We've all been in a situation where we've asked a lot of questions about someone's behaviour, or been asked to advise a friend, so we've played the role of therapist. Being empathetic and a good listener gives you the advantage of being there for others, of being trusted with secrets, dilemmas and dramas for which you may not always have an answer as to why people choose X or Y strategies to complicate simple things. Psychologists consider these questions simple because all that's needed is the desire and the will to communicate.

The common theme in all these human questions I've heard recently is a curiosity to identify these specific human patterns of behaviour, especially when it comes to relationships.

Recently, someone whose intellect I greatly admire recommended an interesting book by the psychotherapist and father of bioenergetics, Alexander Lowen: Narcissism: Denial of the True Self,

in which he analyses how much of the terminology I will focus on next comes from the narcissistic personality trait.

Relationships have never been easy. But in today's modern age, the vocabulary we use to describe how two people fall in and out of love is richer than ever.

Dating in a primarily digital world (with an increasing number of different dating apps) has changed many elements of romantic relationships.

The golden days of a relationship, when there were only three stages: dating, engagement and marriage, seem long gone.

Now there are new terms to define the beginning and end of each relationship cycle, whether the person you are dating is dating other people at the same time (breadcrumbing), or a new, overly passionate person is showering you with love and attention for weeks before you suddenly fall headlong into this seemingly sweet but well-planned trap (love bombing).

It may all seem confusing and complicated, so I have decided to decode these behaviours a little.

Below you'll find an "explanation" of modern relationship terminology to give you the clarity you need to identify the "undefined" relationship you may be stuck in.

Ghosting is nothing new in today's modern dating culture. Ghosting describes the act of suddenly - and seemingly without reason - cutting off all communication within a romantic relationship that seemed to be flourishing.

The ghost disappears into thin air, ignoring messages, calls and any attempt at communication from the other person, thus ending all contact.

The most negative aspect of ghosting is that it leaves the other person completely confused, trying to figure out what went wrong or why it all fell apart so suddenly. Whether you've been seeing each other for a while or are in the early stages of a romantic relationship, ghosting is a sudden and complete end to whatever you may have shared.

If you're with someone and things aren't working out for whatever reason, it's better to break up properly, even if it's a difficult conversation to have.

After ghosting comes haunting. Sometimes people who suddenly disappear from a partner's life reappear without warning or a clear explanation.

The reappearance isn't direct, with a message or a phone call. It's more subtle and usually happens through social media. The ex-ghost might like an Instagram photo or respond to a story you posted, but these lazy attempts to reconnect shouldn't be taken seriously; it's nothing more than a ghost trying to stir up 'trouble' again.

If someone really wants to come back and rekindle the flame, your phone number is more than enough to make the first move.

Submarining is similar to haunting, but instead of subtly trying to return to your life, they will reappear completely, like a submarine.

An ex-ghost may contact you with a message and act as if nothing ever happened, without even apologising for their initial sudden disappearance.

"Submariners will always find their way back, lurking in the deep, mysterious waters, so don't mistake their reappearance for a real "connection".

So far, we've learned that ghosts can haunt, submariners can return, and finally, they can turn into zombies. A zombie describes the phenomenon of a ghost reappearing in someone's life, whether months or even years after the initial disappearance, and trying to reconnect.

Zombies may try to fool you into thinking they are a completely new person. Psychologists advise caution so you don't fall for their tactics.

Orbiting seems to be the new ghosting. With widespread access to social media, the tendency for someone to disappear completely and permanently seems rare.

Instead, this category of individuals is likely to orbit your virtual world, constantly monitoring updates in your life on digital platforms. It's a phenomenon that resembles a permanent slumber without taking any real steps to create real communication.

You see them 'watching' you, and after a while you may wonder why. There's really no simple explanation. Maybe they think the unfollow button is too harsh, or maybe they're just curious.

Either way, you'll never know - unless they reappear as a submarine or a zombie.

Breadcrumbing comes from the old German fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. This phenomenon describes the act of breadcrumbing someone to make them think they are liked by the other party.

Communication comes in the form of messages, calls and general attention via social media. It's just enough engagement to keep you interested, but ultimately unsatisfied. These crumbs often lead nowhere. A breadcrumb leads you by dropping small crumbs of interest - a random message, a phone call, scheduled meetings or some social media interaction, all sporadic.

So you meet someone who doesn't seem very committed? Maybe they send enough messages to reassure you that they are still interested. After all, if they didn't like you, they wouldn't spend time messaging, would they?

In reality, breadcrumb people generally want to keep you interested, even if they have no concrete intention of starting a relationship with you. They may fill you with imaginary plans, but nothing really happens. Maybe they're just lonely at the moment, bored during the day, or simply keeping you as an option to validate their ego.

As you know, in football, some players sit on the bench, ready to come on when needed. In modern relationships, benching is the act of "keeping a list" of possible players who might one day be called upon to spend some time on the field.

You might bench someone who has shown interest in the past, but for whatever reason it never worked out. You could also bench someone who isn't ready for a real relationship, but you are.

Remember that being benched usually involves the elements mentioned above, such as breadcrumbing.

Less than a relationship, but more than a casual hookup, this phenomenon refers to a romantic connection that is and remains undefined.

"A situationship is the space between a committed relationship and something more than a friendship," explains psychotherapist and author Jonathan Alpert. "Unlike a friends-with-benefits or a relationship, there is no consensus about what a situationship is." Why is this phenomenon becoming fashionable now?

"Culturally, our expectations of relationships have shifted; people are marrying later, and many are eager to explore relationships in a less structured way, free from the pressures of commitment, prioritising self-discovery and individual growth."

If ghosting is the sudden end of a relationship, a slow fade is death by a thousand cuts.

A slow fade happens over time and involves one person in the relationship gradually distancing themselves from the other.

Instead of a difficult conversation followed by a break-up, a slow fade is a prolonged and often painful recession leading to the eventual closure of the relationship. It's often used in new relationships as a way of easing the trauma of a break-up.