Toxic Relationships: What Are The Signs

The closest people to you have a great influence on your well-being. Living with imperfect people and loving them will have its ups and downs, but in the end, our relationships should be a source of joy, not disappointment.

Everyone on the planet deserves to have rich, satisfying, and secure relationships. And everyone on the planet is responsible for building those relationships. So you can start building healthy relationships by recognizing the signs of toxic relationships.

In a healthy relationship, everything works itself out. Sure, you may have disagreements or other disagreements, but you usually make decisions together, discuss problems openly, and genuinely enjoy each other's company.

Toxic relationships are another matter. According to relationship therapist Jor-El Caraballo, spending time with a partner in a toxic relationship can make you feel drained or unhappy, which may mean that some things need to change.

 

You may stop enjoying the relationship even though you still love your partner. For some reason, you always seem to be hurting each other, or you can't stop arguing over petty things.

 

So, you can start building healthy relationships by recognizing the signs of toxic relationships.

Toxic Communication

Instead of goodwill and mutual respect, most of your conversations are filled with sarcasm or criticism and are driven by contempt—a predictor of divorce.

Do you find yourself making derogatory remarks to friends or family members? Perhaps you could mock what they have said when they are in another room. Maybe you even start avoiding their calls just to take a break from the inevitable arguments and hostilities.

  

No effort.

Just because you are on the dance floor doesn't mean you are a dancer, and just because you are physically involved in a relationship doesn't mean you are invested in it. Sometimes it is healthy to do things separately, but as with all healthy things, sometimes enough is enough. If he doesn't make the effort to love you, to spend time with you, and to share things that are important to you, the relationship stops giving and starts taking too much.

lack of support.

When things get toxic, every achievement becomes a competition. In short, time spent together is no longer positive. You don't feel supported or encouraged, and you can't trust that they will stand up for you. Instead, you may get the impression that your needs and interests are irrelevant, that they only care about what they want.

 

"No" is a big word.

"No is a big word in any relationship. Don't remove it from your vocabulary, even in the name of love—especially not in the name of love. Healthy relationships require compromise, but they also respect the needs and desires of both people. Communicating what you want is just as important to you and your relationship as communicating what you don't want. Find your "no", push it, and find where the release button is. A loving partner will respect the fact that you don't agree with everything he or she says or does. If he only accepts you when you say "yes," it's probably time to say "no" to your relationship. And if you're worried about the void you're leaving, buy your soon-to-be ex some putty. Problem solved.

when you don't feel safe.

And I don't mean physically (although that's possible, too). I'm talking about your emotional sense of security. Is your voice important? Or do you feel like you are constantly editing yourself for fear of what he or she will do or say if you are being radically honest?

Healthy relationships empower people to be imperfect yet responsible. You can tell each other the good and the shameful and talk openly about the things that hurt you. You can be fully seen and fully loved.

 

They feel controlled and manipulated.

The toxic person feels the need to tip the balance of power in his/her favor. They may be constantly listening in on you, always asking how you are doing, where you are going, and what you are doing. Your partner may use your relationship as a weapon to manipulate you. They may back down when you upset them and come back when you do something "right".

Finally

There are many reasons why people fall into toxic relationships, and none of them has anything to do with strength of character or courage.

Toxicity can build up, and before you know it, it may be too late. The cost of leaving may seem too high, or the options may be limited.