Toxicity In A Relationship

Unfortunately, I have met many people trapped in toxic relationships. These are people who have already shown great courage by virtue of opening themselves up to somebody else. They’ve committed themselves to a relationship and have the courage to be truly open, vulnerable, and transparent with a person who they hope has the best intentions for them.

Sadly, that isn’t always the case. 

For some of the more toxic individuals out there, the courage it takes to open oneself up to another is little more than an opportunity to manipulate and exploit. Toxic people play on the vulnerabilities of their partners and make them feel as though they’re worthless when the true fact is that they’re worth so much more than they’re receiving from their partners.

A toxic partner may manipulate and expose you in ways that you never thought possible. Somehow, this person has convinced you that you don’t deserve any better than you have and that your sense of identity now revolves around them and their needs. When combined with the overpowering feelings of guilt and self-condemnation you already feel, this creates a dangerous cycle in which your identity slips further and further away as the relationship goes on.

These feelings can even manifest in physical symptoms, crippling one’s health and breaking you mentally to the point where it feels almost impossible to see a life outside of the toxic relationship.

 Remember that you showed great courage in choosing to open yourself up to a relationship in the first place. Know that this courage still exists inside you because it is a part of your identity. Draw from that well of courage and use it to make the decision you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you need to make:

• Walk away from the toxic relationship and seek help.
• Listen to and trust your instincts.
• Be decisive and do not regret the choices that you make. 
• Focus on finding solutions rather than wallowing in the problems.
• Make a fresh start – Your destiny awaits