There are 6 types of relationships: find out what yours is and why it’s important to recognize it

What type of relationship are you experiencing at this moment in your life? There are 6 main types and each of them is distinguished by certain characteristics. Discover them one by one…

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Although when we talk about relationships we often refer to romantic ones, all of our lives are full of relationships of many other types. We can have family relationships, friendships, simple acquaintances, purely sexual relationships, professional or even situational relationships.

The different typologies can in turn be divided into 6 main sub-typologies:

but understanding it can be useful for recognizing certain dynamics. So let’s start with platonic relationshipsthat is, those types of friendships that involve very close and intimate bonds but without sex or romance. These relationships are often based on respect, close proximity, honesty and mutual acceptance. As the “verywellmind” website explains, these are constructive relationships, which can also prove useful for reducing states of anxiety and depression. Sometimes it happens that they transform, over time, into romantic or sexual relationships.

So let’s get to romantic relationships: they are those that imply a deep sentimental involvement and a strong attraction for the other person. According to psychologist Robert Sternberg, the three main elements of this type of relationship are passion, intimacy and commitment. However, passion tends to reduce over time in favor of greater emotional intimacy and greater trust.

Another thing are the codependent relationshipsor dysfunctional relationships in which one partner (or both) is emotionally, physically or mentally dependent on the other. In this type of relationship we often do everything to avoid conflict with the other, we feel obliged to do things that make the other happy even if they make us uncomfortable, and we tend (in the role of the victim) to overestimating the other person even if he or she has done nothing to deserve such admiration. That said, there are various types of codependent relationships (not just romantic ones), which can also vary in terms of severity.

The casual relationships they are sexual and do not imply expectations of monogamy or mutual commitment. These relationships can satisfy the need for sex, intimacy, companionship while avoiding emotional implications.

The open relationships are consensually non-monogamous relationships in which one or more partners have sexual intercourse or relationships with other people. In general, these relationships work best when couples establish personal, emotional and sexual boundaries by openly communicating their feelings and needs.

The toxic relationships they are those in which one’s emotional, physical or psychological well-being is threatened. These are not exclusively romantic relationships because they can also happen in friendships or family, making us feel humiliated, hurt, unsupported. Naturally, these are relationships that do not make us feel good and which have a highly negative impact on our psychophysical health.

SOURCE: verywellmind