Toxic relationships can have a profound impact on your mental, psychological, and emotional well-being. These relationships often drain your energy, leave you feeling anxious, make you question your self-worth, and trigger deep insecurities. Whether it’s a romantic relationship, friendship, or even a family dynamic, knowing how to identify and break free from toxic relationships is crucial for your mental health and overall happiness in life.
- Constant Criticism and Belittling – one sign of a toxic relationship is constant criticism of one partner’s actions or lifestyle choices. If your partner, friend, or family member frequently belittles you, invalidates your success, or makes you feel less than, it’s a red flag. Healthy relationships are built on mutual respect and support, not tearing each other down.
- Lack of Support – in a toxic relationship, you may find yourself standing alone amidst the challenges of life. Your partner may dismiss your ambitions or actively discourage you from pursuing them. A healthy relationship is one where both parties support and uplift each other, especially in times of challenge and stress.
- Manipulation and Control – toxic individuals often use manipulation tactics to control you. This can manifest in guilt-tripping, gaslighting (making you doubt your reality), or isolating you from people you’re close with. If you feel like you’re walking on glass to avoid conflict or are constantly second-guessing yourself, this may be a sign of manipulation.
- Drained Energy – a toxic relationship often leaves you feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. You may find yourself feeling anxious, stressed, or depressed after spending time with the person. If you’re feeling worse after interactions with a certain person, it’s a sign that the relationship is not healthy for you.
How to Break Free From Toxic Relationships
- Acknowledge the Problem – the first step in breaking free from a toxic relationship is recognizing that it’s detrimental to your well-being. Denial can keep you trapped in relationships that could have ended long ago. Additionally, the manipulative partner may make you feel guilty for discussing the toxicity in the relationship.
- Set Boundaries – once you’ve identified the toxicity, start setting firm boundaries. Communicate your limits and what behavior is unacceptable. Toxic individuals may challenge these boundaries, so being assertive and consistent are both crucial here.
- Ask for Help – breaking free from a toxic relationship can be challenging and filled with fear, so seek support from friends, family, an individual therapist, or support groups. Having a strong support system will help you stay grounded, give you the strength to move forward, and help to address issues as they inevitably arise.
- Distance Yourself – reducing or eliminating contact is often necessary. Toxic relationships thrive on proximity and frequent contact, so creating physical and emotional distance can help you regain your independence and clarity.
- Focus on Healing – after ending a toxic relationship, prioritize your healing. Engage in self-care, counseling, and activities that bring you joy, peace, and connection with others. Individual Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy can help reprocess and integrate past challenging situations. Rebuilding your sense of self and self-worth is crucial after enduring a toxic relationship.
- Therapy to Rebuild Self-Esteem – being in or near toxic relationships can damage one’s overall self-esteem and confidence. Rebuilding these components in one’s life is crucial for two reasons. One is that this directly impacts your life and how you navigate and face future challenges. The other is that if you pursue future relationships this level of self-esteem will impact the future relationship and the interpersonal dynamics within it.
Individual EMDR Therapy to Heal from Toxic Relationships
An EMDR therapist near you can help you stabilize and rebuild those components of your identity that were damaged from previous toxic relationships. EMDR therapy is a gentle way to heal the body and bring about peace and joy in one’s life. If you or someone you know has experienced toxicity in their relationships, maybe EMDR therapy can help. If so, call us at 720.295.6703 or submit an online form here to start the healing process.
