Our relationships are one of the most important assets we have as they revolve around people we love and share our lives with. Therefore, it is crucial to keep their health in check. A toxic relationship is harmful to all the parties involved and needs immediate fixing. Here are 5 signs that indicate your relationship is turning toxic.
1. Ignored or ridiculed needs
If you feel like you have begun to suppress expressing your needs because your partner does not care or ends up ridiculing you for having them, this is a sign of a toxic relationship. These needs can vary from requiring your partner’s time and attention to needing some alone time. All reasonable needs should be met within a healthy relationship or at least respected.
If your expression of needs always results in an argument or you feel like your partner just does not understand, then it is a sign that your relationship is turning toxic.
2. Toxic communication
Strong communication is essential for any relationship, but it also needs to be healthy and positive. If you feel like you have too many arguments with your partner, or most of your communication thrives on sarcasm and criticism, then that’s a sign of toxicity in your relationship. Communication in a healthy relationship should revolve around listening, constructive criticism coupled with encouragement and affirmations.
3. Resentment may mean your relationship is turning toxic
Are you or your partner keeping a tally of all the mistakes each of you has made? It is good to be aware of each other’s shortcomings but not with the intent to use them against each other. If you or your partner have started holding grudges against each other, it’s an indicator that your relationship is turning toxic. Another reason for resentment can be that you never feel heard or understood by your partner, in which case a discussion on the matter with your partner is imperative.
4. One-sided effort
Do you feel like you are always exhausted by the effort you are putting into the relationship? Do you feel like you are doing all the work? This is another major sign of toxicity in your relationship. Successful relationships require effort from both sides. Thinking that a little more effort from your side will make the relationship last is a huge misconception. You need to evaluate what efforts have been made by your partner and discuss this with them before making the next move.
5. Lack of honesty
As is true for any relationship, it can not be based on dishonesty. But even more importantly, a relationship cannot thrive upon lies either. This does not only refer to being loyal to your partner but also sharing things openly without lying about them. Besides being healthy, communication needs to be sincere for it to work. If your partner often lies to you now or steers clear from some topics, it is telling of a toxic relationship.
Think Your Relationship Is Turning Toxic?
If you think your relationship has one or more of these 5 signs, it is best to sit down with your partner to discuss the issue openly and honestly before things get out of hand and you are forced to part ways with the person you once loved. However, keep in mind that parting ways is not necessarily a bad thing – when the decision is taken mutually after an honest discussion, it may be the best thing for you and your partner.
