Or maybe that’s you.
Do labels matter in a relationship?
It’s about being kind to each other and about protecting the feelings of both of you.
Misunderstandings hurt, and communication is really the only way to avoid them.
“Language matters,” adds sex and relationship therapistShadeen Francis, LMFT.
“Our experience changes based on the words we use.”
A relationship without labels.
There are situations when a relationship without labels might make sense, Francis says.
“We create words to capture and reflect the world around us.
Not talking about the terms of your relationship does not mean you don’t have one.”
Types of relationships.
“There is rarely universal meaning for the words we use,” Francis warns.
“While labels are a helpful shorthand, they do not mean the same thing to each person.
Agreeing on a word isn’t a shortcut to having a real conversation about your relationship.
In these cases, it becomes basically synonymous with “in a casual relationship” (see below).
“Dating may or may not be casual and is not necessarily short term.
That said, dating doesn’t necessarily imply exclusivity, Tubbs notes.
If you’re not sure, ask.
Usually this label assumes monogamy unless nonmonogamy is mutually agreed upon (see below).
Friends with benefits
This term implies the two people involved are having sex but aren’t romantically involved.
There are a lot ofassumptions about friends with benefits, including that they’re inherently shallow or unemotional.
Unlike some of the other early-stage relationship labels, being FWB usually isn’t forward-oriented.
These types of relationships are usually designed to remain exactly as they are without progressing into anything more serious.
Monogamy is similarly the expectation, though not the rule.
Open relationship
An open relationship is one form ofconsensual nonmonogamy.
Your girlfriend could get another girlfriend of her own and be dating both of you, for example.
Polyamory is sometimes used interchangeably with words like open relationship and consensual nonmonogamy.
How to figure out the right relationship label or definition for you.
Maybe none of the above labels feel right to you.
Maybe several of them do.
Maybe you resonate with one of them, but you’re not sure how your partner sees things.
When in doubt, talk it out.
Sit down and have thatdefine-the-relationship conversationwith your partner to see where you both stand.
