The Dark Side of Commitment

There are a lot of reasons we stay in relationships. Sometimes these reasons have to do with external pressures or lack of resources. In certain cases, this may actually allow us to work through tough times instead of bailing on a relationship that might be healthy for our growth despite needing some time and attention. On the other hand, there are times when all we have left keeping us in a relationship is the feeling that we don’t have a lot of other options or the things we might get out of the relationship that have nothing to do with how we feel about the other person. This article highlights research that interviewed 35 adults on how their relationships developed over time and the many ways we get unintentionally “stuck” in relationships.