Respect and understanding are extremely important in a relationship. (Image: Shutterstock)
Understanding these stages can help couples navigate through the challenges and build a strong and healthy bond.
Relationships are complex and every couple goes through different stages to build a strong and healthy bond. While these stages aren’t always linear and couples can cycle through them at different times, understanding them can help them better understand their relationship and what they need to work on to strengthen it. From the initial attraction to the eventual establishment of a stable and committed partnership, each phase of a relationship brings unique challenges and opportunities for growth. In a new Instagram post, therapist Elizabeth Earnshaw explained the four main stages of a relationship.
According to Earnshaw, “Our relationships go through different stages as we get to know each other. Sometimes they flow in and out of certain stages, and sometimes we can get really stuck in other stages.”
The 4 stages of relationships, according to Elizabeth Earnshaw:
- Infatuation
In the early stages of being in love, our brain releases chemicals such as dopamine, which signals pleasure and happiness when we are with the other person, and oxytocin, also known as the bonding hormone that induces feelings of comfort, security, and stress relief. As a result, our ability to think rationally is temporarily impaired, causing us to overlook important details or warning signs. This can make us vulnerable to possible negative consequences in the future. - Realization
As time passes, the influence of love hormones decreases and we begin to perceive the true nature of our partner, which can have both positive and negative aspects. Sometimes we may even wonder if our first impressions were right. If we resist this realization and try to mold our partner to our ideal vision of them, we can get stuck in this phase. - Tension
Conflicts can arise during this stage as we face our differences with our partners. We may wonder if this person is really the right match for us, and repressed thoughts and emotions may surface. Some couples remain in this stage of tension for an extended period of time as they struggle to accept their inequalities and find it challenging to forgive past hurts or accept each other’s differences. As a result, they may have trouble showing mutual respect for each other. - Acceptance
At this point, couples can tolerate each other’s shortcomings or get into recurring fights. This means the stage of acceptance, where partners recognize each other as unique individuals and abandon all idealized notions about the relationship, focusing instead on the reality of their particular partnership.
Relationships are dynamic processes that go through different stages. Understanding these stages can help couples navigate the challenges and build a strong and healthy bond.
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