Joy feelings magazine July Issue 2019 | Seite 34

HOW TO END A BAD RELATIONSHIP FOR GOOD Sometimes we find ourselves in relationships that make us miserable more often than they make us happy, relationships that we know in our hearts are not right, yet still have a hold on us. If you're feeling stuck in a dead-end relationship that keeps drawing you back in, here are some research-based strategies you may not have considered to end it for good and get on with your life: 1. Don't mistake addiction for love. This is tricky because, neurochemically speaking, the two are very similar—studies have shown that when romantic partners who are intensely in love are exposed to photographs of their beloved, the brain regions that become activated are the same regions that are activated in cocaine addicts when they are craving cocaine. But even if love has some addiction-like qualities, healthy love is likely to involve other qualities as well, such as respect, trust, and commitment, qualities that keep a