Too often do toxic relationships go unnoticed and undiscussed. This is because most of the time people don’t recognize the signs. One thing that we all have in common is relationships, whether it be with family, friends, or partners. Toxic traits are commonly misinterpreted as love, when in reality, it is the complete opposite. In toxic relationships needs are not being met, you and your partner start to blend together and get stuck in this negative cycle that can be hard to get out of. First things first, know the difference between healthy and toxic relationships, then setting boundaries to maintain healthy friendships.
What does toxicity look like?
To manipulate someone by psychological means into questioning their own sanity. This is a huge part of toxic relationships. It can be a very broad spectrum of phrases or actions, but gaslighting can look like someone discrediting your feelings, lying to you about things they said, shifting the blame on you, jumping to conclusions or being quick to anger, or cutting you off from friends and family. All of these things can have a huge impact on your mental health and the way that you not only think about yourself, but the way that you start to think about others. It can cause you to have your guard up or not want to share things because of fear of rectifying it in a negative way. It can also make you begin to doubt your thoughts and feelings, the people that you have around you, make you feel like everyone is disappointed in you, or like you’re not as important as your partner is. All of these sentences are wrong. It’s hard to ignore the things that someone says or does to you especially when it’s your significant other, but you are the only person who truly understands the way you are and the way your mind works. So it’s important to pay attention to your feelings and the way that these certain things are making your energy low. Taking care of yourself first is always the priority.
The negative effect of a relationship can cause many problems in all areas of your life. It can drastically change your everyday interactions with people. This is where setting up healthy boundaries between you and friends is really important.
What are healthy boundaries? Setting healthy boundaries are important specifically when it’s a toxic relationship because it can help you keep your distance, protect your mental health from negative things they might say or do, or prevent a lot of the toxicity from occurring. But what does that look like? How does one set boundaries for someone they love and care for so much? Setting boundaries can look like not contacting them, practicing love detachment which is something that can stray the toxic person away from you, or keeping a record of things that happen for your peace of mind. Whatever you choose, make sure you’re comfortable with the boundaries.
We know trying to get out of these toxic relationships may feel impossible like you’re stuck in one place and don’t have any options. But there are people who care about your wellbeing and know how much you deserve respect. To help more people recognize toxic traits in people, here are some articles/ videos that have opened our eyes and could be helpful to anyone who is feeling lost -
Comments