The 5 Most Revealing Signs You’re in a Toxic Relationship
Shifting the focus from your partner to yourself.
No-one sets out to be in a toxic relationship.
No-one sits down with a coffee and says: “I want to find a partner with whom I will develop a really dysfunctional way of relating so we can make each other miserable.”
But — and perhaps this is the therapist in me talking — it’s surprising how often that scenario comes to pass. Even for smart, well-informed people. Even for those who’ve had good relationships modelled to them.
In some cases the blame lies primarily with one partner; in others it’s that the mismatch of histories, values, communication biases, conflict styles — and all manner of other things — just make it horribly hard work.
And the longer the relationship, the more gnarly the dysfunction, the harder it becomes to untangle the roots and re-establish healthy growth.
How are we unhealthy? Let us count the ways
When individual therapy clients want to talk about their difficult relationships they usually want to explore two things.
