In her 1995 book Toxic People, Dr. Lillian Glass, an expert in communication and psychology, came up with the term ‘toxic relationship’ to describe a dynamic where one or both people don’t support each other, undergo constant friction, try to put each other down, and outmaneuver the other.
Let’s take a closer look at these signs.
1. You Find Yourself Excusing Questionable Behavior
In a healthy relationship, you’re supposed to feel free to communicate anything that bothers you about your partner. You wouldn’t feel compelled to let these unpleasant feelings fester, nor would you make excuses for these behaviors when a friend or relative points them out to you.
For instance, if it bothers you that your partner engages in casual flirting despite being in a monogamous relationship with you, let them know about it right away because not doing so is only encouraging this attitude and making you miserable.
2. You Feel Tired and Burned Out All the Time
Participating in a toxic relationship can be mentally and physically draining. You’re so busy holding on to the final string of the last rope that you hardly have enough time to engage in self-care.
You may also find yourself stressing out when you should be asleep, leading to low productivity at work and in daily life.
To check whether you are indeed in a toxic relationship, try to take some time out for yourself and see how your partner reacts to it, for a negative reaction is all the confirmation you need.
3. Your Relationship is Infected with Lies Big and White
A small white lie may seem harmless, but it has the power to chip away at your mutual trust. Tell enough of these with a healthy helping of some of the bigger lies, and you’ve crossed the point of no return.
As you tell more lies, you get to a point where there is no respect left between you two, and you’re just selfishly trying to protect yourself by keeping each other in the dark.
4. You Make Major Life Decisions on Your Own
If you’ve let someone be such an important part of your life, it goes without saying that every decision they make will affect you and vice versa. Therefore, you need to be considerate of your partner’s feelings every time you’re about to make a major life decision like moving cities or buying expensive home fixtures.
What you won’t do is not run it by them first, assume they’ll see eye-to-eye with you, or forgo their opinion on the matter entirely.
If your relationship displays any of the above signs, your issues may need a session or two of hypnosis. Learn how to express the feelings that have been repressed during the course of your toxic relationship with Rekha’s help.
As a therapist, who’s been working towards better mental health for well over 20 years, Rekha has helped her patients overcome subconscious anxiety, express emotions, treat depression, and addictions through subconscious mind healing techniques.
Book a virtual or in-person session with Rekha today.
Be First to Comment