When we love someone, we do our best to always see the good in them. An unfortunate side effect of that, sometimes, is that we can become blind to toxic relationships.
You might be wondering whether someone in your life is a source of negativity for you. If that’s the case, the good news is you’ve come to the right place by reading this article. Detailed below is everything you need to know about how to identify a toxic person.
After all, even experts recognize that negative relationships can also mean bad health. For that reason, you’ll take the following guidance seriously. Take control of your life and don’t waste any more time under someone else’s manipulative control.
Keep reading to learn all about how to notice and let go of toxic relationships in your life. You deserve to live in a safe, comfortable, and positive environment, after all.
They Want to Control Your Life Decisions
One of the key indicators that a relationship is toxic is if you feel as though you have no control. Toxic people are very often manipulative and controlling. The unfortunate truth about this, though, is that the victim in the relationship can struggle with identifying this characteristic.
For example, does your partner decide what you guys are going to do for the day every day? Is your opinion ever validated by him or her?
When you’re in a relationship with a toxic person, he or she sees you as an accessory – not a real person. As a result, your feelings and opinions can get shuffled aside on a consistent basis.
Toxic People, for the Most Part, Are Narcissists
One reason a toxic person might be manipulative is that he or she is, deep down, a full-blown narcissist. In fact, that’s why there’s a psychological diagnosis of narcissism.
People with narcissistic tendencies are more than simply selfish every once in a while. Narcissists have absolutely no concerns outside of their own needs and desires. They don’t care about the people around them as much as they care about themselves.
If you’re in a relationship with a narcissist, there are some key signs. For one thing, you’ll notice that all of your conversations surround the other person. He or she simply won’t care about how your day went, for instance.
In addition, a narcissist will never accept blame or apologize for their wrongdoings. In fact, it’s likely that they’ll blame you for upsetting them and causing them to lash out. If you find that you’re romantically involved with someone who never cares about your wants and needs, the relationship might be toxic.
Do You Often Feel Emotionally Drained Around a Person?
Another key sign of a toxic relationship is how you end up feeling after every interaction. For example, do you often feel emotionally drained after talking with that person? If so, you might want to evaluate why that is.
As mentioned above, toxic people are often narcissistic and self-centered. When they’re going through a difficult time in their life, they’ll likely use you as a crutch in more ways than one.
The thing is, you also deserve to have your emotional needs met. If your partner, though, always turns the conversation to how things are affecting him or her, you don’t end up having your emotional needs met. This can lead to dramatic consequences in the long run.
That’s why you’ll want to address such a toxic issue as soon as possible. For more specific details, check out this article on the connection between mental and physical health.
Toxic People Have No Respect for Personal Boundaries
Since toxic people have no real concern for you or your needs, they’ll have no problem ignoring your personal boundaries. Let’s pretend you asked your partner for some alone time to do some much-needed reflecting and meditating. How does he or she respond?
If your partner takes it as an insult that you want some alone time, they’re not respecting you. They think that they’re entitled to all of your time and energy, which simply isn’t the case. If someone is ignoring your personal self-care needs, recognize they might be a toxic influence.
Domestic Abuse Is an Unfortunate Result of Toxicity in a Relationship
The most severe sign that you’re in a toxic relationship is that of physical or verbal abuse. If that describes your situation, it’s time for you to reach out for professional help.
Don’t worry if this describes your situation, though – you’re not alone. Consider the following statistic reported by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). It indicates that, on average, twenty people are abused by their domestic partners every single minute throughout the United States.
Toxic relationships can be overcome, and you don’t have to go through that alone. Connect with professionals today to get rid of toxic relationships and start focusing on your own needs and desires. You deserve it.
Connect with Professionals for Help Leaving a Toxic Person in Your Life
At this point in the article, you have a thorough understanding of how to identify a toxic person. When people we love take advantage of us, it’s not our responsibility to give in to their every whim. There’s no need to cut corners when it comes to prioritizing your own mental health.
That’s why you’ll take the above guidelines seriously. You deserve the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re in a safe and secure environment at all times. If that means you have to leave the company or the living situation of a toxic person, so be it.
Many times, toxic people are such negative influences because of substance addictions. In fact, their negative influence can lead you to take up substance addiction, too. Don’t worry, though – there are steps you can take for your own healing.
Of course, there are a lot of ins and outs to navigate when it comes to addiction treatment. In fact, that’s where we can come into play. We encourage you to check out more information about our holistic therapy addiction treatment on our website.