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toxic relationship signs

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Your friends probably know better than to straight up tell you, “You should break up with that man. We don’t like him,” but if they are worried that you’re in the wrong relationship—or, worse, an unhealthy relationship—they will find their subtle ways to let you know. They want you to come to the conclusion yourself for several reasons: A) If you have any regrets about ending it, they don’t want you blaming them and B) If this guy seems a bit unhinged, they know he’ll say things like “Your friends are just jealous” or “Your friends don’t want what’s best for you” if he knows that your friends commented on the relationship. So, rather than come out and have an intervention, they will drop small hints that you should get out of that relationship. If you notice your friends making comments like this, you should probably reevaluate your relationship.

toxic relationship signs

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You are quiet around him

If they mention that you seem very quiet around your partner, it’s their way of suggesting you feel nervous or even afraid in your relationship. Or it could be their way of pointing out that your partner is very domineering and doesn’t even leave room for you to speak. Maybe they think you get in trouble a lot in your relationship, so you’ve learned to watch your words carefully, leaving you mostly silent.

toxic relationship signs

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He gets jealous easily huh?

Everyone has the capacity to get a little jealous. But if your friends say something about your boyfriend’s jealousy, it’s because they think it goes too far. If your partner is so quick to become envious or paranoid that your friends bring it up, then he may have an unhealthy level of jealousy.

toxic relationship signs

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You seem to fight a lot

Again, every couple fights—duh. But, if your friends feel the need to point out just how often you and your man fight, that’s not good. That means you fight so often that you even do it in social settings. You’ll leave a party to fight. You’ll fight in front of others. Your fights spill over into every area of your life.

toxic relationship signs

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Your fights have made you flaky

If your friends comment on how your turbulent relationship is making you a bad friend, then you really should be concerned. Do you frequently run very late to things like dinner parties and birthday parties because you get caught up in a fight with your partner? Or have you completely bailed on plans because you’re fighting with your partner? That means this relationship is so toxic it’s bleeding into your friendships.

toxic relationship signs

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What do you two talk about?

Have your friends casually asked, “So…what do you two talk about?” or “So…what do you like about him?” It’s because they don’t think you two have anything in common. Or they just don’t find anything redeemable about his personality.

toxic relationship signs

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He seems unhappy

They say something about him seeming unhappy, preoccupied, or even a bit depressed. They aren’t really worried about him (I mean, hopefully he’s okay, but they’re more worried about you.) Are you being dragged down by an emotionally unwell man? Serving more as his therapist than a girlfriend? It’s not really fair for a depressed man to drag a woman into a new relationship. He should heal himself first.

toxic relationship signs

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He sure does call a lot

Translation: is he a bit controlling? Possessive? Does he need to know where you are and whom you are with at all times? Is his need to control you more important to him than his desire to just let you enjoy yourself and be present with your friends? That’s rather selfish of him.

toxic relationship signs

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He just has a way of taking over things

Your friends may go so far as to say that you need to control your man—he ruins their social gatherings. He is domineering. He forces the plans to go his way. He orders things/plans things without consulting anyone else, making people do what he wants.

toxic relationship signs

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Things are moving pretty fast

If your friends think that this guy is the one for you, they won’t comment on how fast it’s moving. If they’re saying it’s moving too fast it’s because they think any speed would be too fast because they think he’s wrong for you.

toxic relationship signs

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A small thing can really set him off

So, this means your friends fear he has the capacity to become abusive. If your partner’s temper is so bad that your friends have noticed it, and it’s even ruined social situations, that is a big red flag. Everyone can become irritated, but only those with anger problems blow up social situations regularly because of their anger.

toxic relationship signs

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He never really asks about us

In other words, they think your partner is self-involved. Whether that’s because he’s depressed, or he’s so possessive he’s just focused on you all night, or he’s just a narcissist, it’s not good. Your man should take an interest in your friends.

toxic relationship signs

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All of our partners think he’s a bit odd

While this can sound harsh, it should sound the alarms in your head. If all of your friend’s partners (and your friends) don’t like your dude, there must be something wrong there. That means that, on a fundamental level, he just doesn’t share the same values as the people whom you hold closest to you.

toxic relationship signs

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You don’t seem like yourself

This doesn’t mean he brings out the best in you or has changed you for the better. If that’s what they meant, that’s what they would have said. What they are saying here is that this man seems to squash your personality and change you for the worse.

toxic relationship signs

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You don’t seem happy

Uh oh. Your friends know when you’re happy and when you aren’t. If you’re so deep in the spiral of an emotionally toxic relationship, you may be so caught up in the specifics of all of your fights that you haven’t zoomed out and realized Oh I haven’t felt happy in a long time. But your friends see it.