Dysfunctional Relationships

A relationship is a tricky affair and describing it is even trickier. So, how do you find out if your relationship is what it is meant to be and nothing else? Is there any way to know if your relationship is a healthy one or one that is bordering on the brink of disaster? The answer, in short, is yes. There are a number of pointers that show if your relationship is dysfunctional or a normal one, only if you care to open your eyes. Most of the time, the relationship becomes dysfunctional, because of the burdens that the respective partners carry of their past experiences. They always have the tendency to compare their present with their past. When you throw in certain factors like suspicion, distrust, jealousy, etc, then the heady cocktail makes the past look more attractive than the present, the result being discontentment, unhappiness, and various other ills. What you once thought would be the recipe for a perfect life; turns into recipe for a perfect dysfunctional relationship instead. If you want to save your relationship, then it should be your utmost priority to identify the signs and traits of a dysfunctional relationship, before it does any further damage. Read below to learn how you can identify the signs and traits of a dysfunctional relationship.

Signs Of A Dysfunctional Relationship

Addictive or obsessive attitude is the first sign that the relationship is teetering towards being dysfunctional. If you or your partner seem to be constantly overtly concerned about the other’s whereabouts, know for sure that this would soon result in a dysfunctional relationship. Even those with dollops of patience can get triggered at the wrong end, due to constant nagging.
Sometimes in a relationship a stage comes when one partner works much harder in making the relationship work, while the other puts in little or no effort. This creates an imbalance of power, because a successful relationship depends upon equal partnership. Imbalance of power leads to the relationship becoming dysfunctional.
Tensions, fights and quarrels describe a relationship. Tiffs and disagreements here and there are fine and are bound to occur. Do not be concerned with them. However, problem can arise when little things cause tension and fights on a daily basis. If such tiffs reach to disproportional importance, then the two of you are surely heading towards making your relationship a dysfunctional one.
In a dysfunctional relationship, either of the partners’ feels suffocated or burdened by the commitment. The partner feels that he/she is cornered or trapped in a situation that he/she would, otherwise, not have entered, in the first place. If this is a recurring problem, then the relationship is in turmoil.
If either of the partners’ develops inferiority or superiority complex, then it can turn the relationship sour. Feeling of oneness and togetherness is an inevitable emotion for a bond to thrive. If one or the other feels superior, then it can lead to havoc, thus disrupting the relationship completely.
When frustration and unhappiness starts becoming a major part of the relationship, rather than an exception, then the relationship starts becoming dysfunctional. This will bog you down mentally and you won’t have the inclination to reconcile your feelings and needs with your partner’s and vice versa.
Relationship acts as emotional protection for both men and women. The fact that you can connect with your partner emotionally and entrust him/her all your feelings is one of the major reasons for the relationship to sustain. However, once you start feeling unsure and insecure in a relationship, then a rift develops in the bond.
Gone are the days when your husband would bring you flowers, once in a while, or your wife would cook you your favorite meal, just to see that smile appear on your face! When two people do not take even the minutest of responsibility of making each other happy, then know for sure that the relationship has started stinking.
If two people who are in a relationship for life find other ways to satisfy their needs and desires, then the relationship has certainly gone to the dogs. Why would anyone need help or seek other means of finding happiness, when he/she can always turn to his/her partner for the same? This is essentially done to keep the mind off from the unhappy relationship.
When the relationship creates an emotional block in a person, the once all-so rosy-bond turns dismal. The feelings of fear, distrust, jealousy, suspicion and disrespect not only creeps into the relationship, but also become a permanent fixture. If such is the state, then know for sure that the relationship won’t last long.

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