Toxic relationships can take many forms, from shouting spouses to physical and sexual abuse from someone you once thought was a friend. When it comes to friendships alone, 80% of people say they’ve experienced a toxic relationship.
These connections can drain you physically and mentally, leaving you questioning your reality and worth.
Getting away from these toxic individuals can be a challenge, but we’re here to help you take the first step toward a better life. Keep reading to learn about the first things you’ll want to do when ending toxic relationships.
Find Support in Friends and Family
In toxic relationships, the other person’s behavior can make you feel as though you’re all alone. Rest assured, you’re not. There are plenty of people in your life who love you and want to see you thrive.
Take time to reach out and confide in some of your friends and family.
Depending on the situation, like if you caught your wife cheating on you — go here now if that sounds familiar — it might feel embarrassing to talk to someone. But even if you talk to one person about what you’re going through, you’ll feel an immediate weight lifted off of your shoulders.
Additionally, your support system can help you stay strong when you cut ties with the toxic individual(s), offering advice, comfort, and even shelter if needed.
Seek Professional Help
Figuring out how to stop going back to a toxic relationship is harder than it sounds. So hard, in fact, that these troubled waters are best navigated with the assistance of a mental healthcare professional.
Even if you don’t struggle with a disorder like depression or anxiety, toxic relationships play on a person’s vulnerabilities, breaking them down until they feel invisible.
Make no mistake, even if there aren’t physical marks left from a toxic encounter, the mental scarring you can experience is every bit as bad.
A counselor can also help you learn the signs of a toxic relationship and help you figure out how to leave a toxic relationship with dignity.
Come up With a Plan
It seems so deceptively simple. All you have to do is leave or make a few changes to your personal relationships.
That may sound true if you’ve never experienced toxicity from a close friend or partner, but leaving is often the scariest and most difficult part.
Before you take action, construct a plan — preferably with your support system — of where you’ll go or what you do. Think about the items you’ll take with you, how to financially separate yourself if necessary, and what to do if the toxic person in your life attempts to contact you.
Wherever you go and whatever you do, let at least one person in your life know your plan ahead of time. Then, contact them when you’re ready to act so they can keep track of your safety.
Life Gets Easier After Ending Toxic Relationships
No one deserves a toxic relationship. But help is out there, and there are steps you can take to find a healthier life.
If nothing else, please reach out to a friend or family member and let them know what’s going on. You deserve to be safe and happy.
For more tips on getting through life’s toughest moments, check out the rest of our relationship section.
