Red Flags in Relationships

Are you in a relationship? Most of us have been in a romantic relationship at one time or another. Do you often wonder if your relationship is healthy or not? Do you find yourself questioning your decisions often or insecure about your connection to your partner?

Keep in mind, a healthy relationship is not a perfect relationship. Every relationship takes time, effort and work. To say any relationship is perfect is unrealistic. Perhaps, you are in a relationship where you are not sure if you are being mistreated.

An unhealthy relationship can be damaging for you as well as your partner and other family members. Here is a quick guide of what to watch for. Identifying a few of these in your own relationship could indicate you are in an unhealthy relationship.

Here are some relationship red flags:

Inability to calculate partners mood or actions
Distrust
Lack of clear interactions regarding feelings, plans and intentions
Multiple friends or loved ones have expressed concern about partner to you
Actions are dictated and/or manipulated
Unable to discuss certain topics
Partner controlling activities
Monetary domination
Intimidation
Being bombarded with gifts or praise by partner following their unfair treatment of you

It can be incredibly stressful if you are with a partner who you are unable to know what type of mood they will be in. Or if you are unable to predict how they will react to certain life situations. You could be walking on eggshells and not even know it. You might have gotten used to the unfair relationship trends and do not see what is happening. You might not realize your relationship is no longer a healthy one.

If you are with a partner who doesn’t trust you or you don’t trust them, it can be exhausting.

According to Stats Canada, in the year 2023, the police were involved with almost 140 000 victims of ‘family violence.’ Unhealthy relationships with red flags can lead to domestic abuse. These don't tend to just get better, but worse in fact overtime.

In Canada domestic violence is an epidemic. The problem doesn't stop there either. The World Health Organization has addressed 'Intimate partner violence' as a large-scale worldwide issue involving many individuals with lifelong financial, mental and physical health effects.

If you have several of these red flags in your relationship, it doesn’t hurt to get relationship help.