Love and relationships

Relationships are like a bond or a connection between different people. Having a relationship with someone doesn’t always mean you’re a couple: all relationships are different. There are relationships between lovers, between friends and between family members, for example. Some relationships make you feel good, while others may make you feel bad.

Are you into someone but don’t know how to talk to them? Are you having a hard time at home? Did you say something you regret in a fight with a friend? Were you dumped, or do you want to break up with someone? Do you struggle with jealousy? Or maybe you just want to talk about your relationships? Relationships are a big part of our lives and one of the most common topics we chat about. We’re used to talking about relationships, family, friendship and love. Drop by and chat with us anonymously – we’re here for you.

Being in love

Being in love can be amazing! Love can make you feel all kinds of things in your body: butterflies, warmth, a sense of calm or joy. Maybe it’s hard to focus because all you can think about is that special person. But you can also feel nervous or sad. Especially if you don’t know whether they feel the same way. When you’re around the person you’re in love with, you can feel both super nervous and on top of the world. Not being able to talk about it can be hard.

Who do we fall in love with?

It’s hard to know why we fall for some people but not others. Maybe it’s someone’s voice or scent, what they’re like or the things they talk about. Pretty often, we’re surprised ourselves by who we fall in love with! Sometimes you think you know exactly what kind of people you like, only to fall in love with someone completely different. Or you think you should like people of a certain gender, but then fall head over heels for someone of another gender. It’s very normal to feel confused by your own feelings. It’s impossible to control who you fall in love with – but you’re the only one who gets to decide who you want to be in love with.

Fights

People don’t always feel or think the same thing. This can lead to misunderstandings or fights. There’s rarely just one right or wrong way to look at things, and that is okay – as long as our behaviour doesn’t hurt the other. Misunderstandings and fights can suck, especially in relationships with people you care about.
It can be hard to understand or accept someone else’s feelings. Especially when you’re feeling sad, angry or afraid. Talking to someone can make it easier to understand both how others feel and why you yourself feel the way you feel.

Loneliness

Many people enjoy being close to others they trust and feel safe around. Some prefer being by themselves to being around others. But being by yourself is not the same as feeling lonely. Feeling lonely and not having any friends can be hard. Many of us feel ashamed and like ourselves less when we feel lonely. That’s really normal, many people feel that way sometimes.

Jealousy

Jealousy can be the feeling of not trusting someone you’re in a relationship with, like you don’t matter to them. Things can start to feel like a competition, in which you constantly need to control the other person to make sure they don’t leave you. Some people rarely feel jealous. Others feel jealous a lot of the time, in different relationships. Jealousy is perhaps most common in romantic relationships. Feeling extremely jealous is not a sign of being very in love; love and jealousy are two completely different things.

What’s (not) alright in a family?

Up until the day you turn 18, your legal guardians get to decide over your life. It can be hard to accept rules you don’t feel happy with or that don’t feel fair. To avoid unnecessary fights, it can be a good idea to sit down together and discuss boundaries and rules. What time you need to be home at night, how much time you can spend using your phone and whether you’re allowed to travel are some of the things guardians get to decide. But they can’t decide just anything: as a child, you have rights. Those rights are in place to protect your happiness and safety.