Small Talk

Let's talk about: Toxic Relationships

Welcome to my first part! In this part we'll talk about toxic relationships so this will include how to stop toxicity, what to do if you're in one and personal experiences, and so on. All people I could mention will remain anonymous for their own safety and privacy. Just to note, most things I'm going to talk about are from my own personal experiences and I'm not speaking for everyone.
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Throughout your life, you'll be exposed to toxic people, wether that's friends, family or significant others. Toxicity is a trait we all carry but some express it worse and more than others. I have had my own fair share of toxicity, unfortunately but I'll talk about that a little later.
To begin though, I want to talk about recognising toxicity. It can be difficult, especially when you're already in the middle of it. The 'dominant' person in this sort of relationship is the one that controls the 'submissive' person. They make the submissive one believe all bad things are happening because of them, they control who they talk to and what they do, they tend to demand answers or actions and so on. It can easily spiral out of control. I'm not saying that checking up on your significant other, pointing out where they went wrong or asking questions is toxic but it can easily become them when it becomes demanding and almost scary. It's easier to get out sooner rather than later.
In order to hopefully stop this type of relationship, communication is key. If you believe your significant other is becoming more demanding and aggressive than usual, talk to them about it. It may be scary to talk about in case of a bad confrontation but letting them know it's upsetting you will let the other person know their actions are causing pain. Always talk to each other and don't let conversations become belittling and rude. Check up on each other but don't let it get out of hand. Balance your relationship to suit the needs of each other.
I now want to explain some situations I've personally experienced. In my last relationship, I was exposed to a significant amount of toxicity. My phone was taken quite a lot and I never entirely knew why, I wasn't allowed to talk to certain people and when my significant other cheated on me, I got the blame for it. It's a tough situation to be in because I loved that person so much but I knew I was in so much pain but I had no clue how to get out. It almost seemed as though we were in a maze, just running into problems then coming out like it never happened and then back again. It was horrible. I would never wish the pain I went through on anyone I know.
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I've kept this short and sweet, although I may add to it in the future. I didn't add a lot of information because it's a bit overwhelming for me and it's my first part so I don't want to overload information and waffle. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Lastly, if you're exposed to toxicity, get out as soon as you can because one little thing can spiral to a much more bigger thing. Please.