Ladies let\u2019s talk about relationships. We love them and we hate them, but we can\u2019t seem to live without them. Unfortunately, our desire to be connected to others sometimes leads us to accepting relationships that aren\u2019t healthy for us to be in.<\/p>\n
There are a number of reasons why we stay in relationships that aren\u2019t good for us. We don\u2019t want to be alone; we don\u2019t want to start from scratch dating someone new, and we are afraid of change.<\/strong>\u00a0We\u2019ve normalized how our partner treats us and it\u2019s become what we expect of any boyfriend that we come across. We assume that because we love our partner, we can change them for the better.<\/p>\n Relationship Ups and Downs<\/strong><\/p>\n Every relationship has its ups and downs, but there are some situations that are unhealthy no matter how you look at them. Your partner shouldn\u2019t be abusive or manipulative, causing you to feel afraid or unsafe in your home. There should be equality and mutual respect in your relationship that allows you both to grow and move together through life as a team.<\/p>\n Changing the Person That You Love<\/strong><\/p>\n Oftentimes we know in our gut that a relationship isn\u2019t right, and yet we hesitate to leave. We want to stick it out in hopes that it will get better, rather than admitting failure. We think that we can change our partner through the force of our love, and yet this is rarely something that occurs.<\/p>\n Red Flags <\/strong><\/p>\n The attention that once marked your partner as special may have turned into the obsessive need to control you; this can become claustrophobic at best, and violent at worst. Still, with all this bad behavior and red flags waving in our faces, we stick it out. We would rather be in a relationship that meets our expectations than to be alone.<\/p>\n Changing Together<\/strong><\/p>\n In a relationship, change is brought about because you recognize the need to change. Couples can make the commitment to change together in order to strengthen their partnership, but rarely can one person sway the other into changing if that\u2019s not what they\u2019re interested in doing.<\/p>\n Remember that the fault doesn\u2019t lie with you- you are seeking to be happy, healthy, and loved.<\/strong>\u00a0Striving for these things might mean leaving the relationship you are currently in. Your relationship wasn\u2019t always unhealthy, but many become so over time because of jealousy, mistrust, insecurity, and fear.<\/p>\n If you are lingering in a bad relationship, do what you can to get out of it. Contact local organizations for help if your relationship is unsafe or if you are being abused in any way.<\/p>\n