
5 red flags to watch out for in a toxic relationship
Written: editor | April 27, 2023
Red flags to watch out for in a toxic relationship
Introduction
“There are no red flags” is a common thing to hear people say about a bad relationship. That’s not true; there are definitely signs that something is wrong. But sometimes it’s hard to see them, so it’s important to be honest with yourself and pay attention. If you’re worried about your relationship or just want to know what might be going on, these signs can help:
You think they don’t care about you.
When someone makes you feel like you’re not worth anything, it’s a sign that they don’t value you. If someone doesn’t respect you or see how important they are, they won’t be able to see how important and deserving of love every other person is.
It’s important to have someone who respects you and sees your value as a person and as a member of society as a whole.
They use and mistreat you.
A bad person will take advantage of you for money, sex, and other things. At first, they might not even realize it, but they will start to see you as a way to get what they want. If you’re around a poisonous person, they’ll make you feel like you owe them something or that you should have done more for them than what you agreed to do. It’s also possible that the relationship turns into a one-way street, where they meet all of your wants but give you nothing in return.
The worst thing about this kind of behavior is that it makes it hard for people, especially women, to leave these kinds of relationships. This is because we start to feel guilty for leaving someone who has put so much effort into making us happy over time, even if they only did it because they wanted something from us in return.
You don’t feel like you can be yourself when you’re with them.
You don’t feel like you can be yourself when you’re with them.
If your partner makes you feel like they don’t like you for who you really are, it’s time to break up. There is nothing worse than feeling like the person who loves and supports you the most doesn’t even know who they’re dating because of how much they try to change who they are around them. You shouldn’t have to put on a show for anyone, especially not for someone who says they care about you and love you.
They don’t care about how you feel because they don’t listen to you or be there for you.
A healthy friendship is built on the ability to listen. If your partner doesn’t pay attention to what you say, it’s hard for them to be with you. And if they’re not there, it’s hard for them to figure out what’s going on in your life and how they can help.
It’s easy to forget how important our partner’s needs are when we’re in a new relationship or when things are going well between two people who love each other deeply. This can lead us down a dangerous road where our own needs become less important or even go away. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my own toxic relationships and from watching others, it’s this: As an individual human being, you have every right to demand respect and kindness from those around you, even if they’re not only your lovers but also your family members…
They make you feel like you’re not good enough.
When someone makes you feel like you’re not good enough, that’s a sign of a bad situation. This can be done with words, deeds, or even with nothing at all. In a healthy connection, each person helps and supports the other. Someone is probably harmful if they put you down or make fun of you.
They make you think you’re a fool: If someone doesn’t know much about something, it’s easy for them to make fun of people who do. This is especially true if they want to show that they are “smarter” or know more than everyone else. But if someone makes fun of your intelligence or ability to learn new things all the time, even though there’s nothing wrong with either, this could be a sign that your partner doesn’t really appreciate what makes YOU special as an individual. Instead, he/she just wants attention from others by putting himself out there as being more important than everyone else around him/her.
In every way, including financially and socially, your relationship is wrong.
When you’re in a bad relationship, your partner may be financially and socially in charge. This can happen if they have more money than you do or if they are more well-known than you are.
If your partner does this, it could mean that they are taking advantage of you, which is not okay. Someone who says they love you shouldn’t be able to make you feel like you’re not as good of a person.
You try to change for them all the time, but it never seems to be enough.
If you try to change for them all the time, but nothing seems to work. This is a big red flag and could be a sign that your partner is toxic.
You don’t feel like yourself when you’re with them. If you have to work so hard to make someone happy, you might want to rethink your relationship with them. In good relationships, both people should feel safe enough around each other that they can let their guard down and just be themselves without worrying that their partner is judging them or criticizing them.
They’ll make you feel bad about yourself: If someone says things like “I wish I looked like her/him” or “You’re lucky I’m still here after all these years,” pay attention because these are signs of insecurity (and possibly jealousy). Jealousy isn’t always a bad thing. When we see something better than what we have, it can sometimes push us to make changes. But if this jealousy turns into endless criticism or negative comments about ourselves, it might be time to get help from someone who knows more about relationships than either of us does alone.”
Everything is always “your fault” in their eyes, even if it’s not true or fair to blame you for something that happened between you two.
If your partner always blames you for problems in the relationship, this is a big red flag. Even if they don’t realize it, they’re trying to get away from their own thoughts and actions by putting the blame on someone else, namely you.
When something goes wrong between them, this kind of relationship can quickly turn into a circle of abuse where both people feel like they have no control over their actions or feelings because the other person always makes them feel guilty or bad about themselves. If this kind of behavior goes unchecked for a long time, it can lead to depression and even physical sickness.
They make up reasons why they can’t do things with you and make plans with people they spend less time with than they do with you (or at least act like that’s the case). This might not mean that your partner doesn’t want to see their friends, but if you feel this way, it could be a sign that something is wrong in your relationship.
It might not mean that your partner doesn’t want to see their friends, but if you feel this way, it could be a sign that something is wrong in your relationship.
It’s important to remember that this doesn’t necessarily mean your partner is cheating on you or quietly doesn’t like spending time with you (though it could). But if the other person is using reasons like these to avoid spending time with you because the relationship has become unhealthy and one-sided, then those red flags should tell you: You deserve better than this!
Conclusion
It can be hard to know what to do when you’re in a bad situation. But the most important thing is to know that you are not alone. There are tools online, like the National Domestic Violence Hotline or the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800-656-HOPE), where trained staff will listen and help you through this hard time. You no longer have to go through your pain alone, and neither do they.