The dictionary defines a control freak as "a person who feels an obsessive need to exercise control over themselves and others and to take command of any situation." Whether at work or in our own love life, we've all encountered someone who fits this description to a tee. Maybe it's the surly supervisor who puts her nose in even the most minute things, like how many Post-It Notes the department is going through weekly.  Then there's the controlling partner who has to know where you are at all hours of the day.  The common thread here is that these individuals:  Treat you as if you were a child Seem suspicious of your every move Are possessive Are insecure  Make you feel as though you can't be trusted  So why are these folks this difficult? Yes, it could be that it's in their nature, where their need for self-control spills into their relationships. But more often than not, someone in their past caused them to be this way, whether it was an employee they ca...

If there's something we can almost universally agree upon, it's that no one wants a pushover for a partner. Some people, especially at the outset of the relationship, believe that if they give their partner all they want and never once object to anything they say or do, the relationship will be stronger in the end. They fear that if they voice their true feelings and concerns, their partner will get upset and possibly dump them. If one is that fearful of communicating openly with their significant other, they may have self-esteem and/or confidence issues to work through. Why be intimidated by your partner? You should feel at ease to let him or her know when something rubs you the wrong way -- just as they should. If your partner has a history of throwing fits whenever you express disagreement, it speaks to their character and should lead you to question whether you can reasonably remain in a relationship with someone so combustible. As long as you drive your argum...

Some people become heavily invested in their relationships -- almost to a fault. In fact, they seem to forget there's actually a world outside of them. They lose sight of the fact that the other person in the relationship -- whether it's their friend, parent, or significant other -- is not attached to them at the hip; the person is still a separate individual with his or her own goals, dreams, fears, hobbies, and personality. No one likes feeling as though they're being surveilled or suffocated. Unfortunately, though, many of us contend with a partner who lets his or her insecurities come out through these two particular behaviors: 1. They're controlling. A possessive partner wants to dictate everything from what you eat and how you dress to who you can talk to and when you should come home. They treat you more like a child than as an adult, not allowing you to make your own decisions. Unfortunately, people can be this way for a variety of reasons. They may fe...

If there's one thing people don't like, it's to be bossed around -- much less by their partner. Relationships are all about compromise. Give and take. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. Bossing your partner around is the quickest way to leave someone feeling oppressed and resentful. People should be afforded the flexibility to make their own decisions. They have as much a right to give their two cents as the other person does. You are each other's mate; you're one another's companion. No one -- no matter their gender, race, job, economic background, or personality -- has dominion over anyone else. Talking over someone, choosing their meals for them at restaurants, exhorting them to do things against their wishes, grabbing and searching through their phone at will: this kind of behavior is wholly unacceptable. Now, there's nothing wrong with one person always taking the lead so long as his or her partner is okay with it. Some of us are too gun-...

Many men take issue with the fact that certain women become overly possessive in relationships -- not the relationships the men themselves are in, but those of their friends . To be quite frank, I have to side with these frustrated men on this one. A lot of men do, indeed, become "whipped" -- they get into relationships and vanish without a trace shortly thereafter. This ends up seriously diluting the guy's friendships. I've seen this transpire with a handful of guys I went to high school with, and I'm still attempting to wrap my head around it. Trying to make plans with them is an exercise in futility. They don't turn you down outright, but tend to flake out at the last minute, which I find to be even worse. I've come to the conclusion that the guys most likely to exhibit this kind of behavior: Are newbies in the world of dating, and it happens to be their first real relationship Because it's their first relationship, they don't want to ...