What is a Healthy Relationship?

What is a Healthy Relationship?

Sometimes we do not even know the difference between unhealthy or addictive relationships and a healthy approach to love. Often when I speak of dysfunctional relationships people are not sure what that means. Here are some features of an unhealthy approach to relationship in comparison to a healthy approach. See if you can see the difference.

Unhealthy Approach Healthy Approach

Looking on the outside for someone or something to fill a void within. Feel a desperation to be in a relationship. Love for self is complete. You feel comfortable with yourself and your life.

Always seem to be on the lookout for a relationship. You know the next one is going to be "the one". Your relationships come naturally into your life.

You are mostly attracted to certain types of people. Open to allow a relationship to unfold before making a judgment about your type.

Feel a high when you first get into a relationship. Your relationships develop fast. You feel a close connection almost instantly. Your relationships grow at their own speed. You would rather have them smolder like embers than flame high and burn out quickly.

You feel like this love of yours has a power over you. You feel like you have to stay on your toes to keep this relationship. You feel you each have individual strengths and weaknesses in different areas. Ideally, you compliment each other.

There seems to be a lot of high energy in the relationship, like fighting or breaking up and getting back together again. Your relationship feels safe, gentle and comfortable. You do not hurl angry statements, or have dramas in your relationship.

Your relationships become more difficult as time goes on. You feel like this may not be the one and you should keep your options open. It gets easier to be together and share your lives, the more you get to know each other. You find new things out about each other, as you both grow and mature.

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Looking on the outside for someone or something to fill a void within. Feel a desperation to be in a relationship.	Love for self is complete. You feel comfortable with yourself and your life.
Always seem to be on the lookout for a relationship. You know the next one is going to be "the one".	Your relationships come naturally into your life.
You are mostly attracted to certain types of people.	Open to allow a relationship to unfold before making a judgment about your type.
Feel a high when you first get into a relationship. Your relationships develop fast. You feel a close connection almost instantly.	Your relationships grow at their own speed. You would rather have them smolder like embers than flame high and burn out quickly.
You feel like this love of yours has a power over you. You feel like you have to stay on your toes to keep this relationship.	You feel you each have individual strengths and weaknesses in different areas. Ideally, you compliment each other.
There seems to be a lot of high energy in the relationship, like fighting or breaking up and getting back together again.	Your relationship feels safe, gentle and comfortable. You do not hurl angry statements, or have dramas in your relationship.
Your relationships become more difficult as time goes on. You feel like this may not be the one and you should keep your options open.	It gets easier to be together and share your lives, the more you get to know each other. You find new things out about each other, as you both grow and mature.