Five Red Flags Not to Ignore in a Relationship

When we enter a new relationship, it is easy for us to get caught up in the excitement of something new that we tend to ignore or excuse the unhealthy behavior in our partner. The following red flags should never be ignored.

1.  Your partner is critical of you and your decisions: Do you often find your partner reacting negatively to positive life changes such as going to school or advancing at work, do they often criticize your appearance, weight or choice of clothing?  
2.  ​Your partner is quick to become angry, yell or throw things:Do you notice that your partner's anger is often directed at you, you are called disrespectful names, you are blamed for being the source of the anger, your partner's anger causes you to be fearful?
3.  ​Your partner show signs of secretive behavior or excessive lying:Do you often catch your partner in lies both small and big, do they withhold details about their life including their past, do they make it difficult to schedule time together, do they regularly create excuses for having to spend long periods of time apart from each other? 
4. Your partner shows signs of extreme possessive behavior:Are you often bombarded with excessive questions asking where you are, what time did you arrive/leave a certain location, or who were you with? Does your partner often guilt you into staying home, starts an argument so you stay home, continually calls or texts you, isolates you from friends and family?​
5. Your friends and family don’t like your partner:Your friends and family know you best. If the majority of them have reservations about your partner, you should be mindful of their concerns.

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