Are you in a healthy relationship?

II was talking to a friend about our romantic relationships, past and present. As the conversation was going on, I labeled her relationship as healthy and she got silent. She has a partner who supports her initiatives, encourages her to find a job that she likes and enjoys doing, and listens to her stories. Not only that but he is standing by her and holding her hand when she feels down. Regardless of whether she is happy or sad, he is with her. That's a healthy connection.

Yet, she had never given it a thought before. It took her some moments to realize it.

That got me thinking about how depending on our experience and mental state we sometimes don't sit down to think how/if our current relationship is serving us.

Up until my mid-20s I was pursuing love as it was the cure to a global disease. It was a pursuit motivated by desperation. And that led to me having very unfitting partners. After each fight, extreme ends were reached and intense emotions were experienced. This kept me on a high. I never felt grounded enough to sit down with myself and think about what am I searching for. I was high and "going with the flow".

Intense relationships can have a negative impact on mental health and daily life. The constant high of negative emotions can be exhausting, and although fighting can be thrilling with an adrenaline rush, the long-term effects of high stress levels are detrimental

Seeking help and support from objective professionals can be very useful in these situations. Friends and family can be of great help too, but depending on the severity of the situation, they might be too involved to help.

With love,

Stefani