4 Signs That You Are in a Harmful and Toxic Relationship

A great relationship is a fantastic thing to be a part of. Problem is, a lot of people feel they are in a perfect relationship for a while, only to find out it wasn’t so great. Most of us get a bit of tunnel vision and look through rose-colored glasses during a relationship, and it can be hard to see things that are obvious to others. With that in mind, here are a few signs to look out for that could mean you (or a friend) is in a harmful relationship.

You Feel Like You Don’t Have Freedom

If you feel you are always walking on egg shells and need to ask for permission (or let someone know) before doing things, you might be in a controlling and harmful relationship. This person is not your parent and you should not need to tell them everything you do or everywhere you are.

A relationship shouldn’t be controlling at all, you should still have all of your freedom. You should still feel like an individual, but have someone along on the ride with you to support, encourage and love you. Having freedom is a right and anyone who takes that away from you does not have your best interests in mind.

Gaslighting is Occuring

While you may not have heard the actual term, there is a chance you are aware of what gaslighting is. Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse where the abuser looks to “plant seeds” of doubt in a person’s mind and make them question their own sanity or memory. This is often done in an effort to manipulate or control another person.

Gaslighting can be horrific to deal with, as a result, you should be aware of the warning signs and how to catch if someone is abusing you via gaslighting. An article titled 50 Shades Of Gaslighting: Disturbing Signs An Abuser Is Twisting Your Reality does a great job at illustrating just how difficult it can be to deal with gaslighting and how to identify if it is present or not.

Everything Always Feels Dramatic

While every relationship has their ups and down, there is a difference between the occasional argument or dramatic disagreement and a relationship where everything seems to be super dramatic. Some couples thrive on the theatrics and drama and some are even addicted to relationship drama.

While they my outwardly seem to have more passion and a better sex life, this often isn’t easy to keep up, and these couples often fizzle out as quickly as they started. While drama isn’t always bad, if there never seems to be a dull moment to chill or relax, that might be the sign you are in a bad relationship that simply won’t last.

You Have to Defend Your SO From Friends or Family

As mentioned in the opening, we tend to often look at our love interests with rose-colored glasses. We tend to excuse everything they do and won’t believe the contrary. Even if our friends and family try to warn us, we will often ignore their warnings.

If you constantly need to defend your relationship, that is a telltale sign it is not healthy. Your friends and family likely aren’t out to “get you” or anything, and are just looking out for you. Defending a bad boyfriend or girlfriend can easily lead to losing friends or distancing yourself from family, which is never a good thing.