscommunication, leading to an unhealthy relationship. An example of this is if a person lies to someone in their relationship by telling them that they never spent $1000 on candy and that it was a scam, when in reality they did spend that $1000. If the person finds out, major trust issues will most likely occur.
What are the harms of an unhealthy relationship?
- Physical: Injuries
- Social: Lonliness, trust issues
- Emotional: Increased stress and depression, Sadness
How do I maintain relationship skills?
To maintain relationships and keep them healthy, you must:
- Communicate clearly to avoid miscommunication
- Be kind and supporting to help mental health
- Be honest, but nice to not hurt feelings or break trust
- Respect each other to make everyone feel included
- Gain trust and show trust to make decision making easier
These skills ensure your safety and increase the chances greatly of you being in a healthy relationship.
Taking Action
You should always take action if you suspect you are victim or perpetrator in an unhealthy relationship, or are concerned for a friend. Some stuff you can do is:
- Get help from a trusted person
- Talk to a proffesional
- Attend therapy
Resources
Here are some places you can access:
- Person/People: Your school counselor. If you are in 8th grade in MVMS, then Mrs.Marton
- Phone: 800-799-7233
- Site: hruth.org
