Toxic Relationship Signs

Toxic relationship signs are not only found in others’ behaviors.  You can also look at your own thoughts and behaviors to determine if you are in a toxic teenage relationship.  What are you thinking and feeling?

• Do you find yourself increasingly less confident in yourself?
• Are you pending less and less time with friends, family or in your normal activities?
• Have your appearance, emotions, grades or other performance indicators have changed significantly since the relationship started?
• Do you worry a lot about how they will react to things you say or do?
• Are you feeling that your needs and desires come second – or aren’t valued at all?
• Do you hesitate to express your thoughts and feelings?
• Are others warning you about this person or group?
• Are the emotions expressed towards you are mostly negative – angry, blaming, putdowns, disappointment?
• Do you find yourself are starting to mistrust your own judgments?
• Is your sense of your own worth is declining
• Do you feel like a possession

If you are having a bunch of these thoughts or feelings, do not beat yourself up.  They are not an indication that there is something wrong with you.  They are an indication that you are in a toxic relationship.  If you are seeing a bunch of these thoughts and feelings in yourself and seeing the warning signs in the other person(s) behaviors, then you are in a toxic relationship.

Changing an unhealthy or toxic relationship is extremely difficult and is usually not successful.  Ending a toxic relationship can be surprisingly easy or very hard.  Whatever path you take, it’s important to not stay in a toxic relationship – and changing that is best done with the support of others (or even one other person).

Never allow someone else to be your priority while allowing
yourself to be their option
Mark Twain