Healthy, unhealthy & toxic relationships
Find out more about healthy, unhealthy & toxic relationships here…
What are relationships?
A relationship is an emotional connection between you and other people.
There are many different types of relationships, which can be healthy or unhealthy.
You might have relationships with your…
Family members – mums, dads, grandmas, grandads, aunts, uncles, sisters and brothers
Friends – kids your age, peers at school
Romantic partners – boyfriends, girlfriends, lovers, husbands, wives
Acquaintances – someone you know but wouldn’t describe as a friend.
The closer we are to people, the more our relationships with them impact us.
These impacts can be positive or negative, depending on what the relationship is like.
This is why it’s so important to understand how to create and maintain healthy relationships.
The relationship spectrum…
All relationships – with parents, friends, family, partners, colleagues and anyone else in your life – fall on a spectrum. At one end are healthy relationships. At the other end are toxic relationships. And unhealthy relationships fall somewhere in between.
But it’s not always clear when relationships have moved away from healthy and into unhealthy or toxic – especially if many of the relationships you’ve had throughout your life have been harmful in some way. Visit the pages below to learn more about different types of relationships.
Healthy relationships
Healthy relationships are built on mutual respect, trust, good communication and individuality. Find out more here.
Unhealthy relationships
Unhealthy relationships involve disrespect, distrust, miscommunication & co-dependence.
Toxic relationships
Toxic relationships are often dominated by controlling, manipulative and coercive behaviours. Find out more here.