Relationships are not always sunshine and rainbows. There are days when you feel like there’s no other place you would rather be. But then, there are also days when you simply cannot stand your partner’s face or anything they do.
Relax, there’s no need for panic. These things are completely normal. Every couple hits a rough patch every once in a while. However, there is a huge difference between having an occasional disagreement followed by the usual 1-day silence and being stuck in a toxic relationship that is making you miserable.
The sad truth is, not all of the people who are already experiencing this are aware of how this toxicity affects them. That is why most of them are stuck in denial.
Here are 10 flashing-red, warning signs that your relationship is toxic:
1. YOU CONSTANTLY FIGHT
Don’t get me wrong. Every couple fights. Even the happiest couples do. And in a way, that is a healthy and normal habit. Disagreements mean that you care about your partner. That you want to be heard and that their opinions matter to you.
But, if these occasional conflicts turn into constant attacks, it is clear that you’ve moved to a toxic territory.
2. YOU DON’T TRUST EACH OTHER
It is simple. If you don’t have trust, you have nothing. When you feel unsafe and threatened by your partner’s presence, it is obvious that your relationship is not what you thought it was. Mistrust is the absolute boiling point. Once you lose the only thing that kept your relationship going, it is over.
3. YOU ALWAYS COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER
A relationship shouldn’t make you feel like you are competing. Highlighting the flaws instead of reaching a rational compromise to accept those same flaws is a clear sign that your relationship is toxic, and it is slowly ruining your lives.
4. YOUR SEXUAL DESIRE IS PRETTY MUCH DEAD
Let’s be honest. Intimacy, both emotional and physical is an indicator that a relationship is thriving. Happy couples touch more, they are closer with each other, their sexual drive is always high, and they enjoy their time together.
Can you say the same about you and your partner?
If you feel that you are distancing yourself from one another, it is maybe time to stop and talk about where your relationship is headed.
5. YOU ARE TOO AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT IMPORTANT THINGS
If you have to think twice before sharing something important with your partner, I have some bad news for you. This person is probably not the one for you. A relationship is supposed to make you feel safe. It is supposed to make you comfortable and free to be who you are.
6. YOU BLAME YOURSELF
Do you feel like lately, you cannot see to do anything right?
Now, ask yourself, is it because of your own personal issues, or because your partner is constantly criticizing that you’re not good enough?
Your partner is supposed to be your greatest support in life. They are supposed to help you get up every time you fall. They are supposed to encourage you to move on. To tell you that nothing lasts forever. And that everything will be well in the end.
If they do quite the opposite, I am sorry, but your partner does not care about you.
7. YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN EACH OTHER’S LIVES
You sit across each other and eat your dinner in silence. You don’t share your hobbies. You stopped sharing your thoughts with each other. You simply stopped showing interest for each other.
8. THE JEALOUSY IS OVERWHELMING
There’s such thing as a healthy amount of jealousy. It’s somehow comforting to know that the person you love loves you more than everything in the world and would do anything to be with you.
But, when that kind of healthy dose of jealousy turns into an extreme, abusive jealous behavior for no real reason, you have to ask yourself.
“Where did we go wrong?”; “How can we fix this?” and more importantly, “Do we even have the power to fix this?”
9. YOU FEEL TRAPPED
When a relationship makes you feel caged and cuts off your wings, that is the major sign that your relationship is toxic. The person you love shouldn’t make you feel imprisoned. They are supposed to help you open your wings and let you evolve at your own pace.
10. NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING TO SORT THINGS OUT
What’s even worse, it feels like no one is making any effort to make things work again. There is no interest in solving the issue and there is zero motivation to save the relationship.
This sign right here is by far the most obvious sign that you are holding on to something that has been dead for a long time. Let go. Don’t be afraid to fall. You deserve a better life.
