Many people mistakenly believe that a toxic relationship is something that develops over the years and reaches its peak only after years. This is not quite true. Signs of abusive behavior of the partner can be traced already at the initial stages of the relationship. It is much easier to break off the still nascent relationship, but even this will require a lot of moral strength and endurance. Ivona will tell you what early signs can be used to identify toxic relationships .
- You feel uncomfortable around your partner.
Maybe not always, but it happens often enough to pay attention to it. You feel anxious and uneasy thinking about the upcoming meeting, a slight feeling of fear comes when you see a partner in a bad mood. Of course, this may be associated with anxiety disorders of a mental nature, however, before you run to a specialist, you should try to look for the cause of your anxiety in the relationship. - You are constantly stressed.
Especially when you are close to your partner. And it’s not about physical stress, but about emotional stress, which forces you to choose your words carefully or (even worse) to portray the person they want you to be, and not who you really are. The beauty of a relationship is that with a partner, you don’t have to pretend, you can remain yourself. If this is not the case in your relationship, this may be the first alarm bell. - Constant criticism.
In small things, not hard, but as if in jest, but there is no hiding from it. It follows you in everything that you do, and already ceases to be perceived as a friendly joke. This does not add comfort to your relationship in any way and you try to keep your head down once again, so as not to get another dose of criticism. - You do not have consent.
There are just two opinions: his and the wrong one. You do not discuss controversial issues, important decisions are made by him himself, not interested in your opinion, all your objections are ignored or commented on so caustically that willy-nilly you have to agree with everything he says, just to get it over with quickly. - You have to make excuses.
And you even find them! But not to yourself, but to the strange actions of your partner. And often you yourself are the cause of his unusual behavior. At least that’s what he tells you, and you start to believe it sincerely. - No talking.
Every time you start a conversation about how your relationship has changed and how you would like to improve the situation, your partner cuts you off (sometimes quite abruptly), claiming that this is all a figment of your imagination and there is nothing to worry about. Very similar to gaslighting, which means that your relationship is gradually becoming toxic.
And the 7th sign is probably the most accurate. You decided to read this article. It means that you have already begun to doubt that your relationship is developing in the right direction. If you find a match in three or more signs, it is time to think hard, and whether to continue what is already doomed to catastrophic failure.
Earlier, we talked about what non-obvious actions women sometimes themselves encourage toxic men.