People can find themselves in unhappy relationships and unpleasant circumstances if they don't know the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships. It's important to know the signs of a healthy relationship, so you know when to invest more time and effort in a relationship and when it's time to end it. A healthy relationship can be defined as much more than one that's free of verbal, physical or sexual abuse. Trust You can't build a healthy relationship without trust. It's the key ingredient to having a good relationship with friends, family members and romantic partners. If your partner tells you the truth and you do the same, then you probably trust each other. Many relationships fall prey to jealousy, insecurity and dishonesty. Someone who doesn't feel confident might always question the relationship and the other person's actions and words which can become draining on a relationship. Balance of Power Relationships that are unhealthy are characterized by an uneven balance of power. One partner has much more power than the other. For example, one person is the only person who provides an income for the family and always uses that as a scare tactic to get what he or she wants. In healthy relationships, each person has about the same amount of power. When there is a balance of power, the relationship will feel like a partnership. Respect Respect for each other can result in a long-lasting, loving relationship. If you don't have respect, your relationship will become unbalanced, unhealthy and possibly abusive. In healthy relationships, there isn't any name-calling, threatening or abuse. One partner does not try to humiliate or embarrass the other. Instead, each person attempts to encourage and support the other. When a couple does not respect each other, it's noticeable to bystanders, strangers, friends and family members. Good Communication When you're in a healthy relationship, you feel as if your partner listens to you and understands your point of view. It doesn't mean that he is always going to agree with you, but you know that she takes time to try to see where you're coming from. This works both ways. You have to listen while she's talking which means that you're paying attention to what he's saying, not thinking about how you're going to respond. Listen to him the way that you would want him to listen to you and you'll have good communication. Interdependence You know the couples who rely on each other for every single thing and almost lose their identities while in the relationship. This is the girl who stops hanging out with her friends, the guy who gives up golf on the weekends and the girl who asks her boyfriend before doing anything such as getting a haircut or choosing her nail polish. That's not healthy, and the opposite isn't healthy either. You should consult each other and rely on each other in a healthy way.