Are you in a toxic relationship?

Are you in a toxic relationship?

Relationships play an important role in our lives. Some enrich us, help us to move forward, and make our lives worth living. Others can end up being toxic, and it’s not always easy to end them. Toxic relationships drain us and can negatively impact every other aspect of our lives. Here are some examples of toxic relationships.

Are you in a toxic relationship: Controlling Relationships…

Controlling relationships aren’t always obvious at first. Partners who want to control you usually try to pass it off as concern for your well-being. He or she may fall deeply in love with you and treat you very well. He or she may make him or herself seem helpless and weak without you. You may start to feel more protective of about him or her in response. Somewhere along the way, you start to notice signs that your partner is trying to control you emotionally. He or she may not like when you go out with friends or become insecure when you talk to other men/women. He or she may tell you all their passwords to their email, twitter, and Facebook account and expect you to do the same. He or she may cry or otherwise make you feel guilty when you take a stand. You may stop doing things you enjoy or hanging out with other people just to avoid a confrontation.

Are you in a toxic relationship: Abusive Relationships…

An abusive partner doesn’t always abuse you physically. Partners can also be verbally/emotionally abusive. If your partner uses violence, threatens violence, or abuses you verbally by putting you down, you probably have this sort of toxic relationship. Physical abuse and abusive relationships where your partner threatens physical abuse are sometimes easier to recognize than verbally abusive relationships. In a verbally abusive relationship, your partner may put you down when you do something on your own or simply not acknowledge that you achieved something without his or her help. He or she may point out flaws every time you try to do something. He or she may call you names or bring up emotionally sensitive subjects in the heat of an argument.

Are you in a toxic relationship: Enabling Relationships…

Enabling relationships are sometimes tricky to identify when you are the one being enabled. If your partner makes it easier to continue with negative behavior-like drinking or drug use, you may not want to acknowledge that this is a toxic relationship for the both of you.

Even if you are the one enabling your partner, you may not think that there is any problem. You may think you are just “helping” someone who is going through a hard time. You may think that to stop enabling someone means that you don’t care about them or you are heartless.

However, any relationship that enables one or both parties to engage in unhealthy behavior is a toxic relationship. In life, everyone has to take personal responsibility for their own choices, attitudes, actions and behaviors. A toxic person does not do this. They manipulate others into thinking that their problems are their partner’s responsibility.

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