How to Know When Enough Is Enough in a Relationship
CANDICE COLEMAN
LIFE
Maybe the moments of happiness in your relationship are dotted with disagreements and arguments. In other cases, your relationship may leave you feeling poorly about yourself, your partner and life in general. While it may be difficult to know when enough is enough, some problems may indicate that you are better off going solo.
1 Typical Problems
Relationships often go through phases, with partners feeling more distant and upset with one another at some times than others. Disagreements and arguments are a normal part of relationships - provided that you and your partner can do so respectfully, according to HealthyChildren.org's article, "Expect Respect: Healthy Relationships." Focusing on solving the issue, rather than on being right and assigning blame, is a form of healthy problem-solving. Since no two people are perfect, you can expect occasional problems and upsets to surface.
2 Enough is Enough!
Your partner mocks you, swears at you, or calls you names in front of others. In other cases, she may hit you, try to force you into sex or attempt to control where you go and who you talk to, according to TwoofUs.org's article, "Your Relationship: Healthy or Unhealthy." These behaviors may indicate that moving on is a better bet than staying. If you feel unhappy when you and your partner are together, or your partner frequently insults you "for your own good," being single may be better for your mental health.
3 Handling the Problem
Not all conflict is a signal that a relationship needs to end. Learning how to handle disagreements, like not bringing up unrelated mistakes during an argument or assuming you know what your partner feels can help your relationship, according to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. If you feel that these issues could be resolved, you can also try confronting your partner directly. You might say, "It hurt me when you called me that name. If you do that again, we cannot be in a relationship," according to HealthyChildren.org's "Expect Respect: Healthy Relationships." Seeking out a therapist, teacher or another adult can also help you figure out whether or not it may be time to leave a relationship.
4 Breaking Up
In some cases, you may decide that ending the relationship is the ideal outcome for you. Being honest, but not cruel, is key during the breakup conversation, according to TeensHealth. You might say, "It hurt me when you frequently blamed me for the disagreements that we had. It made me feel that we are not compatible and that I must move on."
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