Defining Relationship: 6 Different Types of Relationship and its Effect on life

The relationship can range from close and intimate to distant and challenging. No matter, the nature of the relationship, different types of relationship help make up the social support network, which is pivotal for both your physical as well as mental wellbeing.

You can have a relationship with a wide range of people, including family and friends. The phrase "being in a relationship" while often linked with romantic relationships, can refer to various associations one person has with another.

Defining a Relationship

How you define your relationship, it all depends on varied factors, which include what matters to you and how the other person feels. To define your relationship, it can be helpful to ask a few questions.

Do you have romantic feeling for one another?

How much time do you wish to spend together?

Where do you see the relationship going?

Are your presently involved with or wish to be involved with other people?

To be in a relationship, does not always mean, there is physical intimacy, emotional attachment and/or commitment involved. People tend to engage in many different types of relationships which has got unique characteristics.

Relationships typically fall into one several different categories (although these can sometimes overlap).

-Family Relationships

-Friendships

-Acquaintances

-Romantic Relationships

-Work Relationships

-Situational Relationship

These different forms of relationships can vary greatly with regards to closeness and there are also different subtypes of relationships within each of these basic types. Few of the different kinds of relationships that you might experience at some point in your life include the following.

Platonic Relationship

A platonic relationship is a type of friendship, which involves a close, intimate bond without sex or romance. These relationships tend to be characterized by

-Closeness

-Fondness

-Understanding

-Respect

-Care

-Support

-Care

-Honesty

-Acceptance

Platonic Relationships are those which involve closeness and friendship without sex. Sometimes, platonic relationships can change over time and shift into a romantic or sexual relationship.

Romantic Relationship

Romantic relationships tend to change over time. At the beginning of a relationship, people typically experience a stronger feeling of passion. During this initial infatuation period, the brain releases specific neurotransmitter (dopamine, Oxytocin and Serotonin) which cause people to feel euphoric and "in love".

Over a period, these feeling begin to lessen their intensity. As the relationship matures, people tend to develop deeper levels of emotional intimacy as well as understanding.

Co-Dependent Relationships

A co-dependent relationship, is an imbalanced, dysfunctional type of relationship in which a partner has got an emotional, physical or mental reliance on the other person.

It is also common for both partners to be mutually co-dependent on each other. Both might take turns enacting the caretaker role, alternating between the caretaker and the receiver of care.

Characteristic of a co-dependent relationship include

-Acting as a giver while the other person acts as a taker

-Going to great lengths to avoid conflict with the other person

-Feeling like you have to ask permission to do things

-Having to save or rescue the other individual from their own actions.

Someone who feels more comfortable being needed, for instance, might avoid focussing on their own needs, by choosing a partner who constantly needs them.

Casual Relationtionships

Casual relationships often involve dating relationships that might include sex without expectations of monogamy or commitment. However, experts tend to suggest that the term is vague and can mean different things to different people.

As per the authors of one study published in the Canadian journal of Human Sexuality, casual relationships can encompass situations such as

-One night stand

-Friends with benefits

-Sex buddies

Casual relationships are often common thing among the young adults. As long as the casual relationships are marked by communication as well as consent, they can have numerous sex-positive benefits. They can also satisfy the need for sex, intimacy as well as connection and companionship without the emotional demand as well as energy commitment of a more serious relationship.

Open Relationship

Open relationships can take place in any type of romantic relationship, be it casual, dating or married.

An open relationship is a type of consensually non-monogamous relationship, wherin one or more partners have sex or relationships with other people. Both people agree to have sex with other people in open relationship but might have certain conditions or limitations.

There is also tend to be stigma surrounding non-monogamous relationships. Still, research suggests that nearing to 21% to 22% of adults will be involved in some type of open relationship at some point in their life.

Such relationships can have numerous benefits, which includes increased sexual freedom and pitfalls such as jealousy and emotional pain. Open relationships are more successful when the couples establish personal, emotional and sexual boundaries and clearly communicate their feeling and needs with one another.

Toxic Relationship

A Toxic relationship is any type of interpersonal relationship wherin your emotional, physical or psychological well-being is undermined or threatened in some way. Such relationships often to leave your feelings.

Any type of relationship can be toxic including the friendships, family relationships, romantic relationships or workplace relationships.

Toxic relationships are characterized by

-A lack of support

-Blaming

-Competitiveness

-Controlling behaviour

-Disrespect

-Dishonesty

A toxic relationship is any type of interpersonal relationship wherin your emotional, physical or psychological well-beings is undermined or threatened in some way. Such relationships mostly would leave you feeling ashamed, humiliated, misunderstood or unsupported.

In few cases, one individual in a relationship, might behave in ways that create toxic feelings. This might be intentional, but in other cases, people might not fully understand as how they are affecting other people. Because of their past experiences with relationships, often in their home growing up, they might not know any other way of acting as well as communicating.

Toxic relationships can be very stressful, harmful and even abusive. If you are in an toxic relationship with someone in your life, work on creating strong boundaries so that you can protect yourself. You can also talk to your mental health professional or consider terminating the relationship, if the relationship is causing you harm.