What is a Toxic Relationship? How to Avoid Getting into One

What is the meaning and definition of a toxic relationship? A toxic relationship is a relationship characterized by behaviors that is emotionally and, physically abusive to their partner.

An unhealthy relationship is usually negatively dominated by the partner who is insecure, self-centered, dominant, and controlling.

Sometimes a toxic relationship occurs when both people involved are prioritizing sex over the three core elements of a healthy relationship: trust, respect, and love.

This may sound ridiculous to some folks, but love isn’t the reason to remain in a toxic relationship, which is precisely because it can cloud judgment in those key areas.

Many couples feel like they are just not good enough for one another and that’s why they end up breaking up.

They don’t realize that there is a deeper issue that is affecting their relationship. One person may feel like they are getting taken advantage of constantly, whereas the other feels like they are never really appreciated for themselves.

There are times in all relationships where one partner will feel like they’re being taken advantage of constantly, which leads to them cheating on the other person to make themselves feel better.

In many cases, it’s hard to see the difference between a healthy relationship and a toxic one, especially if one party is trying to argue that the other person is using the trust, respect, and love aspects of the relationship as a shield.

In reality, when a toxic person is around a healthy person at all times, the healthy person feels threatened and they begin to take precautions so as not to have that person harm them. Essentially, the person in a toxic relationship doesn’t even recognize that they have such a personality disorder.

How to Recognize Toxic Relationship Symptoms

It is important to know what toxic relationship symptoms are if you are experiencing them as a relationship. It is also important to know how you can stop toxic relationships before they destroy your life.

In most cases, toxic relationship behaviors are unconscious or disguised as positive traits – qualities we pretend to have, but which often cause us real pain.

You may be afraid to admit that you are toxic because you are afraid of what others will think of you or of the effect of a bad relationship could have on you. However, there is no need to worry because there are steps you can take to overcome toxic relationship behaviors.

One of the most common toxic relationship symptoms is denial. Toxic people don’t want to face unpleasant realities. This can be as simple as a friend who constantly badmouth you and acts jealous when you speak up or as serious as professional decline to acknowledge that you are having problems.

In some cases, you may have a toxic partner who never lets you know that he/she is having an affair and refuses to make necessary changes in order for the relationship to work.

If this toxic behavior is allowed to continue unchecked, it can create major problems for you and the people you love. The sooner you deal with toxic relationship symptoms, the less damage they can cause.

If you recognize any toxic relationship symptoms in yourself or in your relationships, it is important to discuss these issues with a toxic relationship counselor.

Most counselors are trained to work with couples who have similar issues but who are willing to try new approaches if possible to save the relationship.

In most cases, there are plenty of reasons why a relationship can become toxic, but changing the environment can make all the difference in healing and restoration.

Two Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship – Are They Making You Feel Unfulfilled in Your Relationship?

Signs of an unhealthy relationship are often times ignored and brushed under the carpet, especially by women. It’s a big taboo subject and women fear that if they open their mouth, then all bets are off.

If you are in this type of situation, don’t worry, we are here to help! In this article we are going to discuss two signs of an unhealthy relationship.

We are going to show you that it’s not your fault, but it’s definitely time that you took some action. These signs of an unhealthy relationship, may not mean anything now, but hopefully it will lead you one day to a happy ending.

The first signs of an unhealthy relationship is quite easy, lack of communication between two people. You may not always be able to tell when your partner is having a hard day or has just lost their cool.

You may not communicate with them as much as you use to, or they may seem to dislike certain things about you. You may also find that they don’t want to see you anymore, or they may try to avoid social situations where you may be around. While these signs may not mean anything now, it could be the start of the end of your relationship.

The second sign of an unhealthy relationship is quite simple, it’s sex life! If your sex life has hit rock bottom, then this may be one of the signs of an unhealthy relationship.

Men are notorious for sleeping around behind your back and if your girlfriend/boyfriend is doing the same, then you should take action. You need to take a stand and insist that your sex life is more important than anything else. If your partner doesn’t listen, then there’s something fishy going on.

How to Know If You Are in a Toxic Relationship With Your Boyfriend, Girlfriend, Wife or Husband

It’s really hard to know when you’re in a toxic relationship because you don’t always recognize that it’s happening. There’s a pattern that you develop and certain things that tend to be repeated in these relationships.

You may start to think that everything is okay when in reality it’s not. The thing that most people tend to forget is that we come into this world with some unique attributes and while they might be positive on the surface, they can become negative over time. You really have to watch yourself for these imbalances and realize if something isn’t adding up and keeping you healthy.

One of the ways that you can know if you are in a toxic relationship is how your boyfriend/girlfriend reacts to you. If they’re not treating you with the same respect that they used to, that’s a huge red flag.

The easiest way to make sure that your partner (husband, wife) is doing the right thing is to pay attention to what they’re saying to you and listen to them talk about things. If they seem to take you seriously, that’s a good sign that you might be in a good relationship.

Another way of how to know if you are in a toxic relationship is if you get accused of everything in your life. If you’re constantly getting into arguments or you find that you’re defending yourself all of the time, you might be in an unhealthy relationship.

You need to be able to set boundaries and be able to say no. It’s hard to let go of those types of issues but if you’re going to keep your head above water, it’s going to be a lot easier for you to know when you’re in a toxic relationship.

Unhealthy Relationship Traits

A toxic relationship does not necessarily mean that you have to give up on your significant other in a bad way. It just means that you are in a relationship with someone who has some unhealthy habits that can negatively affect the quality of your relationships in the long run.

Even though it can be hard, you need to figure out how to deal with the issues at hand. Although it is hard, it is also true that you can change toxic relationship traits and you can do so if you are willing to work on them and not accept “bad” behaviors as the norm.

One of the most common toxic relationship traits is being possessive. This means that you think that you know better than your partner what’s best for him or her.

This type of toxic relationship behavior can actually create more problems for the couple instead of making them easier to live with.

If this toxic behavior is something that you consistently practice, you may want to consider whether it’s worth the time and effort to continue in a toxic relationship.

Accepting toxic relationship traits is not easy but it is possible. You need to examine your own behaviors and determine whether they are making your significant other feel uncomfortable or not.

If you find that you are being selfish or controlling, you might want to consider whether you can find a better way to communicate with your partner. If you need assistance with changing toxic relationship traits, there are many online professionals who can help you.

Overcoming an Unhealthy Relationship

Know that change will not be instant after leaving a toxic relationship. You will not meet your soulmate immediately, and that’s okay, you need time to heal.

Take all of that time that you spent trying to better understand your toxic spouse/boyfriend, or to fix the flawed relationship, and invest it in yourself.

Use your energy to pursue self-improvement and growth. Start meditating or journaling, read self-help books or take up weekly counseling in your area.