Creating Healthy Boundaries in Relationships

Have you ever started to notice that after the initiate stages and honeymoon phase with another person, that they kind of start to minimize things you say in small ways? "Oh you took that joke too seriously!" or "I need to vent to my friends sometimes, it's nothing personal." even though they are sharing very detailed things about YOU (not just your relationship)?

When you tell your partner that something bothers or hurts you, it's a very clear line that is being established on your end. Now what comes next is if that person is willing to hear you out on how it makes you feel. If they continually dismiss "small things", it eventually turns into a much larger problem at play here. They don't respect you. Especially when it happens more often then not when you address a problem.

It's important to know where you draw your line because it's about respecting yourself within a relationship. If you allow someone to dismiss you, it's a reflection of you also neglecting your own emotional needs. You push them down in order to please the other person which is not a healthy habit to create. This might of started from your childhood years where your parents displayed this kind of behavior as well. It could of also come from more severe things such as abuse or trauma. It seems normal to you because it's familiar, but that doesn't mean it makes you happy. Don't neglect your needs for another person in order to stay in a relationship. Find someone who is willing to listen and takes the time to understand with patience.