What's A Karmic Relationship And How Can You Tell If You're In One?

Passion in a relationship can amp up the romance factor, but is there such a thing as too much passion? When the passionate highs are too high, and the lows are too low, then a relationship may be missing a healthy balance between passion and other necessary elements that help both people feel supported through emotional regulation and reciprocal respect. Relationships where passionate emotions make you feel like you're on a rollercoaster, are called karmic relationships, according to Healthline. Even though the term isn't official clinical terminology, the bracket that behaviors defining karmic relationships fall into is one that may be familiar to a lot of people and resonates with several other forms of unhealthy or toxic relationship dynamics.

Karmic relationships have trademark behaviors that make them easy to identify, but like other types of unhealthy relationships, there are nuances that might contribute to questions about whether or not a specific relationship falls under the karmic umbrella. The defining attributes of karmic relationships are instability, especially when it comes to emotional experiences, unbalanced power dynamics, and a strong pull to the other person that could feel magnetic in nature (via Brides). The attraction in a karmic relationship can be described as enchanting, overpowering, alluring, enthralling, and magical at times when the emotional highs are in full swing. However, the namesake of karmic relationships describes a good side and a bad side. When things take a turn, the drop during emotional lows can leave you reeling while simultaneously teaching life lessons.

The patterns of behavior found in karmic relationships are generally unhealthy and turbulent, per Medical News Today. To get a good idea of what karmic relationships are like, imagine riding on a rollercoaster with steep climbs to the top and then suddenly drops to the bottom. Going from high to low so suddenly and then repeating the cycle over and over again can result in potentially negative effects on mental health and happiness. While in the throes of a karmic relationship, it might be difficult to be able to identify what is happening because of the constant turbulence and the draw to the passionate intensity of the high moments that can feel euphoric. To help yourself or a loved one determine the presence of a karmic relationship, look for signs like constant feelings of being emotionally drained, codependent behaviors, repeated miscommunications, or overall unhealthy communication powered by passionate arguments, possessive jealousy, or general signs that the worst is being brought out in one or both partners. Like other unhealthy and even abusive relationships, there will likely be multiple red flags that add up over time.

Karmic relationships can be hard to end because the connection felt with the other person can be so passionate and intense (via Relish). The instant connection that sparks a karmic relationship is often described as being akin to love at first sight, and the memory of that initial flame can make it difficult to cut ties with the relationship.

After you've identified the existence of a karmic relationship, it can be extremely difficult to step away from it, but with the proper support and information, you can successfully move on and find new healthy relationships in the future. It isn't easy to end a karmic relationship, whether for yourself or through helping a loved one, but remember that it can be done. Many times, karmic relationships will end on their own because the hallmark emotional turbulence will naturally create a rift between the two people, per Relish. Other times, it might take a thorough and carefully curated plan to safely leave a karmic relationship, especially if there are concerns about volatility or aggressive repercussions.

When a karmic relationship has signs of abuse or a person feels uneasy at the thought of leaving, there are steps that can be taken to ensure a safe retreat from the relationship, reports Medical News Today. Prior to ending a volatile karmic relationship, ensure that basic needs such as access to financial means, food, and shelter can be met in the wake of the relationship's end. Whether it's solidifying arrangements to stay with a friend or moving to a new location, making a safety plan prior to exiting a karmic relationship, or any volatile relationship for that matter, can help a person move forward knowing that their basic needs will be met. Enlisting help from a mental health professional can help you navigate the transition out of a karmic relationship.

The life lessons that karmic relationships can teach you tend to center around which relationship behaviors are healthy and which are unhealthy (via Healthline). It's possible for the unhealthy behaviors inherent in karmic relationships to manifest in both romantic and platonic relationships, with each instance being an opportunity to learn how to set interpersonal boundaries and stand up for yourself. The deep attraction of karmic relationships can be sought in future relationships that are more temperate and void of the volatile, harmful behaviors contained within karmic relationship dynamics. In fact, the lessons from karmic relationships often create a desire to pursue healthy future relationships.

Remembering the turbulence and draining of emotional energy that karmic relationships bring about can be encouraging motivators for actively seeking healthier relationships in the future. Whether you've been in a karmic relationship or not, establishing and maintaining healthy relationships takes work and personal insight to develop, but they're 100% worth it. Unlike karmic relationships with unpredictable volatility, healthy relationships allow each person to thrive with their own identity and agency, create safe spaces for openly expressing feelings, encourage equality within the relationship, and lack possessiveness and toxic jealousy (per Medical News Today). Healthy relationships are void of the sensations of walking on eggshells and being fearful of the next seemingly spontaneous roller coaster drop that comes with the karmic relationship experience. Simply put, healthy relationships have plenty of green flags, whereas karmic relationships come with various numbers of red flags.