I’ve had my share of toxic relationships in the past and I can say that the pattern is similar to that of a labyrinth.

These relationships are simply a maze and finding a way out is a difficult task.

For me, I felt stuck in a loop, repeating history, repeating myself. Finding an exit turned into an impossible mission, an unattainable miracle.

As a result, I oscillated between feelings of hostility and feelings of love. At times, the relationship seemed healthy, while at other times it was utterly unhealthy. And so, I kept swinging with the wretched diversity of events and transformed into a person with loads of mixed emotions.

I understand how hard it is to accept that the relationship we are in is toxic. I hid the true aspects of my relationship from my family and friends because I knew they would tell me it was unhealthy. I kept the sorrowful situation to myself as I wasn’t ready to accept its destructive pattern.

Attachment and habit can bind us to our partner to the extent of ignoring or excusing our own feelings. And sometimes, we are simply incapable of conceptualizing our partner or our relationship.

There are plenty of signs, from blaming to blackmailing, that prove the devastating pattern of our toxic relationship. Maybe we’re dealing with threats, manipulative behaviors or overreacting, but that doesn’t make it easy to accept these destructive behaviors, let alone always see them.

Thankfully, there are signs that can more clearly help us spot the nature of our relationships, and these signs reside within us. While we have become accustomed to looking outward to decode our partner or relationship, it is much easier to look inward and decode ourselves.

This practice has consistently helped me realize the true nature of any relationship in my life. When I look inward with awareness, I can perceive my thoughts, my feelings and where I stand.

When we start with ourselves, we can proceed with everything else.

Perhaps, spotting toxic relationships can be as simple as examining what’s inside us, instead of someone else. If any of the following feel relevant to you, it might be time to reevaluate your relationship:

1. You feel drained.
We are made of energy. Everything around us is energy. If we have the ability to attune to everything around us, including ourselves, we will be able to spot who sucks our energy.

If you are in a toxic relationship, you will feel a lack of energy around your partner even if everything seems okay between you. You will feel especially drained after arguments.

Draining each other of energy affects your ability to work, go out or immerse yourself in any activity, no matter how small. Sometimes the thought of our partner being in our lives is enough to suck energy from our system.

2. You are unhappy.
Let’s agree to agree on this one: love shouldn’t in any way make us feel miserable. Relationships that are generally healthy, sustain happiness even during difficult times. On the other hand, toxic relationships consistently leave us unhappy.

No matter what is occurring in the relationship—good or bad—we never find ourselves joyous. Misery buckles up and drives with us almost everywhere.

We can see our unhappiness in photos and in the mirror. Our friends and family tell us that we’ve changed as we wear a fake smile and insist we are fine.

3. Something feels wrong.
Being in a toxic relationship is similar to completing a puzzle yet feeling like there’s still a piece missing.

Even in the happiest situations and when nothing seems to be wrong, we feel there’s something off. We try our best to spot the one problem that is constantly causing us doubt, but because there’s more than one issue, we doubt the original problem itself.

It feels like we never reach gratification in toxic relationships. There is a constant battle inside ourselves that we try to silence, but fail every single time.

4. Your gut is telling you to leave.
To be in an unhealthy partnership turns us into a person split in half—one half tells us to stay and the other tells us to leave.

However, the part that is telling you to leave is not stemming from your mind or your heart. It is your gut, your intuition. Although you are incapable of seeing the future, you have a strong feeling that the future is either not there or full of misery.

I rely a great deal on my gut because I think it is the truest voice that speaks to us. It is neither a thought nor an emotion. It is simply an energy that tries to communicate with us.

5. Everything your partner does gets on your nerves.
Relationships aren’t perfect all the time and are definitely prone to face issues that can cause us to become enraged.

However, there is a difference between losing our temper once in a while and getting angry most of the time. In a toxic relationship everything your partner does will get on your nerves.

Perhaps this is because we’ve already absorbed so much negativity that we are full to the brim. Therefore, any associated event or emotion will be a chance for us to unleash what’s inside of us.

6. You stop looking after yourself.
Toxic relationships can drain us to the extent of forgetting ourselves.

We stop loving ourselves, stop pursuing our goals. We blame ourselves, think too much and become reclusive. We reminisce about the times we were strong, healthy and beautiful.

We become the state of mind that we are in. It’s like we become toxic ourselves thoroughly dismissing who we truly are and what we truly deserve.

7. You’re reading this
This might be the easiest and quickest way to see if you are in a toxic relationship.

In my case, I tried so hard to seek help that I read almost everything related to relationships. I needed a sign, an answer to my doubts.

If you find yourself consistently clicking on similar links or pursuing relationship books, you are clearly looking for guidance.

Although it is unquestionably arduous to remove the blindfold from our eyes, we have no other choice but to face reality and accept that we are indeed in a toxic relationship.

Before we fear losing our partner, we must fear losing ourselves. A partner can be replaced by a better one, but a self can never be replaced. Once it’s lost, it will be gone forever.

Don’t take yourself for granted. If it feels wrong, that means it is.

Trust your gut and love yourself enough to not accept this type of relationship.

Good luck.

Author: Elyane Youssef

Editor: Nicole Cameron

Image: Charlie Foster/Unsplash

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