A romance that should feel caring and supportive can slowly turn into an unhealthy, toxic relationship. Sadly, many people don’t notice the shift and struggle to break free from these harmful dynamics.

What is a Toxic Relationship?

Verywell Mind describes a toxic relationship as one where a person feels misunderstood, hurt, and unappreciated. A relationship is considered toxic when it involves physical violence, verbal abuse, sexual violence, or any behavior that harms one partner.

Signs of a Toxic Relationship

It’s not always simple to judge whether a relationship is healthy. You can’t directly compare yours to others because every relationship has unique dynamics. Ultimately, only you can decide whether your relationship is toxic.

As a clear guide, if physical or non-physical violence has occurred, you should be cautious about the situation you’re in. Some relationship signs of a toxic relationship include:

• You give more than you receive
• You often feel unappreciated, which lowers your self-confidence
• You are often blamed and become the target of anger
• You feel tired and depressed
• You are afraid of making your partner angry

By contrast, a healthy relationship helps you feel safe, content, trusted, and respected. In an unhealthy bond, jealousy, control, insecurity, and fear are common, yet hard to talk about.

How to Escape a Toxic Relationship

Leaving an unhealthy relationship isn’t easy, especially if it has been happening for a long time. Over time, your partner’s negative behavior can start to feel “normal.”

Even so, you don’t have to remain in a harmful situation. If you’re ready to break free from a toxic relationship, try these steps:

1. Be honest about your feelings

Tell your partner which behaviors make the relationship unhealthy. If needed, encourage them to see a psychologist. If no solution is found, remind yourself that separation may be the healthiest option.

2. Share with others

Open up about your experiences and seek support. Toxic partners can be manipulative and appear innocent to others. By telling the full story, you can reveal harmful behavior and strengthen your resolve to end the relationship.

3. Seek professional help

Beyond leaning on trusted people, consult a psychologist or psychiatrist, especially if you’re dealing with trauma from the relationship. Mental health professionals can guide you toward decisions that protect your well-being.

4. Focus on yourself

Choose activities that help redirect your attention from sadness. Try to do routines with positive impacts to your life, such as do your hobbies again, try new skills, and spend time with people who have a positive impact on your life.

5. Stop contact with your partner

If you decide to leave, limit communication as much as possible. When necessary, block phone numbers and social media to cut off contact completely.

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