Healthy, Unhealthy and Abusive Relationships

What is the difference between healthy, unhealthy and abusive relationships?

Healthy is...

Talking about feelings, speaking to personal experiences and empathizing with a partner’s experience.
When people in a relationship are respected and listened to, despite any differences.
When people talk respectfully to each other when there are disagreements.
When people are purposeful about intimacy and communicate honestly and openly about physical affection and sex.
When partners trust and support each other to spend time with others they care about.

When a person’s feelings or needs are ignored and disrespected.
When disagreements often turn into fights.
Not having the opportunity or comfort to explore or communicate feelings within the relationship.
When people feel embarrassed or unwilling to express how they feel because their partner may not listen or care.
When there is a lot of jealousy in the relationship when one partner talks to or spends time with other people they care about.

The need to control others’ thoughts and feelings.
When a partner is actively disrespected, ignored, demeaned and their ideas and feelings are treated with contempt.
When someone is afraid to disagree because they don’t want to run the risk of their partner’s anger, abuse and/or violence. If there is disagreement, the typical response is belittling and/or abusive.
When someone’s wants and needs are ignored and they are pushed into situations that frighten and/or degrade them.
When one partner is constantly accused of flirting when they interact with other people or ordered not to see or talk to other people they care about.