4 Warning Signs in Your Relationship

You must always seek to nourish and enrich your relationship with your partner. When this doesn't happen, certain warning signs could show that things aren't quite right.
4 Warning Signs in Your Relationship

Last update: 21 October, 2020

Your relationship with your partner is one of the most significant relationships in your life. For this reason, it’s essential to keep that bond healthy, so that both members are enriched and feel fulfilled. However, on many occasions, you can overlook important warning signs in your relationship that indicate that something isn’t quite right.

Every relationship we have has different characteristics. But all of them entail certain risks. By bonding emotionally with another human being, you acquire a responsibility to yourself and to the other person. Because of this, you need to really work at your relationship so that friction doesn’t wear you down and create bad feelings and suffering.

The following are some of the most common harmful situations in relationships. Look out for these warning signs in your relationship that will help you to understand how things are going. This will allow you to act accordingly.

A worried woman.

Warning signs in your relationship

Isolating yourself from other people

This can often happen at the start of a relationship because of the intense desire of both people to be together all the time. Alternatively, it can also happen later on because of the inertia caused by spending all your time together.

It’s also possible to reach this sort of situation when one or both partners have become excessively jealous or possessive. You may have consciously decided to devote most of your time to that person.

Whatever the situation, this is one of the most important warning signs. Being in a relationship shouldn’t mean losing contact with your loved ones. Neither does it mean you have to give up your job, studies, hobbies, or the time you devote to yourself.

All these elements are essential in order to have a healthy and balanced life. Neglecting them can make you depend excessively on your partner.

Having an imbalanced relationship

It’s common to observe that, in some relationships, one of the members generally invests much more time, effort, and energy in keeping the love alive than the other. It’s always the same person who gives in, makes plans, and provides physically or emotionally. Meanwhile, the other person is limited to receiving. They’re never really truly grateful for what the other person gives to the relationship.

For the relationship to be healthy and enriching, this love and effort have to be reciprocal. Otherwise, sooner or later, the pressure will be impossible for just one partner to bear. They’ll soon feel frustrated, sad, and lonely.

This doesn’t mean that both partners have to do things equally at all times. However, in general, it’s vital for you to feel that you’re on a joint and shared path.

Lack of respect

Respect is fundamental in any interpersonal relationship, but even more so in one as significant as this one. A lack of respect can manifest itself in different ways. From the most obvious, such as physical or psychological aggression, to the most common, such as making fun of the other person or belittling their interests, opinions, or feelings.

Both of you must know that a lack of respect isn’t acceptable or tolerable under any circumstances. No matter how angry or frustrated you are, you’re adults and you must learn to use other methods that don’t cross that delicate red line.

If your partner makes you feel inferior, ridicules you, ignores you, or plays down your emotions, don’t tolerate it. Respect always starts with you, as you should teach others how they should treat you.

Inadequate communication

Finally, aggressive, passive, or inadequate communication is one of the alarm bells that we just can’t ignore.

All couples will face difficult situations at some point in their relationship, but, if they know how to communicate, they’ll be able to resolve conflicts painlessly and without any negative consequences. On the contrary, the inability to communicate in an honest and assertive way can significantly increase the distance between the two.

A couple arguing.

What to do when the alarm bells ring?

Detecting any of these points doesn’t mean you should end your relationship. However, it’s important not to overlook them because, if things stay the same, then the problems can increase more and more.

Acting on time by talking together, modifying behavior, or even seeking professional help if necessary will help to heal the bond.

Human relationships are complex and romantic relationships even more so, as they expose us with all our faults in a much more prominent way. Therefore, if you both put a lot of work into the relationship, it’ll improve as a result.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Rodriguez, C. (2013). Parejas viables que perduran en el tiempo. Diversitas9(2), 257-270.
  • Zafra, E. L., & Espartal, N. R. (2008). Relación entre cultura del honor, celos y satisfacción en la pareja. Boletín de Psicología94(1), 7-22.

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.