SOUTHERNSIDE MONTESSORI SCHOOL

Camella Homes 4, Poblacion, Muntinlupa City

First Grading Aug. 30 – Sept. 6, 2023

Grade 8 MAPEH SY 2023 – 2024
Notes #5
Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships

As a social being, its nature for people to establish relationship with others. “No man is an island, “as the
old adage goes. Everybody needs to connect with others in some way. Every individual relates to a
family; families belong to a community; and communities belongs to a society.
The earliest relationship is that of a parent-child. This bond influences how an individual establishes a
relationship with peers, friends, teacher, and partners. Hence, a good early parent-child relationship can
reflect the quality of future relationship one will establish with other people outside the family.

A healthy relationship is a quality of a person’s connection that is characterized by respect,

understanding, trust, support, and love, whether platonic or romantic. This kind of relationship is vital to a
long and healthy life. On the other hand, an unhealthy relationship is a connection with others that does
not have attributes of a healthy relationship. Such relationships are characterized by a lack of
understanding, respect, support and love or a tendency to use that relationship for selfish purposes.
Unhealthy relationships can be detrimental to one’s life and disposition.

Benefits of a healthy relationship

Relationships are an important part of a healthy living. They can enrich and add enjoyment in one’s life.
A person has many needs that only healthy relationship can fulfill. These include:
 Equality & Reciprocity
Partners are able to give and receive love and affection freely. At the same time, both share
decisions and responsibilities fairly & equally.
 Physical Safety
Partners feel physically safe in the relationship and are aware and respectful of each other’s
boundaries.
 Support
Aware of each other’s strength and weaknesses, partners are able to affirm and support one
another.
 Communication
Partners share their dreams, fears, and concerns with each other. They share important
information with one another and each one has a sense of being heard and known by the other
person. Here is no fear of consequences in expressing oneself.

Healthy relationship can also help a person cope with personal trials and challenges.
 Preparing for old age and death
To grow old and die are two inevitable realities of life. We need to accept and cope these
realities, even if they are inevitable. When they occur, we need the support of family and
friends. We need to forget meaningful and healthy ties that last a lifetime.
Healthy relationship helps us cope with aging and death. The process of growing old become a
rewarding experience when one is surrounded by people who love and care for you. Grieving
and mourning can be alleviated when one Is surrounded by people who empathize with you.
Hence, coping with aging and death rest on who you are and what kind of relationships you
have built through the years. The quality of relationships will serve as an armor to weather any
storm.

 Dealing with loss and other pitfalls in life

Losig a friend, a family member, or even a pet, can be devastating, and coping with pain can be
difficult. For some people who have poor mental health, this could easily lead to depression,
but it does not mean that people who are emotionally stable will not feel the same. One should
realize that there are several stages to deal with before one reach equilibrium and cope with
setbacks.
There are five stages in dealing with loss:
1. First stage is denial. A person pretends not to feel a setback even if the faced with reality.
2. The second stage involves feeling anger. When people realize their loss, they tend to
blame and get angry at others.
 3. After feeling angry about a loss, the individual passes through a stage of bargaining by
reasoning or rationalizing and making promises to God.
4. The fourth stage is depression. It involves feeling sorry for oneself and losing control
over a situation. Depression can lead ultimately to feeling of weaknesses, despair, or
hopelessness.
5. Finally, when a person realize that everything happens for a reason and stop blaming
himself or others, acceptance is achieved. He or she acknowledge some benefits in all that
happened to finally get over feelings of depression.

 Signs of an Unhealthy relationship

1. Undue Control – one partner makes all the decisions and insists on always doing things
his or her way. The other person is always told what to do, what to wear, which friends to
see, etc.
2. Dishonesty and/or secrecy – one partner lies or keep information from the other. In some
cases, one person is made to cover up lies to protect the partner’s reputation.
3. Violence and Physical Abuse – one partner uses force, become destructive or physically
hurts the other person to get his or her way. Hitting, slapping, grabbing, and shoving are
all signs of a violent and abusive personality.
4. Disrespect – one partner belittles the other person both in private or in the presence of
others or make fun of his or her opinions and interests.
5. Over-Dependence – one partner feels he or she cannot survive without the other and
threatens to do something like hurt himself or herself or the other person if the relationship
ends.

Young people who find themselves in an unhealthy relationship, whether it is an acquittance, a friend, a
family member or a romantic partner, should get out of the relationship ends.
If a family member such as a parent is involved, one can seek the advice of other member of the family,
or a trusted adult such as a teacher, guidance counsellor, or a church/spiritual leader.