15 Different Types Of Romantic Relationships
By Nick Hadji
7 months ago
1. The toxic relationship
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Toxic relationships aren't healthy, hence the word 'toxic'. They are destructive and they will eventually take a huge toll on the individual's mental health. A toxic relationship can be a variety of two people engaging in toxic behaviors or one person being toxic and the other person tolerating it. These relationships are not destined to last - and they shouldn't! People in a toxic relationship will feel emotionally exhausted and drained and their self-esteem will dwindle as the relationship knocks more and more confidence from either one or both people.Original content sourced from Femanin.com2. The open relationship
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Open relationships are a controversial topic. Those who are in open relationships are all consenting adults who wish to be sexually engaged with people outside of their partner. All of the people involved are fully informed and the best thing about an open relationship is the amount of communication and openness it takes to make it work. Of course, not many people would be okay with knowing their loved one was seeing other people as well as you. So it takes specific people who are open to this and can agree to all of the terms of the relationship.3. The controlling relationship
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Controlling relationships are where one person is dominant in the relationship and attempts to make the other subservient by controlling various aspects of not just the relationship but also this person's life. This is another kind of toxic relationship and it has a massively damaging effect on the person who is being controlled. They may lose their self-confidence and identity and controlling relationships can leave a person feeling completely broken. The person may not realize for a long time what is truly happening and how toxic it is.4. The long-distance relationships
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Long-distance relationships can vary between people living in different states, different countries, or halfway across the world from each other. They are hard because you can't see this person at the drop of the hat and if you miss them, you may not be able to see them for a few days or weeks or even in some circumstances months! In a long-distance relationship, you spend a lot of the time calling on the phone or texting rather than actually being able to see each other. Often long distance relationships only last for a few years before one of you moves or the distance makes the relationship fizzle out.5. Friends with benefits
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Friends with benefits raise the age-old question...can it work? Friends with benefits involve two friends who are in a sexual relationship, but they *should* just have totally platonic feelings for one another. For most people, they start by insisting that it can work because they're currently in a FWB relationship. That is until one of them inevitably catches feelings and gets completely hurt and the arrangement no longer works and it's left someone heartbroken. Perhaps in some circumstances, it can really work.6. The 'Disney' relationship
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The 'Disney' relationship or the one true love relationship is that sickeningly sweet, head over heels for each other, perfect kind of relationship. They probably have disgustingly cute nicknames for each other and feed each other when they sit down for a meal. It's the kind of relationship that you see and you can see love radiate from them like they're glowing from being so in love and so happy with one another. It makes the rest of us envious when we witness this kind of relationship. How can a couple be this sweet?7. The co-dependent relationship
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The co-dependent relationship isn't a healthy relationship. They both get to the point where they feel like they need each other to function, they hate being apart from one another. You meet this person, you fall head over heels and you're inseparable and you even feel anxious when they're not by your side. When they're away from you for a day you're messaging texting 'I miss you'. But this kind of relationship often cannot last long because everybody needs independence. Eventually, you're surely going to get sick of living in each other's pockets.8. The rebound relationship
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The rebound relationship is very usually a brief relationship. It happens when two people or one of the couple was in a relationship and had their heart broken. They've finished their relationship and they're struggling to get over it. Instead of taking the time to heal by themselves, they get into a relationship to distract themselves from their feelings. In a rebound relationship, they usually start quite quickly but they soon fizzle out once they realize that the feelings were there to cover up the deeper feelings of the previous relationship.9. The 'fling'
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The fling is a very fleeting romantic encounter. It usually happens in a whirlwind couple of days but that's where it ends. These relationships don't end or progress into anything long-term or serious. You may meet one day and spend a couple of days or a week with this person, it's fun it's exciting and you're very attracted to this person. Sometimes a long happens on holiday. The relationship soon ends when the couple is back to reality. During the fling people often know that it isn't going to last, there are no promises and the pair are just enjoying each other's company for the time being.10. The situationship
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In a situationship, nobody really knows what is happening. It's clear that something is going on, they're acting almost like a relationship and it's clear that there are some kind of feelings between them but there's no label on it and no real commitments have been made. It can cause a bit of tension because often in a situationship one person is pushing for it to be taken to the next step and to become more serious, yet the other may not want to commit. They are usually fairly messy and often don't end on good terms.11. The one-night stand
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The one-night-stand is a very brief sexual encounter relationship. You meet after never having met before and there is an undeniable spark or attraction and the two of you want to take it further in an intimate way. Yet it ends there, there is a physical relationship and then it's over. It's in the name it last one night and then the 'relationship' is done. You might see that person around again or you may never see them again. It's one of the briefest relationships but the quickest progressing in the time as attraction takes over.12. The 'it's complicated'
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The 'it's complicated relationship', what even are they by definition? That's what nobody knows. This is never an easy relationship to be in there's always drama attached to it. It's complicated for a reason, either one person won't commit, or the two won't commit or somebody did something like cheated on the other and they're navigating where they're at. It's difficult to define what a complicated relationship is because often they don't even know themselves. Nobody does. And it's a point of contention amongst the couple too.13. The 'too embarrassed to admit their feelings' relationship
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We all know a couple that are just absolutely perfect for each toher...do they know it? Yes. But will the admit it to each other or even themselves? No. They insist that it's just casual or seeing each other and that they're both on the same page in what they want. Yet it's clear as can be that this couple is meant for each other, but none of them want to be the first to declare their love in case they are somehow possible knocked back because we all have a an internalized fear of rejection within us.14. The materialistic relationship
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In a materialistic relationship, often one of the couple are attracted tot he other due to their wealth. Being with this person gives them access to more designer things, fancy cars and a luxurious lifestyle. They may be together due to hoe each other looks and due to the materialistic things that they can gain from being with one another. These kinds of relationships only usually last around a few months to a year, because they are shallow and have no depth or real meaning and love behind them.15. The enduring one-another relationship
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There are those kinds of couples who got together for all the right reasons, they fell in love. They may have even met at a young age. Now, they've been together a few years and you can juts see by looking into their relationship that they're really just enduring one another now. They may still care for each other still but they're definitely no longer in love with one another. They're together just grinning and bearing one another rather than breaking it off, simply because they're just used to being together now.16. The 'fires gone out' relationship
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Some relationships start in such a whirlwind, they fall in love super fast and are obsessed with each other to begin with. The attraction is there and they're getting along so well it seems like it's perfect. Yet sometimes in these situations they fizzle out just as quickly as they started. Because once that spark has gone out, there's not actually much left. There's not enough of a solid foundation to maintain a truly happy relationship now the fire's gone out because attraction was the main reason they got together rather than compatibility.17. The asexual relationship
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Some people just aren't sexual beings, OR they're in a relationship where there's absolutely no physical attraction. You may wonder how this works? But some couples love spending time together so much that they always want to be around each other. However, it's purely platonic so there's no physical intimacy however there's usually a strong emotional connection. Yet, this can only work if both sides of the couple are happy with there being no physicality and this is something that can change after some time, hence why asexual relationships usually only last a couple of years.18. The 'soulmates' relationship
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Now there's the soulmates. The couple we are all truly envious of and the kind of relationship that we all truly desire to find in a partner. It's not just the lovey-dovey, seemingly perfect couple. It's the real deal. They are compatible and connect on a deep and meaningful level and they just know they're each other's person. It's not all perfect, they disagree like anyone, but at the end of the day they're always (as gooey as it sounds) each other's number one priority and they are always understanding and respectful of one another.19. The fiery relationship
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The fiery relationship is packed FULL of drama. There's tears and tantrums and then there's the rekindling afterwards. The relationship is extremely passionate and you can see that there's a lot of attraction and love here. Yet, fiery relationships can sometimes be toxic in the way that they are so passionate. These relationships often only last a few years as after the initial relationship period it can end up draining those involved after the fiery tempers in the relationship are going around in circles.20. The on-off relationship
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Most of us know a couple (or maybe you've been a part of one yourself) that are always on and off. It's hard to keep up with them and you never know which phase they'll be at. When they're on a break they'll tell you 'that's it this time', or 'no, for real this time I've had enough'. But you always know that they'll end up back together again. This couple have true love for each other, but it just doesn't work. And sometimes no matter how much they love each other they're just not right to be together.21. The best friends relationship
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Sometimes people are SUCH good friends that it turns into more because they have so much love for each other. When a guy and a girl have a solid friendship, there's always those people around them saying, yu0o two are meant for each other why aren't you together! And sometimes you have that soft spot for each other and think there's something more between you. So this relationship is the kind where two best friends get together and they have a very wholesome and happy, yet more friend-like, type of relationship.22. The love-bombing relationship
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Those two people who meet each other and dive head first into a relationship and start declaring their love for one another after a week...that's the love-bombing relationship. They're totally over the top and talk about meeting the one and loving this person and them being the only one for them, which would be all well and good if it hadn't only been days or weeks since they actually met. People around them are telling them to take it slowly but they continue with the very grand statements and gestures until (although not always) it fizzles out.23. The deep relationship
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In a deep relationship this couple will send half of their time gazing into one another's eyes telling them that the universe aligned to put them together, that fate brought them into one another's lives and they were always destined to be together. It's kinda cute, kinda cringy, but this couple doesn't care because they're so deeply in love they're only bothered about each other and talking about how much they love each other. All of the conversations this couple have, have to be 'deep and meaningful'.24. The 'PDA, in your face' relationship
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This kind of couple is gross, there's no denying it. When you see them at a restaurant kissing and they don't come up for breath or they're lay in each other's arms on a public park bench or they're literally lay on top of one another at the beach...guys we don't want to see it. It's all well and good that you're wrapped up in your bubble of love, but please don't subject us to when you're in public. Save it for when you're in private so that other people don't heave from your over the top public displays of affection.25. The physical attraction relationship
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The physical attraction couple are together because they finish each other undeniably attractive. It may sounds shallow, and sometimes these relationships do lack solid foundations. This couple are beautiful together, and they have been pulled together due to that raw physical attraction. If you took this away, would there be much left? Perhaps not. And for this reason these relationships usually don't last for more than a year or two. Because once the novelty has gone, they may realize that they're not as well suited side from in looks.26. The 'always bickering' relationship
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You'll know the kind of 'always bickering' relationship we're talking about. You'll have either witnessed one, or you may have even been in one. In these relationships the couple have a genuine connection and they do genuinely love each other, but they do not stop bickering. They're not full blown shouting matches by any means, but they're constantly jibing and bickering about small things; 'you didn't put the toilet seat down', 'you've left a huge mess in the kitchen' or 'you're snoring kept me up all night'. They're not serious arguments but his kind of couple bicker like cat or dog.27. The cross-cultural relationships
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Cross cultural relationships happen all the time. They are two people from different cultures coming together in a relationship and combining their values, beliefs and all the different aspects of their own cultures whilst embracing their partner's culture. These relationships often have a lot of love, understanding and respect. They're also a lot of fun in the way that these two people get to embrace two ways of life. They also have a lot of adjusting to do and they have to accept each other's way of life.28. The online relationship
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In today's world, statistically, the majority of the population now meets online! This is particularly the case in the USA, most people meet online rather than in person. So there are now romantic relationships that pretty much exist online. In fact, some people haven't even met yet before they're making exclamations of 'I love you'. There are a lot of people currently in online relationships even though they have never physically even met one another before, they have established real feelings for the person behind a screen.29. The fake relationship
