To occasionally have relationship problems is entirely normal, but what happens when these occasional moments of negative behavior become a consistent pattern?
That’s what we call toxicity, and it’s a huge contributor to a type of negative relationship that can be emotionally, mentally, and even physically damaging for the parties involved. Despite the harm that a toxic relationship between you and your partner can bring, these types of relationships exist in every part of the world without exception.
According to the World Health Organization’s World Report on Violence and Health, incidents of intimate partner violence where women were physically assaulted by their male partners were reported at rates of anywhere between 10% and 69% among countries surveyed.
Signs of a toxic relationship.
However, not all toxic relationships involve physical violence.
Toxic relationships may manifest in a myriad of different ways, but there are still some patterns we can use to analyze relationships and ask ourselves, “Is this healthy? Is it normal?” The following behaviors are only a few of the signs that may accompany toxic love:
- Dishonesty (including small fibs or “white lies”);
- Jealousy;
- Controlling behaviors;
- Financial abuse (withholding money or not allowing access to credit cards or bank statements, for example);
- Self-centered attitudes.