Yikes! You’re stuck in a situationship. When to stick around or get out

Meagan Culberson, 32, was on a third date with a guy she met on Hinge when she decided it was time to ask him a make-or-break question: What are you looking for? “But if I had stepped back into those old patterns, all of that healing that I’d done would’ve just been a waste.” Although situationships have probably been around since the beginning of time, these undefined entanglements — ones that fall in the murky, gray area between a defined relationship and casual dating — seem to have become more common with the rise of dating apps, hookup culture and the broadening of traditional relationship dynamics, relationships experts say. “When becomes toxic and it’s hurting your mental and possibly physical health, then you have to figure out a way to get out of that situation.” — Denise Brady, a marriage and family therapist A recent YouGov survey, which polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults, found that 39% of people had been in a situationship before, and of people between the ages of 18 to 34, that number increases to 50%. However, she warns that “you should be prepared to lose the relationship as you know it.” Start the conversation by explaining what you desire, but don’t blame the person or give any ultimatums, Stanizai says. “You don’t have clarity within situationships to start that process, so that’s why some people feel like they’re stuck in limbo,” Yao says.