Toxic people can cause more than their fair share of pain and anxiety in your daily life. Their selfish, narcissistic ways can make your life difficult. The hallmark of a toxic person is that he or she is far more interested in their own advantages than in taking care of others and being supportive. When it is time to get rid of toxic people, you may have a difficult time extracting them from your life. Here are 7 signs that you are dealing with a toxic personality, as well as some hints as to how to remove them from your life.
7 Alarming Signs You Are Dealing with Toxic People
1. You Often Lose Your Temper with Them
Toxic personalities love to push other people’s buttons. When you are dealing with a destructive personality, you will often find yourself angry or frustrated by their constant need for drama. They can cause you to lose control of yourself when your emotions boil over. If you often find yourself blowing up at a person, it’s worthwhile to examine whether or not they might be a toxic person.
2. They Are Always the Victim
In any given situation, toxic people will paint themselves as the helpless victim. Nothing negative that happens to them is ever their fault. Whenever you have dealings with this person, they will try to blame their problems on everyone else, including you. This can be extremely stressful to deal with.
At the same time, you may find yourself blaming the toxic person for everything that is going wrong in your life. If you catch yourself thinking this way, it’s a sign that this person has too much influence in your life. Consider whether it is time to get rid of toxic people in your life.
3. They Damage Your Self-Esteem
A toxic person is always looking for ways to bring other people down. They use rude and degrading language, and they often search for our weaknesses so they can hit us where it hurts. If you always feel badly about yourself after you have dealings with this person, it’s likely that they are a toxic personality.
4. They Can’t Let Go of Negative Feelings
If a person in your life constantly ruminates over things that have gone wrong, they may be unhealthy to spend time with. Since toxic people exist to cause drama, they can’t let go of these perceived slights and injuries. Even if you’re not personally affected by these problems, they may rope you into emotional sympathy with them. Getting you invested in their problems is a sign they might be toxic.
5. You Dread Seeing Them
Any time you are consumed with feelings of dread about dealing with a person, it’s worthwhile to think about whether they might be toxic. If you’re sure that interacting with them will only bring you trouble, they are not healthy to be around. It’s fine to avoid them as much as possible.
6. Your Coping Mechanisms are Unhealthy
When you do have to deal with a toxic person, you may find yourself reaching for unhealthy comfort measures. Whether you find yourself smoking or drinking more or indulging in too much food, these coping mechanisms won’t help you at all and may cause other problems for you down the road. Don’t let a toxic personality rule your life in this way. It’s difficult to see these problems in ourselves. Sometimes outside perspective is necessary to help you discover your reasons behind doing something.
7. They Are Affecting Your Relationships
The fallout from dealing with toxic people may spill over into other relationships in your life. They may leave you short-tempered and easily upset. If these people are distressing you enough that you lash out at other friends and family, it’s a definite sign that they shouldn’t be in your life.
Final Thoughts
Dealing with a toxic personality can be extremely difficult. Only you can decide how much this person is disturbing your peace of mind. In less extreme cases, simply spend less time with them. Talk about them less and interact with them less. If they come after you, seeking another victim, turn them away. Keep your boundaries strong and don’t let their negativity bring you down.
In extreme cases, it may be time to cut toxic people from your life completely. This is a last resort, but it might save your sanity and your other relationships.
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