Every relationship has its ups and downs. But sometimes, things can spiral out of control, and what was once a simple understanding can easily turn into complete toxicity.
Sadly, toxic relationships can affect your mental health in more ways than one. Being in an unhealthy relationship is the last thing you want to be in if you don’t want your mental health and well-being to suffer negatively.
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What Makes Up a Toxic Relationship?
Psychology textbooks often characterize toxic relationships to involve a toxic partner who has emotionally and often physically damaging behaviors towards their partner.
One of the partners in a toxic relationship regularly tries to undermine the other. This partner might or might not even know the harm brought about by their actions or words. Most of the time, their past relationships were also toxic. All of these lead to a relationship where one partner is placed at a significant disadvantage that can be emotionally and mentally draining at the same time.
Signs of a Toxic Relationship
How can you tell if your relationship is toxic or not? Before anything else, the presence of physical violence is the most telltale sign of a toxic relationship. In cases like this, it is recommended to seek help right away.
If one of the partners continues to demoralize the other, it can also present itself in different ways. Make sure you seek help if you experience one or several of the following repeatedly over time:
- Your partner always puts you down.
- Your partner blames you for their angry feelings.
- Your partner is extremely jealous.
- Your partner makes you feel guilty.
- Your partner uses you just to get everything they want.
While the signs above might also occur and be observed in healthy relationships, they only happen on the rarest occasions. However, your relationship might already be toxic if you notice these all the time.
One more common red flag is if the people around you express their concern for your relationship. If your family members, loved ones, and friends bring up the same concern, they probably have a good reason to do so.
Effects of Toxic Relationships
It is quite common for people to be oblivious even if their relationship has already become toxic. Most of the time, the changes are quite gradual that it is impossible to determine that you are in an unhealthy relationship. However, if you constantly feel anxious, drained, or just downright unhappy because of your relationship, chances are you are now in a toxic relationship. Some of the most common symptoms you have to watch out for are insecurity, lack of energy, and depression.
No relationship is perfect but it doesn’t mean you have to just take things as they are even if something already feels off with your partner. And even if you are still unsure whether your relationship is toxic or not, any doubt should still be addressed sooner than later.