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How to save a broken relationship - Tips from psychology experts

May 22, 2024

Introduction

Human relationships are vital elements in our lives. Relationships, whether friendships, family, or romantic, deeply influence our emotional well-being and social well-being. However, relationships can face difficulties and challenges, sometimes leading to destructive states. This article explores the theme of human relationships, offering advice from psychology experts on repairing relationships and building healthy ones. The goal of this article is to assist readers in taking action towards relationship repair and creating healthy and satisfying relationships through scientific guidance.

Understanding the Psychology of Broken Relationships

Understanding the psychology behind broken relationships is the first step towards their repair. When relationships break down, it affects not only the issues between two individuals but also the psychological well-being of each person involved. Research by Saladino et al. (2020) emphasizes how social events and disruptive occurrences can significantly impact our mental health and relationships[^1^]. In this section, we will delve into how the breakdown of relationships affects individuals psychologically and what impact it has on their overall well-being.

The end of a relationship can lead to emotional pain, stress, and sometimes even depression. These emotions may potentially impact daily activities, work performance, and other social relationships. Krendl and Perry (2020) have shown that social isolation and interruptions in social interactions are associated with increased feelings of loneliness and depression, especially among older individuals[^2^].

In the next part of this section, we will explore the potential psychological effects of broken relationships in-depth, using this understanding as a basis for exploring how to build healthy communication patterns in the following section.

Building Healthy Communication Patterns

Communication plays a central role in establishing and maintaining human relationships. Especially when relationships have been strained, understanding communication patterns and reconstructing them into healthy ones becomes extremely important. Communication encompasses various facets, each contributing to forming and deepening connections with others.

Diverse Methods in Conversational Communication

Communication is diverse, and within it, conversations encompass various elements such as word choices, tone, body language, response time, and more. When these elements harmonize effectively, connections with others are strengthened, leading to mutual understanding. Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) in particular explains in detail how individuals negotiate and adapt their relationship and social identity through communication processes.

CAT is a theory that explores how individuals adapt and react to their partner's communication style and behavior during the communication process. The theory suggests that individuals tend to unconsciously adjust their language and behavior to align with their partner's language and behavior. This is known as "convergence," and it enhances relationships and reduces social distance by adjusting communication style, accent, and language use to match the partner's.

On the other hand, CAT also references "divergence," which describes the phenomenon where individuals deliberately change their communication style to emphasize their own identity and highlight differences when communicating with someone from a different social background. Divergence is observed when individuals feel the need to protect or strengthen their group identity, especially when communicating with someone with different social backgrounds.

Understanding this theory can provide clues to more effectively construct communication patterns and repair or strengthen relationships with others.

Managing Conflict and Resolving Differences

Conflict within relationships is inevitable, and how it is managed and resolved can determine whether the relationship endures or not. Managing conflict and resolving differences play a central role in relationship repair. Particularly, when trust has been compromised, its reconstruction becomes extremely crucial.

The Role of Trust in Relationship Repair

Trust is an indispensable element in relationship repair. Especially after conflicts arise, rebuilding trust is vital for repairing the relationship and moving forward. R. Lewicki and C. Wiethoff extensively explore the relationship between trust and conflict within relationships. According to their research, relationships are based on different levels of trust, and when trust is broken, conflicts may arise between the parties. They also discuss the steps involved in rebuilding trust after it has been broken. Rebuilding trust is essential for relationship repair and conflict resolution.

Seeking Professional Help When Needed

At times, seeking professional help is necessary for relationship repair. Counseling or therapy sessions can support conflict resolution and relationship reconstruction. We will delve into how professional help can contribute to relationship repair in detail.

Conclusion

This article has focused on relationship repair and explored methods through the guidance of psychology experts. In the "Understanding the Psychology of Broken Relationships" section, we emphasized the drawbacks of relationship breakdowns on well-being through concrete examples and academic research. The breakdown of relationships can have a significant impact on an individual's happiness and psychological health, making relationship repair crucial.

In the "Building Healthy Communication Patterns" section, we highlighted the importance of communication patterns and introduced the Communication Accommodation Theory. Communication is the foundation of relationships, and establishing healthy communication patterns is the first step towards relationship repair.

In the "Managing Conflict and Resolving Differences" section, we emphasized the indispensability of managing conflict and resolving differences in relationship repair. We discussed the role of rebuilding trust and the importance of professional help when conflicts arise. Rebuilding trust is a critical step in relationship repair and conflict resolution. Additionally, we introduced how counseling or therapy can be supportive when professional help is needed.

Finally, we provided concrete steps to readers for building and repairing healthy human relationships. Relationship repair requires effort, but with understanding, improved communication, and proper support, it is possible to build healthy and satisfying relationships.

Human relationships are a significant part of life, and their repair and maintenance deeply affect an individual's sense of happiness. We hope this article proves valuable to readers interested in relationship repair.

Refference

Lewicki, R., & Wiethoff, C. (2000). Trust, trust development, and trust repair.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285976980_Trust_trust_development_and_trust_repair

Giles, H., & Soliz, J. (2019). Communication accommodation theory: negotiating personal relationships and social identities across contexts. Cambridge University Press.

Psychology Post. (2022, June). How fast you respond to someone during conversation is a signal of how connected you are, study finds.

https://www.psypost.org/2022/06/how-fast-you-respond-to-someone-during-conversation-is-a-signal-of-how-connected-you-are-study-finds-63304

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