Have you ever invested months, several coffee meetings, and lengthy WhatsApp messages into a connection or relationship only to discover that the other person is poisonous to be around? Don’t worry, lots of people have. It’s always heartbreaking to find out you’re in a relationship with someone who’s toxic, but if you can spot the signs before it becomes an issue, you can save yourself a lot of trouble.
People aren’t always toxic who mean to be toxic. Sometimes, people are just in a bad place or are dealing with their own problems, but this isn’t something they should take out on you. You should be able to protect yourself, and in this article, we’re going to detail some of the signs you need to look out for.
You’re Always Emotionally Exhausted After Being with Them
When you spend time with the people you love, you should leave these encounters feeling elevated, loved, inspired, or just the same as when we enter them. However, you should be mindful if you leave encounters feeling drained.
People who are experiencing emotional tiredness frequently feel powerless and helpless, and they may become apathetic toward things or people.
They Guilt-Trip You
Guilt-tripping is a clear sign that the person you’re dealing with is toxic. When you do something for someone, if it’s real love, you do it because you want to, not because you want something in return. If you do something and expect them to give something back. This is familiar with sayings like ‘If you love me or you’re my friend, then you have to do this for me.’
Being emotionally pushed into doing something is another form of toxicity. What’s more, if someone takes advantage of your kindness, love, or goodwill to benefit themselves, that person does not have your best interests at heart and may cause you more harm than you believe in the long run.
They Are Always the Victim
Toxic people don’t recognize themselves as toxic, and if their actions backfire, they’ll happily transfer responsibility and portray themselves as the victim – and they’ll probably believe it. It’s this mindset that looks at someone in toxic behavioral patterns and will prevent them from moving on past them. Keep your eyes open for it.
This is a very important point to remember, especially if you end up going to court or going through a legal process against this person for whatever reason, perhaps even hiring a sex crimes counsel. They will very much lean into this point which can make it very hard to get anywhere productively.
Compliments are Backhanded
Even while expressing a compliment, a toxic person will make sure it’s still a criticizing statement. Toxic people in your life don’t always want you to feel good about yourself since it weakens your own self-esteem. They feel compelled to degrade, humiliate, and ridicule others — even friends — to make themselves feel better and restore the relationship’s hierarchy.
They Are Always Defensive
To impress others, toxic people will use their friends as the punchline for their jokes. However, while they can so easily give jokes to other people, they can very rarely take it themselves. ‘They become enraged the moment someone confronts them about it or makes a joke about them.
They’re all too eager to make fun of you, but when the tables are turned, and they’re called out on their acts, they don’t react well and become defensive. When it comes to spotting toxic people, the most important thing to remember is to trust your instincts.
Summary
Take a moment to think about how you feel about yourself when you’re around someone. Are you buzzing from being with them? Do they make you feel alive? Or do they stifle your self-assurance? Connect with individuals that adore you for who you are and make you feel like the most important person on the planet after each encounter. Recognize the signs and look after yourself.
