No one is perfect and the same applies to relationships. Imperfection is absolutely normal but toxicity is not. If imperfection can incentivise you to grow and change, toxicity can drain you emotionally and leave you with negative thoughts.
It’s always easier to blame someone else for being toxic but you need to introspect too. What if you’re the villain in your own relationship? We need to examine our own behaviour and patterns. At times, it so happens that we’re the toxic one but simply refuse to accept it. But, there’s no shame in accepting it because being aware of things will be the first step to change.
Ask yourself if you relate to these 6 signs of a toxic romantic partner and be honest with the answers:
Manipulation ranges from gaslighting and lying to hiding information from your partner. If you’re doing any of these things, you’re clearly manipulating your partner and are the toxic one in the relationship. Ultimately, it will only erode your partner’s love and respect for you.
2. You are a little too dominating
We’d all like for things to always go our way but relationships are about compromises. If you’re holding your partner hostage to your demands, then it is quite unhealthy. When you are in a relationship, you need to listen to your partner too because they’re an equal part of the dynamic. Moreover, you shouldn’t try to exert control over your partner by demanding things always go your way.
If it is normal to threaten your partner with a relationship, you must know that it’s known as emotional blackmail and isn’t healthy at all. These threats can only make a fragile situation worse and lead to a trust deficit from your partner’s end. Instead, try to step back from the situation before making a threat like this and allow yourself to calm down.
4. You don’t give them personal space
No matter how long you have been in the relationship or how close you both are, giving your partner their personal space is important. Having some space to oneself leads to personality growth and the development of individual choices. So, adhere to their personal boundaries and don’t overtake their space.
5. The relationship is all about you
If you believe that only your needs matter and don’t give enough importance to what your partner is going through, your relationship is unhealthy. If your partner can’t find any support from you and you’re not their confidant, then how will it lead to a long-lasting relationship? You need to make an effort to ensure your partner feel emotionally taken care of as well.
6. You never take responsibility
If you abdicate all responsibility only to blame others, then you’re being toxic. Don’t play the blame game because you’re not fooling anyone and only damaging your relationship.
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If you think these signs reflect your behaviour in a relationship, you need to work on yourself. You’ll see the health of your relationship improve once you make the changes you need to make!
Perhaps the most classic trait of a toxic person is lying, selfishness, and manipulation. Often when you want things to go your way without caring for what the other person wants, you may twist your words, make false promises, go back on your word, and manipulate your way to win their heart again.
However, insults, jealous accusations, yelling, put-downs, shoving, pushing or other abusive behaviors, are unhealthy and disrespectful. You deserve to be respected. If you think your relationship is unhealthy, focus on your safety, talk to someone you trust, or contact a service provider for support.
A toxic relationship is one that has unhealthy dynamics and causes you distress or harm because you're unsupported, manipulated or disrespected. While we all have our moments and seasons of selfishness, a truly toxic person will take and take and take and give you nothing in return.
What is a relationship red flag? Jennifer Klesman, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist in Chicago, defines a red flag as a behavior trait or value that shows your future incompatibility with a person. This can be anything from someone having a history of infidelity to conflicting lifestyles and beyond.
Spending all of your free time with your spouse, for example, could indicate you're codependent and smothering them, and being on your phone constantly could mean you're not giving your relationship the attention it needs to thrive.
“If you are showing up in a harmful way in your relationship, you may find that you are constantly on edge — always on the brink of saying something hurtful,” said Choi. “Unprocessed emotions can lead to 'toxic' behavior patterns, such as lashing out at your partner or shutting down ― stonewalling.
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.
Key signs that you're in a toxic relationship include feeling drained instead of uplifted, frequent disrespect or verbal abuse, and a persistent imbalance of power where your needs and feelings are sidelined.
Absolute statements like “you always…” or “you never…” are common phrases used by toxic individuals. These statements are not only unfair, but they also serve to generalize your behavior in a negative light. These phrases are used to exaggerate flaws and ignore your positive traits.
If your partner makes you angry, miserable, or bored often and if it is very hard for you to explain the reasons why you still love this person, it's an obvious sign that you should go your own path. If you feel suffocated in a relationship and if the negatives overshadow the positives, it's time to move on.
Is toxic love still real love? Toxic love is not real, healthy love. A toxic relationship does not encourage personal growth in each individual, and both partners aren't looking out for one another. It may be very one-sided, where one partner takes advantage of the nice, helpful personality of the other.
Love: Encouragement of each other's expanding; secure in own worth. Toxic love: Preoccupation with other's behavior; fear of other changing. Love: Appropriate Trust (trusting partner to behave according to fundamental nature.) Toxic love: Jealousy; possessiveness; fear of competition; protects "supply."
Someone with toxic traits may not realize or care that their actions negatively impact others if they lack emotional intelligence. If someone is unaware their actions hurt others, try addressing the problem with them. If they refuse to listen, you may need to set boundaries or stop spending time with them.
Introduction: My name is Carlyn Walter, I am a lively, glamorous, healthy, clean, powerful, calm, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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