Addiction pioneers Claudia Black and Terrance Gorski examine three types of relationships:

Compulsive: Both partners crave intensity without sharing any real substance.

Apathetic: Both partners seek to avoid pain, they want to get along with each other with a minimum of involvement, expectations and pain.

Healthy: Both partners find mutual respect and happiness in a relationship that does have its ups and downs.

These three types of relationships are different in eight important ways:

Expectations - Gratification - Communication - Influence - Trust - Boundaries - Sociability -Consequences

For example:

Expectations in a Compulsive relationship are Magical, in an Apathetic relationship they are Minimal and in a Healthy relationship they are Rational.

Gratification in a Compulsive relationship is Instant, in an Apathetic relationship it is No Pain and in a Healthy relationship it is Long Term.

Communication in a Compulsive relationship is Dishonest, in an Apathetic relationship it is Minimal and in a Healthy relationship it is Honest.

Influence in a Compulsive relationship is Control, in an Apathetic relationship it is Abandonment and in a Healthy relationship it is Shared Power.

Trust in a Compulsive relationship is Irrational, in an Apathetic relationship it is Not Necessary and in a Healthy relationship it is Rational.

Boundaries in a Compulsive relationship are Merged, in an Apathetic relationship they are Rigid and in a Healthy relationship they are Flexible.

Sociability in a Compulsive relationship is Isolated, in an Apathetic relationship it is Separated and in a Healthy relationship it is Integrated.

Consequences in a Compulsive relationship are Pain, in an Apathetic relationship they are Alienation and in a Healthy relationship they are Contentment.

Preview

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The information contained in this video is an essential building block for those individuals and couples who are involved in constructing healthy relationships.

Running time is 30 minutes.