A toxic relationship can be defined as one where your well-being, or the well-being of both people in it, is threatened in any way, be it mentally, emotionally, (or even physically).
You may also feel ignored, misunderstood, unsupported or even attacked. At is core, if you feel worse rather than better, you might be in a toxic relationship. Here are 5 signs to look out for:
1- Controlling behavior
If your partner continuously wants to know where you are and what you’re doing and she texts you several times a day for this sole purpose, this might suggest a need for control on her part.
One thing is to talk throughout the day and mention what you’re doing and where you are, another completely different thing is for her to ask you where you are all the time Remember that before being a couple, you’re an individual and you have your own life (this goes both ways)
2- Constant jealousy
Feeling jealous every now and then when you see your partner either giving more attention to someone else or getting more attention from someone else can be natural, but once it develops into a pattern, it can give way to toxic behaviors.
Not only is jealousy a toxic behavior on its own, but it can also lead to other ones, such as mistrust, suspicion and dishonesty as well. If your partner is constantly jealous, ask her why this is and also ask yourself if you ever engage in behaviors that might feed into it.
3- Unrealistic expectations
If your partner is never happy nor satisfied, no matter how much time and effort you put into the relationship and is constantly asking for more and more… it might be a sign she has unrealistic expectations about you or the relationship itself.
This could stem from something they are emulating from their parents, a void they are trying to fill or something else. Regardless, the problem with partners who have unrealistic expectations is that 99% of the time, you’ll never make them happy. Better to look somewhere else.
4- No support
A healthy relationship is one where both of you wants to see the other person succeed and help and support each other do so. A toxic one is where your partner only focuses on her needs and interests and yours don’t matter.
If you don’t feel encouraged, if they don’t support your dreams and what you want to achieve, and they only care about what they want, I have bad news, your relationship isn’t healthy. Couples should support and help each other grow, not hold each other back.
5- Dishonesty
If you or your partner find a constant need to lie to the other about where you are, what you’re doing or who you are with, it is a red flag. Relationships should be built on trust and being dishonest is a surefire way to break that.