This behavior isn't normal. And it isn't right, either.
By Melanie Gorman and Jasbina Ahluwalia and Pat Love and Julie Nise and Karen Finn — Written on Jun 04, 2015
We've all had that one relationship that left us feeling more emotionally drained than satisfied. No matter how hard we try to make things work, nothing is enough.
Even though you love your boyfriend and can't picture yourself without him, things have been super tense between you. He doesn't treat you with the respect that you know you deserve, and it's affecting how you feel about yourself.
Here's the brutal truth. It doesn't matter how long you've been together or how in love you are. If the way your partner behaves makes you question your own worth, he's toxic to your health and you NEED to leave.
YourTango's Senior VP Melanie Gorman, Divorce Coach Dr. Karen Finn, Matchmaker & Dating Coach Jasbina Ahluwalia, Counselor and Therapist Dr. Pat Love, and Relationship Trainer Julie Nise discuss the telltale signs that your relationship is toxic.
1. Your relationship stops you from doing what you love.
Although you loved going to the gym, you're never in the mood to go. You're becoming a stranger to yourself.
At 0:43, Karen stresses that "you need to really sit back and look at yourself and say 'Am I able to truly live my life when I'm with this person or am I becoming somebody else? Because if you're becoming somebody else, you're killing who you really are."
2. Your relationship is filled with drama.
Nowadays, you can barely spend five minutes together without getting into a shouting match. Not only is the constant arguing harmful to your emotional health, it sets the precedence for future relationships.
This behavior isn't normal. And it isn't right, either.
3. You never listen — we mean REALLY listen — to each other.
If your partner isn't interested in how you feel or what you have to say, it can affect both of you. A relationship can't work if both parties aren't invested in working together.
