Your life is full of people. You have relatives, friends, and if you work, you have coworkers. People are often a source of comfort and joy when we need it, but they can also be sources of pain. Unhealthy relationships are often hard to spot until you are coming out of the bad end of one, or if you see someone else engaged in one. When do you cut someone free or give them a second chance? That is an age old question that can only be answered by you. There are some things to think about when considering what you should do next.
Friends are essential to emotional health, but not all friends end up being good friends. Many friends come and go, and some go for a very good reason. Unhealthy relationships that are friendships can be the hardest to severe because there is always good in there with the bad. Family relationships can be difficult, but some believe that family is family, and that when a relative makes a mistake, we often give them more chances to repair the relationship than you would otherwise write off immediately. These unhealthy relationships are often the hardest to navigate because family is forever.
When are unhealthy relationships going to happen to you? They can happen at any time. We can learn from mistakes, but there are always new things people can do to us, or that we can do to ourselves. With friends, you know you have unhealthy relationships when you are thinking more and more about something they have done, and perhaps it is so bad that you can not sleep at night. You feel knots in your stomach and you can not seem to understand why things happened. If this happens often in the same relationship, it is time to let it go.
Unhealthy relationships with family can be fixed, but that does not mean you have to put up with abuse. You may have the same emotional and physical responses to those unhealthy relationships that you do when you have them with friends. Your body is trying to tell you something when you do not feel well because of something someone has done to you. That is a warning sign that it is time to cut your losses and move on to something that is more healthy. It can be hard when that person is your mom, dad, or sibling, but some distance is going to do you and your health a world of good.
If you find yourself in unhealthy relationships time and time again, you have to rethink your screening process for those that you let into your life. This is especially important if these unhealthy relationships are with members of the opposite sex. You could be drawn to those that are bound to hurt you. No one knows why this happens to some people, but it does. Rethink your criteria for allowing people into your life and how you evaluate what is okay and what is not. In any relationship, you should be treated with respect and trust should not be an issue. If it is, it is time to move on.