Toxic relationships aren’t really all that rare; and that’s an unfortunate fact of the world and relationships. Heck, you might even be in a toxic relationship right now and you’re just counting down the days before you really have to call it quits. There are so many reasons as to why people fail to exit relationships that they know aren’t right from them. It’s either they are just outright lying to themselves, or they are made to believe that sticking to status quo is better than taking a risk and breaking things off.
It’s an unfortunate thing whenever anyone lands in a toxic relationship with someone. You can become really attracted to someone; you can develop a strong connection with this person. You can become really invested in what you have together; and little did you know that what you have is slowly killing you on the inside. You want so much for things to work but you know that there’s no way for you to make that happen. You know that you’re stuck in a toxic relationship; but you really haven’t come to terms with the fact that you need to get out of it.
Or maybe you’re completely oblivious. Maybe you are blinding yourself to the fact that you’re in a toxic relationship. Maybe you love your partner too much to the point that you end up lying to yourself about the sad state of your affairs. You need to be able to look at your relationship with a clear mind. You need to be able to be truthful to yourself about how your relationship has turned out. And that all starts with knowing what a toxic relationship looks like so that you can call it out when you see it.
And the moment that you see you’re in a toxic relationship, you need to be able to make a move. You need to be able to act fast. You can’t just be content about keeping things the way they are and expect everything to work out alright. You need to know that the problems in a relationship are rarely ever going to fix themselves. So keep an eye out for these signs so you know when it’s time for you to act.
1. Everything that you do seems to be wrong.
You have a partner who is constantly criticizing everything that you say and do in a relationship. It’s as if you’re never good enough; it’s as if your efforts never live up to needs and expectations. You are always made to feel like you have to do more; that you have to be more. You are always made to feel like you are mediocre and that you’re not doing enough for the relationship. This is a tactic to make you feel like you aren’t deserving of the love and affection that your partner is giving to you.
2. All of your conversations revolve around your partner.
You have a selfish partner; someone who doesn’t care much for your needs and expectations. You are with someone who is only concerned with what they can get out of you; and they don’t care much about what they can do for you in return.
3. You have more bad days than you do good ones.
Granted, relationships aren’t always supposed to be perfect. You are bound to go through your fair share of rough patches and hard times. You are bound to have a few ruts here and there that you’re going to have to overcome as a couple. However, if you find that your relationship has more bad days than good ones, then that’s really not a relationship that is worth being in. Ultimately, the positive always has to outweigh the negative. Otherwise, why would you want o be in such a relationship at all? A relationship isn’t exactly easy, but it shouldn’t be a constant struggle either.
4. You don’t feel like you’re free to be yourself whenever you’re together.
You should never feel like you have to be anyone else other than yourself when you’re in a relationship. You should always be made to feel comfortable with just being your genuine self when you’re around your partner. When you are pressured to be or act a certain way that just doesn’t coincide with your core principles, then you aren’t in a loving and accepting relationship.
5. Your relationship is holding you back from growing as an individual.
Just because you are in a relationship doesn’t mean that you have to give up who you are as an individual. You still need to make sure that you are pushing your life forward; that you are continuing to grow and develop as a human being. If your relationship is holding you back from that growth, then it’s a toxic relationship and it could prove to be harmful to your own life in the long run. You shouldn’t have to compromise the quality of your life for your relationship.
