5 Signs Your Relationship Is Becoming Toxic

Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between your significant other asking you to give a bit and them taking advantage of you. It can also be challenging to gauge if they meant to take advantage of you or if it was a mistake.

These gray areas are perplexing and difficult to interpret. An honest mistake could be interpreted as toxic behavior without proper communication. Nevertheless, there are more apparent signs that your relationship is becoming toxic.

Here are some of them:

It Feels Wrong

While you shouldn’t wholly rely on your instincts, you should listen to them. If you’re persistently uncomfortable, it means something’s wrong. Persistent discomfort has an equally persistent cause. That means this isn’t a fleeting element of your relationship; it’s a constant, and it might be toxic.

No Effort

Relationships are about giving and taking in around equal amounts. This doesn’t mean you need to take everything you give in a moment. You could help your significant other out with food if they have a difficult exam coming up. Later on, they can take over more household chores while you’re at work.

Partners should reciprocate their significant other’s efforts in a healthy relationship. However, if you find yourself only giving and not receiving anything in return, your relationship is veering into toxicity. Communication can help, but if it doesn’t work, your relationship is toxic.

Privacy

Mutual trust and faith are essential parts of a relationship. When your partner is alone, you should trust them to not violate any of the boundaries you’ve created. However, sometimes partners can be insecure or worried, which makes their faith shaky.

Communication can help assuage these insecurities and worries. However, if your partner is continually policing you and not letting you do things alone, they’re overbearing. If you don’t have space for yourself in your relationship, it’s toxic.

Abuse

If you’re facing abuse of any sort, your relationship is toxic, and you should try to get out of it as soon as possible. There’s no excuse for abuse, whether it’s mental, emotional, or physical.

No Communication

A lack of communication sets your relationship up for a toxic end. If people don’t communicate in a relationship, many easily resolvable issues grow into conflicts. Consequently, if you or your significant other aren’t discussing things that bother either of you, you may become unhappy, and your relationship may become toxic.

Communication can resolve many issues and remedy many sources of relationship toxicity. However, it can be challenging to overcome the insecurities and worries that prevent many of us from communicating. A therapist can help you and your partner develop the capacity to comfortably and clearly communicate.

If you’re looking for couples counseling, contact me at Silicon Valley Marriage Counseling. My name’s Azizeh Rezaiyan, and I offer couples therapy in Palo Alto, California. Get in touch, and I’ll help you and your partner remove the toxicity in your relationship by opening up to each other.