And by the time you see the signs, you’re likely invested and involved in the relationship. It can then be hard to put boundaries in place or stop things from progressing in an unhealthy direction.
It’s important to know what these patterns are so you can spot it right away. So here are some toxic relationship patterns to break now if you want your relationship to last.
1. Ghosting/Clinging when you are fighting
Arguments are normal. If handled well, they can make you stronger together. But couples tend to fill two roles when they’re fighting: they either go silent or become clingy and pushy.
2. Blaming your partner
Ah, another familiar one. Are you fond of playing the blame game with your partner? Is it always their fault and not yours? This is a toxic habit because when partners are so busy defending themselves and blaming their partners, they lose the chance to be kind to each other and to feel close.
3. Complaining to your friends instead of your partner
Your friends are the perfect soundboard. They are always on your side and it feels good to vent it out. But to your relationship, it does more harm than good. It puts your partner in an irredeemable light. Not only that, you can create a rift between your friendships and your relationship.
4. Bottling up your feelings
You stay silent to keep the peace. You would rather keep your opinions to yourself than potentially make your partner angry. But that’s wrong. A healthy relationship should feel safe enough for you to be honest about how you feel. Open communication is essential in every relationship.
There are studies that suggest that frequent use of social media has a negative correlation to people’s levels of relationship satisfaction. What this means is, the more you try to show off your relationship, the bigger your need is to prove that the relationship is strong. Happy couples spend less time posting on social media, and more time creating great memories together.
6. Threatening to leave or break up when things get rough
When you constantly threaten your partner, what does it say about your commitment to your relationship? It says you’re not really in it for the long haul. And nothing can break a bond more than such a lack of commitment. Avoid doing this at all cost. It’s a dangerous pattern to fall into.
7. Being controlling
We all have our issues. We’ve had our hearts broken before. And we all have emotional and mental traumas from our past. But no matter how much you’ve been hurt before, you have no right to control someone else’s life – even if they’re your partner. When you deliberately create rules or establish ultimatums that change their life, that’s toxic.
