Are You Stuck In A One-sided Relationship?

A one-sided relationship is a relationship that goes against every principle of how an emotional bond should behave. The relationship lacks reciprocity and breaks with the perfect balance in which the relational substrate must be located. Everything falls apart when there is no common commitment, and without this spontaneous and authentic will, each person must control every little aspect of his daily life in detail. Everyone wants respect and affection in a relationship.

However, the most complex is how long it takes for a couple to realize the situation. Due to wear and tear on the relationship, the distancing takes place gradually. Routines have, without us perhaps having time to realize it, the power to camouflage the problems. In addition, there is a pressure from the daily routine, which often takes time away from home life and love. It is only when this has been worked out that one of the parties finally becomes aware that there is no longer any justice in the relationship. In fact, the other person is barely present in it.

Your partner may be sitting right next to you, and yet you feel their coldness: they are emotionally distant. This absence of affection and will is what one-sidedness is all about. It is a scenario where only one partner contributes, nurtures and strives to keep the relationship afloat. Psychologists often define these types of dynamics as sick conditions. Keep reading to find out why.

A one-sided relationship

One can define a one-sided couple relationship relatively easily. It is one where only one party invests energy, will and time in the relationship. In reality, however, it is a much more complex reality, as the reasons that promote it can be many.

Often people continue a relationship where this dynamic has appeared from the beginning, other times the dynamic develops gradually. In any case, a one-sided relationship is not healthy. In fact, it is a rather harmful situation for those involved in it, for those who try to turn it around and maintain it at all costs.

This explains why most people would consider this type of relationship a toxic one. This is because the emotional and psychological overload that one party is subjected to in order to maintain the bond often becomes devastating.

Below you will learn to identify if you are currently stuck in this type of relationship.

You always give in

Researcher John Gottman is well versed in romantic relationships and their most common dynamics. His studies span decades and his research in the so-called “love laboratory” has already helped hundreds of people to either save their relationships or get out of them.

Without a doubt, Seven Golden Rules for a Happy Love Relationship is one of his most famous books. He emphasizes in particular one of these rules: the need to reach an agreement. This is because something inevitable will happen when it is one of the partners who always gives in. When only one prioritizes the other to save their relationship, then it does not take long before it ends.

A person will slowly experience emotional suffocation where their self-esteem, dignity and even health are harmed because the balance always leans to the same side. This is a common situation in a one-sided relationship.

You are in a one-sided relationship if you can not express your feelings and meet your needs

One of the common characteristics of these types of relationships is a feeling of emptiness. There is always something missing. It’s like being thirsty and only being able to drink vinegar. Your partner can sit right next to you and you can even talk to him / her and you can do things together. Still, it feels like you are alone, as if something is standing in the way of you reaching out. It is definitely possible that one person may need more than the other can provide, but one-sided relationships are rigid, without mobility or willingness to compromise from one party.

This something is an emotional block. It’s about you trying to express your feelings, thoughts and needs for your partner but it feels like you’re talking to a wall. How many times have you heard “this is not a good time to talk about it”, “you always complain about the same thing”, “what do you really want from me?” or “what do you want me to answer?” These are just the most common reactions. But when your partner needs your support or affection, you rarely hesitate to respond and meet his or her needs as soon as you can.

Your partner takes you for granted and makes no effort

For example, it is perfectly normal for you to do what is expected of you. The same is true when solving a problem and so on. This scenario is a sign of a one-sided relationship. There is a passive and a proactive part that not only has the purpose of striving to meet a certain task or challenge that you may have in front of you.

In addition, you never protest or complain because in the end you only fulfill your obligations. Therefore, be clear: the relationship is unhealthy the moment one of you takes such things for granted and does not pay attention to what the other is doing. It is also harmful if only one of you always takes responsibility for a given task or unforeseen event. This type of scenario basically becomes a fatal wound for all conditions.

A one-sided relationship is confusing and exhausting

There are many warning signs in this type of relationship, even if you refuse to notice them. The reason this happens is simple: you have invested too much effort, time and emotion and do not want to give up the relationship. Thus, you give it more chances, as well as love, devotion and patience, while you wait for something to change.

But in the end it becomes very clear that nothing changes. In fact, it only results in mental and physical exhaustion. As a person, you break down in almost every respect, psychologically and also often financially. Here you will learn that there are actually one-sided relationships where a bond is based solely on self-interest.

All relationships are different, but there is a basic principle that should never be neglected: love is about balance and reciprocity. It’s about being a team, caring about something and coming together to get it. In addition, it is about taking care of each other and improving the relationship. Thus, everything collapses when that is not the case.