6 Signs You Are in a Toxic Relationship

Relationships should be safe and loving havens where we feel comfortable. A healthy relationship provides you with a stable base from which you can go out and achieve, explore, and grow. An unhealthy relationship, on the other hand, takes away from other aspects of your life and can easily become all-consuming and even dangerous. Do you think you may be in a toxic relationship? Here are six common signs.

You Never See Your Friends

A stable and healthy partner encourages outside relationships with friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. A jealous and controlling partner, by contrast, feels you should spend all of your time and energy with him or her. If you find that happy hours with the girls or watching the game with the guys is a thing of the past, you may be in a toxic relationship.

You’re Isolated From Family Members

Your family is your support system. A toxic partner knows this and strives to cut you off from those who will listen to you when you need to talk or can help you if you’re in trouble. Do you find that your partner discourages visiting family or gets upset when you are on the phone with your mom or sister? You may want to re-think your relationship.

You Never Get Any Time For Yourself

A good relationship has a healthy balance of time together and time apart. Both members of a couple should have the opportunity to explore fun hobbies or fulfilling activities on their own as this helps make time together more interesting. If your partner discourages or flat-out prevents you from taking any time for yourself, you are not in a healthy relationship.

You Are Constantly Apologizing

Everyone makes mistakes, and we all find ourselves apologizing even in the best of relationships. However, if you feel you are constantly apologizing for even the most minor of transgressions, you are probably in a less than supportive relationship. The other red flag is if you apologize frequently yet your partner never admits when he or she has made a mistake.

You Feel You Have to Prove Yourself

Your partner should love you for who you are, not what you do. If you feel you have to prove your love over and over, you should re-think your relationship. Many toxic partners demand that their significant others prove their love by doing favors for them or by earning more money so they can spend it on them. If you ever feel the need to ‘prove yourself’, you need be aware that it is damaging.

You Can Never Relax

Toxic relationships are characterized by tension. Do you feel you are constantly in fight or flight mode? Do you hang on every word and action of your partner, wondering what it means? Do you constantly question your happiness or the happiness of your significant other? If you can never relax in your relationship and just be who you are, you are in an unhealthy partnership.

A loving relationship is one of the greatest joys in life. A toxic relationship, however, can cause stress and negatively affect your emotional and physical health. If you recognize any of these six warning signs, you might want to re-think your relationship.