The ingredients in a relationship don’t always mix properly. Sometimes two people go together like two birds of a feather and other times they’re as incompatible as oil and water.

As a therapist, I’ve encountered many relationship styles, and over the years I’ve narrowed them down into four categories: commensalism, mutualism, competition and parasitism.

Some relationships involve couples with only one individual fully benefiting from the arrangement. The other person isn’t harmed but ends up with the sort end of the stick with no mental, emotional or physical satisfaction at all. In other words, they’re not equally yoked.

Individuals who fully support and communicate with each other are on the top of the totem pole when it comes to relationship statuses. They equally value each other and what they both bring to the table. This is the type of relationship that everyone should strive to obtain.

The “anything you can do I can do better” attitude is not the way to go about things in a committed relationship. It causes strife and unnecessary stress that can leave both parties drained in every aspect.

Then you have your completely domineering and mild and meek couples. This situation leads to the less aggressive individual being harmed emotionally or even physically as a result of the relationship.

Can you guess which relationship category you fit into? Get your copy of “Am I in a Bad Relationship?” to reveal the answers and find out more.

Dr. O