RELATIONSHIPS
Why It's Not Always Good
To Be Overprotective In A Relationship
By AMANDA CHATEL
When we love someone, it's natural to want to protect them, and to feel protected by someone we love can be a source of comfort and reassurance, but being overprotective is a different story. "It's important to note that there is a line between overprotectiveness and it crossing the border to abusive behavior," states psychologist David Tzall, Psy.D.
Overprotective partners will try to isolate you from your support network in order to make you an easy target for emotional manipulation and abuse. Some other not-so-obvious signs include making appointments for you, telling you how or what to eat, making snide remarks about the people in your life they don't like, and insisting that you're only safe when you're in their presence.
Because there's a decent chance that your partner might not be aware of their behavior, it's important to bring up how it's affecting you and why they need to take a step back. Inquire about insecurities they might have about the relationship and assure your partner that while you appreciate their want to protect you, they're going overboard and it's negatively affecting you.
And although not every overprotective partner will ultimately become physically abusive, it's important to pay attention to red flags. As licensed clinical psychologist Jaci Lopez Witmer, Psy.D. explains, "As that pattern repeats and deepens, there may be emotional abuse, as well as even physical abuse in some circumstances."