Love is sweet when you are with the right person, but if you are in a one-sided relationship, you’ll taste the bitter side of love.
How do you know if you are in a one-sided relationship?
Read the following signs:
6 Signs You Are in a One-Sided Relationship
1. You’re Always the One Making Plans
No matter how busy life gets, a man who wants to see you will make plans.
He’ll suggest dates and say, “Let’s do this,” or “I want to take you here.”
Unfortunately for you, you’re the one planning everything.
Every date, every outing, every time you spend together….all on you, love.
If you don’t suggest something, nothing happens, and if you don’t make the plan, there is no plan.
He’s perfectly content to just exist in the relationship while you do all the work of maintaining it.
And maybe at first you didn’t mind.
Some women love planning things.
They are creative at it.
But now it’s exhausting because you’ve realized that if you stopped planning, you’d probably stop seeing each other altogether.
If this is your case, you’re in a one-sided relationship.
2. You’re The Only One Initiating Communication
My husband and I have been in a long-distance marriage for over a year, and on most mornings, I wake up to my husband’s “good morning, love, good morning, hun.”
At a point, I had to reciprocate and make sure he woke up to my messages too because leaving him to do all the initiating felt unfair, even though he never complained about it.
That’s what healthy communication looks like: both people initiating and wanting to connect.
But in your relationship, you’re the only one starting conversations, texting first, and checking in, and if you don’t call or text, days can pass without communication.
It shows you want the relationship more than he does.
Because a man who wants you will make sure you know it, and silence from him is communication too, just not the kind you want to hear.
3. You’re Giving, They’re Taking
Love is all about giving, I know.
When you care about someone, you want to give to them.
Your time, energy, support, and resources, because that’s what love does.
But love should flow both ways.
You give, they give.
You support, they support.
It’s supposed to be reciprocal.
If you are the only one doing all of this in your relationship, you are in a one-sided relationship.
In short, you’re being used.
Stop giving so much and create some balance.
See if they’re capable of reciprocating or if they only know how to take.
Love should fill you up, not drain you dry.
If this relationship is leaving you empty while they’re thriving off what you provide, that’s exploitation.
4. You’re Always Making Excuses For Them
You should defend your partner, absolutely.
When someone misunderstands them or judges them unfairly, it’s natural to explain their perspective or stand up for them.
That’s loyalty.
But there’s a difference between defending your partner and constantly making excuses for their bad behavior.
And if you’re honest with yourself, you know which one you’re doing.
”He’s just really stressed with work right now.”
“He’s going through a lot.”
You’re constantly running damage control and justifying why he does the things he does or doesn’t do the things he should.
These aren’t really defenses; they’re excuses.
Because you’re not defending reasonable behavior that’s being misunderstood.
You’re covering for inconsiderate and neglectful behavior that you’re hoping people won’t judge too harshly.
5. Your Friends And Family See It Before You Do
We usually underestimate how much the people who love us can see.
You are the one in love; your vision is clouded by feelings and attachment.
You’re too close to see clearly.
But your friends and family are watching from the outside.
They see what you can’t or won’t see.
And if they are telling you you’re in a one-sided relationship, they’re probably right.
They see how much you give and how little he gives back.
And they’re worried because they love you and they’re watching you pour yourself into something that’s not pouring anything back into you.
But when they say something, you get defensive.
If everyone in your life is telling you the same thing about your relationship, stop dismissing them.
When you finally wake up and see what they’ve been seeing all along, you’ll wish you had listened sooner.
6. You Feel Lonely Even When You’re Together
Even if you deceive everyone, you cannot deceive yourself.
You know the truth about how this relationship makes you feel.
And the truth is: you feel lonely even when you’re together.
You’re in the same room, but you might as well be on different planets.
Because proximity doesn’t equal connection, and being with someone doesn’t mean you’re not lonely.
That’s the loneliest feeling in the world: being lonely while you’re with the person who’s supposed to make you feel less alone.
You thought being in a relationship would mean having someone to share life with, but instead, you feel more isolated than you did when you were single.
Because at least when you were single, the loneliness made sense.
You were alone, so of course you felt lonely.
But now you’re in a relationship, and you still feel lonely.
Truth is, you feel lonely because you are alone in this relationship.
If you can feel these six signs in your soul, what are you going to do about it?
Are you okay being in a one-sided relationship or you want better?
If you are still interested in the relationship, demand better, and I hope they step up.
If they don’t?
Make the decision that makes you feel at peace with yourself and doesn’t make you question your worth.