A toxic relationship is one in which two people don’t communicate or relate to one another in healthy ways, and where conflict easily arises. In these relationships, at least one person tries to minimize the other’s perspective and increase their competitive nature. There tends to be a lack of support and general unpleasantness.
The negative emotions outweigh the positive ones and the relationship itself becomes a huge drain of energy.
What Is a Toxic Relationship?
Toxic relationships tend to exhibit a pattern of negativity where at least one partner causes harm in some way, whether purposeful or not. Sometimes that is intentional abuse, controlling and manipulative behaviors and can leave one partner feeling trapped. It’s possible these behaviors were learned as a child or experienced as an adult and the expectation of any other behavior has not been established.
Sometimes, toxic relationships are ones that need time and care to work through issues so there is more trust. For others, it’s just two people who are not a good pair together but are great apart. It’s important to separate the toxic relationship from individualizing a partner as a toxic person, however both can occur at once.1
A toxic relationship may not have begun that way. Oftentimes, it’s a relationship that may have started out well, but is now leaving a person feeling drained and stressed. A healthy relationship, on the other hand, helps to give energy back as opposed to taking energy away.
According to Dr. Jason Whiting, PhD, LMFT, “Toxic relationships wear people down and have serious effects on one’s self-worth and feelings of dignity. They can be traumatic and leave permanent emotional damage. If you think your relationship is toxic, start seeking help from blogs, books, and professionals. The fog of abuse is hard to see through, and getting clarity from outside is crucial.”
18 Signs of a Toxic Relationship
While toxic relationships can take on many different forms, but might include disrespect, manipulation, or feeling lonely even when you’re together.
Amy Sherman, MA, LMHC states, “First and foremost, how do you feel in your relationship? If you don’t feel good about yourself, there is something wrong with the relationship. Watch out for any ‘red flags’ of abuse – blaming, shaming, insulting, demanding and ridiculing comments from your partner. Watch out for often and excessive anger, frustration, and defensiveness. These are clues that something is not working and that you may be in danger.”
Here are 18 potential signs of a toxic relationship:2
- You feel disrespected
- Your needs are not met
- You don’t feel free to live your life autonomously
- You give more than you get
- You don’t feel valued
- Your self-esteem is deteriorating
- You feel attacked and unsupported
- Your sleeping and eating patterns have changed
- You feel depressed or anxious
- You bring out the bad qualities in one another
- You feel like you walk on eggshells
- Your feelings come second to theirs
- You feel gaslighted and manipulated
- You don’t feel your best emotionally or mentally around them
- You feel alone when you’re together
- You feel there is a lack of trust and excess jealousy
- You feel responsible for their happiness
- You are being abused physically, emotionally, mentally or sexually
Abuse vs. Toxicity
Toxic relationships and abusive relationships can have some overlap, but relationships that involve abuse are no longer just toxic, they are abusive. In an abusive relationship, one partner is always in control. The controlling partner is aware of their actions and chooses abusive behaviors to show dominance and maintain control over the other partner. It can start out as emotional abuse and become physical over time.
Abusers tend to use mind games such as manipulation and gaslighting to undermine their partner’s needs and perspectives. In essence, abusive relationships involve the abuser who is the bully and the other partner as the victim—and usually these types of relationships don’t change.3
Abusive relationships can be hard to recognize but it’s important to be aware of the cycles of abuse and different types of abuse outside of physical and emotional abuse, such as financial abuse and narcissistic abuse. In any relationship, there needs to be respect, and toxic relationships that turn abusive can also use physical intimacy to perpetuate abuse, such as sexual coercion.
Impacts of Toxic Relationships
Toxic relationships involve one or both partners engaging in reactive behavior and having unhealthy communication. These people create issues and escalate problems, often seeing themselves as the victim. Toxic people or those in toxic relationships avoid taking any blame and ownership of their part in conflict, leading to issues for each partner individually.
According to Sherman, “Anyone in a toxic relationship will feel disrespected, discounted, unappreciated, ridiculed, undermined and criticized to the point where they lose their self-worth, self-esteem, and perhaps their self-regard. Often, individuals would become a ‘shell’ of who they were before they entered the relationship. A toxic relationship is emotionally unhealthy and can often lead to dangerous physical situations, where one partner gets hurt.”
The impacts of a toxic relationship could include:4
- Worsened friendships
- Stress
- Depression
- Anxiety
- PTSD
- Sleep changes
- Weight changes
- Poor performance at work or school
- Poor communication with others
- Short temper
- Negative inner monologue
- Complacency
- Developing trust issues
- Pessimistic and negative
- Low self worth
Options for Toxic Relationships
If you’re in a toxic relationship, there are basically two options—you can choose to work on your problems together, or you can walk away.
Fix It
There are ways to improve a toxic relationship if all parties involved are motivated to change. These relationships can be better managed by setting healthy boundaries and working on your own self awareness. Have open communication with your partner about how you’re feeling and what you will own in the relationship. Having these discussions together and sharing the load also increases cohesion between partners. The timing of these conversations is also important, so pick a time where both partners are rested and in a good headspace to have meaningful and constructive conversations.
Whiting states, “A key factor on whether it will happen is if the unhealthy person(s) will take full responsibility for their abusive behavior. Denial is a common feature of unhealthy relationships and is actually the main clinical issue in batterer-intervention programs. If someone won’t admit they have a problem, they won’t change. For a relationship that has been damaged by verbal or physical aggression to turn around, the offender needs to be totally honest, accept full responsibility for the hurt they are causing, and work consistently for a significant time (6 months to a year) to try and make it right. Cheap apologies or promises won’t do it.”
Leave It
For some, the best option for dealing with toxic relationships is to leave the relationship. When your own health and wellness is being impacted, the relationship is doing more harm than good for you. When there is any kind of abuse, it’s important to recognize your worth, protect yourself, and get help right away. Seek out the support of a therapist and come up with an exit plan so you can leave safely.
Can Therapy Help?
Therapy is very effective for treating relationship issues and the stress that comes from these issues. Being in a safe space to explore relationship issues and uncover the deeper meaning behind it can be very empowering. Identifying the root cause of an issue or feeling is the first step towards recovery or moving forward from a toxic relationship. Couples and individual therapy also allows for you to learn additional ways to manage relationship issues and expectations.5
The right time to get help with toxic relationships issues is when it’s identified by one or both partners, and one or both are ready to make a change. It can be challenging to talk about with your partner, so it’s important to consider individual or couples therapy, depending on what your concerns are.6 It is helpful to work with a therapist and explore your relationship patterns as well as your childhood experiences. Digging deeper and laying out any dysfunctional patterns in your family history can help point out where your own relationship patterns may be coming from.
Final Thoughts on Toxic Relationships
If you are dealing with issues stemming from toxic relationships, talking to a therapist can make a big difference in how you feel.
Additional Resources
- Mental Health America
- National Alliance on Mental Health
- MentalHealth.gov
- Online Therapist Directory: Sort therapists by specialty, cost, availability and more. Watch intro videos and see articles written by the therapists you’re considering working with. When you’ve found a good match, book an online therapy appointment with them directly.
Are you ready to connect with a therapist but feel a little overwhelmed by all your options? Speak with one of Choosing Therapy’s Client Navigators. Client Navigators are mental health professionals who will listen to what you’re looking for in a therapist and help pair you with the best possible fit. Getting started is free, easy, and confidential.
