Relationships are something that will never be perfect because you will face trials and tribulations. A genuine relationship is built on respect, trust, communication and love. A lot of times we pursue relationships and find out that our partners aren’t who we thought they were. These are the top ten red flags to watch out for in a relationship.
1) Codependency
Codependency can also be referred to as a relationship addiction because of how emotionally exhausting it is. Additionally, this occurs when partners rely on each other for physical and emotional support. Both partners are usually deprived of the opportunity to improve their personal growth and become better partners.
2) Jealousy
This is a natural emotion that an individual can feel in a relationship. Jealousy can stem from anger or a fear of getting cheated on. A partner can become excessive and create strict boundaries for the partner to follow based on their personal insecurities which usually arise from feelings of jealousy.
3) Lack of Communication
Everyone’s relationship has problems, but not all individuals know how to talk through their issues. When you don’t express what you feel during a disagreement, this can create a break in the connection between partners. This makes an individual feel that their emotions are constantly being invalidated by their partner.
4) Trust Issues
Trust issues explain an individual’s struggle to believe that their partner is being faithful to them. Trust issues can make an individual want to avoid intimacy and genuine commitment to their significant other. This red flag can become an ongoing battle of partners trying to prove their loyalty to each other.
5) Gaslighting
This is most commonly seen when a partner manipulates their significant other in order to control them. Gaslighting can make you question your intuition and everything a person tells you. A partner who gaslights may try to control the narrative so that when an argument occurs, the other partner would be seen as the one in the wrong. This tactic may be used to keep a partner completely disoriented in their mind and within the relationship.
6) Love Bombing
This is an emotional manipulation tactic that can be seen through giving sentimental gifts, loving words, and overwhelming affection. The relationship starts off very quickly which causes the partner to be very needy and not know how to respect the boundaries of personal space. It pushes an individual to distance themselves to have room to breathe.
7) Narcissism
This is a mental disorder that deals with self-obsession. An individual who is a narcissist usually believes that the world revolves around them and that everyone else (even their romantic partners) is not of great importance. If a partner threatens their narcissistic reality, this can create commotion in the relationship. This can be mentally exhausting for a partner who constantly has to put up with this on a daily basis.
8) Lack of Emotional Intelligence
This can be described as the partner’s inability to acknowledge what their significant other is feeling at the moment. A lot of disagreements occur within a relationship when emotions aren’t expressed to one another.
9) Possessiveness
This red flag can be described as the constant worry that a partner may leave their significant other for someone else. This fear can cause partners to become super clingy, needy and controlling.
10) Anger Issues
Anger issues can cause an individual in a relationship to have explosive outbursts throughout their time together. A partner with anger issues may lack the capability to control their emotions in a healthy manner. When someone is in a constant state of anger, this can make a partner want to distance themselves from their relationship.
Everyone deserves a healthy relationship that brings them peace. I believe that in the world we live in today, society has forgotten what it means to be in a healthy and genuine relationship. Before you pursue your next romantic endeavor, make sure your potential love interest doesn’t possess any of these red flags.