7 Dangerous Warning Signs of a Toxic Relationship

Have you ever thought about asking yourself the question – “Am I in a toxic relationship?” Relationships are a beautiful unit of bodies, minds, hearts, and souls, so it’s only natural that you desire them one way or the other. This is awesome! However, sometimes this desire can become so strong that it blinds you in the face of some of the most bright warning signs of a toxic relationship.

In this article you’ll find seven questions to ask yourself, questions directly related to our list of toxic relationship signs. As you read each one, please, be honest with yourself. After all, in the words of Harvey MacKay, “The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your relationships.” Therefore, if you crave a high quality of life, you should be honest about the quality of all your relationships (including the one with you and your partner).

This is seldom easy, and often quite heartbreaking. But being aware of some of the early warning signs of toxic relationships is an important part of avoiding more pain and heartbreak later on. The sooner you can spot these special red flags, the better.

Let’s take a look and find out together how to tell if a relationship is toxic.

                       What is a toxic relationship?

First of all, how do you define a toxic relationship? What does this term even mean?

Toxic means “poisonous”. We generally hear the term toxic as it relates to substances, but in recent years, it’s become part of the slang for a bad relationship. But a toxic relationship is more than a mood mismatch or a relationship full of conflict.

A toxic relationship is one that threatens the general well-being of one or both partners. This relationship almost always ends in chaos and pain, often leaving deep scars from the past.
What makes a relationship toxic is the deadly interaction between two people. Sometimes both people contribute to the toxicity of the partnership, and other times the only partner is the toxic ingredient. When someone has “bad news” for another person (I’m talking about very bad news) we might say that person is toxic. Being with him or her is likely to permanently damage the partner’s mental health, self-esteem, and more.

Ultimately, toxic relationships present a kind of danger to those involved, promising the potential for a great deal of wounding and damage. In a toxic relationship, one or both of them are very likely to get hurt.

Please note: If you experience any physical, sexual or emotional abuse at the hands of a partner, this is more than just a toxic relationship. Nobody deserves this kind of treatment. Please take steps to protect yourself and reach a safe position. Below we have listed some resources that can help. You’re not alone.

What are the signs of a toxic relationship?
Now that we’ve defined our toxic relationship, we go one step further: how to tell if your relationship is toxic. What signs can you look for? We have put these tags for you in the form of a question. As you answer the following questions, you may discover that some relationship warnings call for your attention.

Have you ever felt that you can’t be yourself or be true to yourself when you are around your partner?
The structure of a healthy relationship is based on trust, which is built through communication, and held together by love. In a healthy relationship, weakness is naturally seen between both partners, as the partners feel secure within the structure. If you ever feel like you can’t be true to yourself in a relationship, this is the first sign that you don’t feel safe in it. You are trying to protect your heart, your image, or maybe even your standing in the relationship. This is one of the first possible signs of a toxic partner.