The term “toxic relationship” gets thrown around quite a bit. The thing is, most people equate the term with only romantic relationships. Unfortunately, toxicity has no boundaries as far as relationships go, and can span family, friends, and even work relationships. For the sake of this article, we’ll focus on knowing when you’re in a toxic romantic relationship. These tips will help you identify toxicity so that you can make the right decision for your overall well-being. Keep reading to learn about the signs that you’re in a toxic relationship.
It’s All About Them
When a relationship is completely one-sided, you’re dealing with someone who’s incredibly selfish (or even narcissistic). A good relationship is a healthy balance between giving and take, and if you’re giving your all and getting nothing in return, you’re setting yourself up for bigger problems later on.
A person who takes everything and gives nothing doesn’t care about your happiness. Let that sink in for a moment, because it can be a tough pill to swallow, but it’s 100% true. Someone that gives nothing to the relationship is only in it for personal gain, and the only thing you’ll get out of it is a headache or even feelings of unworthiness, insecurity, and more.
If you notice your partner never remembers your needs, wants, important dates, and never does anything to make you happy (dates, gifts, etc.), you could be in a toxic relationship. Remember that a relationship should have balance, and with the scales tipped one way, someone’s going to be unhappy.
Gaslighting in relationships can make you feel like you’re losing your mind. Everything you do or say becomes a problem, and your partner puts little hints of doubt into your brain to make you question even your most genuine feelings. This selfish behavior is both destructive and detrimental to everyone’s mental health.
The Relationship Feels Like a Second Job
How draining is it to give your all to a relationship every single day? A relationship takes work, that’s no secret, but when it becomes so draining that it’s like a second job, maybe it’s time to take a closer look at why it is that way. Are you constantly fighting? Leaving? Coming back? Are you feeling unfulfilled, restless, or insecure?
All of these feelings can leave you with a sense of incredible exhaustion as you struggle to rejoin the broken pieces of your relationship. No one should have to feel like they’re working overtime just to keep their relationship intact. When you’re giving it all and exhausting yourself in the process, it’s safe to say the relationship has become toxic, and your partner isn’t interested in your happiness. Who wants to be with someone who doesn’t care if they’re happy or not?
You Don’t Trust Your Partner At All
Trust is one of, if not the most important components of a happy, successful relationship. Without trust, feelings of resentment soon grow, and out of that resentment can come some pretty nasty consequences. If your partner has given you one or many reasons to distrust them, little things begin to gnaw at the back of your mind, and the distrust involves into downright anger.
Feeling like you can’t trust someone you love is taxing on the mind. Paranoia soon develops, and a simple phone notification can create feelings of anxiety. This mental prison can seem inescapable, leaving you questioning your own sanity as you try to disregard those things that make you paranoid.
Let’s be honest here; when someone breaks the hard-earned trust of their significant other, it can take weeks, months, or even years to rebuild that foundation. Sometimes, the damage is too great, and trust never comes back. Why stay with someone you don’t trust? You’re only doing yourself a disservice and creating unnecessary anxiety.
You Feel Constantly Disrespected
Disrespect is the classic identifier of a toxic relationship. Does your significant other belittle you in public or private? Are your ideas and goals laughed at, torn apart, or used as a joke in social settings? Does your partner call you names? All of these things are uncalled for, disrespectful, and downright malicious. A partner is supposed to support your dreams and aspirations, and build you up; not make you feel like dirt.
If you’re constantly disrespected and made to feel a fool in front of mutual friends, family, or other people in your life, your partner is exhibiting toxic behavior and showing how much they value you as a person.
You Feel Trapped
You should never feel trapped in a relationship. Feeling like there’s no way out can have a serious effect on your mental health. Toxic partners will entrap their significant others with threats of physical harm, suicide, blackmail, or general guilt-tripping. All of these behaviors are manipulative and vindictive in nature. You’re not obligated to stay with anyone. Let’s hear that again: You are not obligated to stay with anyone. Regardless of what issues may be affecting your partner, if you’re not happy, it’s your human right to walk away from the relationship.
