Healthy Relationship Factors - You are USD | Suicide PreventionYou are USD

Healthy Relationship Factors:

Building a truly healthy relationship with a significant other, roommate, friend, peer, or other involves on-going effort and is based upon the following factors:

Mutual Respect: a healthy relationship is built on respecting one another as equals as well as respecting the individuality, preferences, and desires of one another.
Trust: trust means being honest, reliable, and considerate with one another in order to create a stable, strong relationship.
Honesty: bringing one’s true, authentic self to a relationship is vital. Healthy relationships are free from deception and manipulation.
Understanding: as we learn the intricacies of one another in a relationship it is important to be open, empathetic, and celebrate one another.
Appreciation: healthy relationships bring joy and fulfillment to our lives. It is important to recognize and acknowledge each other and the positive role of the overall relationship in each other’s lives.
Support: by building each other up, we deepen and strengthen our relationships rather than criticize one another or put each other down.
Laughter: what would a relationship be without laughter? In a healthy relationship, laughter and fun should be shared regularly and each person should seek ways to make the other person happy.
*Open Communication: communication is what allows us to connect, problem solve, and discuss our needs in order to create and maintain healthy relationships.*
*Healthy Boundaries: boundaries are the expectations and limits we hold and are imperative to discuss in every relationship.

** Communication and boundaries are essential components of a healthy relationship but can often be challenging to navigate. Learn tools for communicating and for setting and maintaining healthy boundaries by visiting the following pages.

Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship
The following are examples of being in an unhealthy relationship:

Thoughts being consumed by the other person.
Feeling closed in or trapped in the relationship (i.e., beginning to give up things you enjoy in order to keep the relationship together).
Difficulty connecting with one another because values or interests have changed (i.e., having fewer meaningful conversations).
One person makes the rules that govern the entire relationship.
More time is spent arguing than not.
One or both being overly critical of the other.
Feeling as though you cannot voice a concern to the other person.
One or both of you do not seem interested in the relationship.
One or both of you are thinking about ending the relationship.
One person uses physical violence to get their way (such as hitting, slapping, grabbing, or shoving).
One person pressures or forces the other into sexual activity against their will or without consent.

If you in any way feel uncomfortable, afraid, or powerless in a relationship, or if you are concerned that a friend is experiencing an unhealthy relationship, do not hesitate to connect or consult with campus resources. A healthy relationship is always free from physical, emotional, and sexual violence. For more information about relationship violence and for resources to support you or a friend, visit sandiego.edu/care.

Resources:

Campus Assault Resources and Education (C.A.R.E.) is the University of San Diego’s primary effort to provide support, resources and education to the student community pertaining to sexual assault and relationship violence. CARE Advocates are available for immediate assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 619-260-2222.

The Counseling Center is a confidential resource open Monday – Friday 8:30am-5pm, with extended hours until 6pm on Wednesday. The easiest way to secure an initial consultation is by making a same- or next-day appointment via the Wellness Portal. Students can also call or come by the Counseling Center to arrange for an appointment.

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