How do you know if you're in a toxic relationship?
If a relationship stops bringing joy, and instead consistently makes you feel sad, angry, anxious or “resigned, like you've sold out,” it may be toxic, Glass says. You may also find yourself envious of happy couples. Fuller says negative shifts in your mental health, personality or self-esteem are all red flags, too.
In true love, there's no struggle in embracing the individuality of your partner. In toxic love, there is an obsession with trying to change your partner into someone you'd rather be with instead of loving them for who they are.
Red flags in a relationship include excessive jealousy and frequent lying. You should also be wary of a partner who frequently criticizes you or puts you down. Another major red flag is an unwillingness to compromise — relationships shouldn't be one-sided.
Fundamentally, toxic relationship behaviors are the result of a lack of empathy. Whether that be demanding your partner live up to your expectations, or refusing to see things from their perspective, toxic behavior often represents an inability to feel genuine understanding and compassion for the other person.
If you're not being satisfied emotionally, sexually or intellectually, it's probably time to move on. Ending a relationship is hard, but it's sometimes the only correct thing to do. If you and your partner aren't connecting on the most fundamental levels, it will be best for both of you to move on.
You give up your values, stop doing things you enjoy and just become a hollow shell of the person you used to be! Family members and friends no longer recognize you and, honestly, neither do you. If you're experiencing this, it may be time to consider ending the relationship.
You feel like you're being manipulated into something you don't want to do. You're constantly confused by the person's behavior. You feel like you deserve an apology that never comes. You always have to defend yourself to this person.
Take your partner for granted. There's no better way to help hurry the end of the relationship than to just assume your partner is always there to make your life easier. ...
Lying, cheating, jealousy, and disrespect are signs of an unhealthy relationship. So is trying to control a partner. That includes: keeping track of where they are and who they hang out with.
The word “dysfunctional” or “toxic” describes a relationship not functioning well. There are no perfect relationships. At the same time, it's a red flag when a relationship is mainly filled with pain and challenges instead of bringing you joy and support.
You feel consistently disrespected or that your needs aren't being met. You feel a toll on your self-esteem over time. You feel unsupported, misunderstood, demeaned, or attacked. You feel depressed, angry, or tired after speaking or being with the other person.
Toxic jealousy becomes a dysfunctional way to get unmet, but very normal, childhood needs for affection and genuine care met in adulthood. Think of toxic jealousy as a giant tantrum, the equivalent of a 4-year-old yelling and flailing about on the floor to get what he or she wants, and to get it immediately.
Toxic relationships also tend to be long-term relationships. What's up with that? Some of my longest-lasting relationships were also my most toxic relationships. And when I talk to other people who have also been in toxic relationships, that seems to hold true for many, if not most, of them as well.
Sometimes we stay in bad, even toxic relationships longer than we really want to. It's not because we're addicted to the chaos, nor because we want to be treated badly. Most likely, every once in a while, we see a tiny glimmer of hope that things are going to get better.
