Toxic drama in your relationship can cause unnecessary stress and problems that are hard to overcome. Certain behaviors reveal drama and toxicity in a relationship, helping you to recognize it as it’s happening.
If your partner often uses drama to get their way, it is a big red flag. This indicator of toxic drama will manifest in all other areas of their life, too, and it might get worse over time. Your relationship will surely suffer, and your self-esteem will take a hit, too.
Some people are addicted to relationship drama, and it quickly becomes recognizable. As you notice the negative behavior, make a mental note of how often it occurs. If it has become a common occurrence, you might be experiencing toxic drama.
While a little bit of drama might be fun, having toxicity mixed in is never a good time. You might start picking fights with one another or looking for ways to put them down. If you notice these little things, you should watch for other behaviors that reveal toxic drama in a relationship, too.
Ten Behaviors Reveal Toxic Drama in a Relationship
Toxicity of any kind is detrimental to a couple, and it can cause the relationship to end messily.
1. They Shut You Out
If your partner shuts you out by giving you the silent treatment, it is a negative sign. A little silence after an argument is normal while everyone cools off, but if it continues for an extended length of time, it’s a sign of toxicity, instead. The silent treatment is toxic for your relationship and shows poor communication skills.
Even when you try to make amends, you are still ignored or treated indifferently. When this is a common occurrence, you might notice that it happens when you refuse to agree with them. It also might happen after a fight, especially if the argument was about their behavior.
2. Your Partner Acts Erratically
When someone is overdramatic and displays erratic behavior when they don’t get their way, it’s toxic. They might destroy your property by doing things like smashing or submerging your electronics in water. Another common instance of erratic behavior in a relationship is if they destroy something that you cherish.
Other signs of erratic behavior include frequent overdrinking or doing drugs. They might threaten to hurt themselves as a way of teaching you a lesson or convince you to give in to something. Or, they might rack up credit card debt or blow through money in their savings account.
3. Your Partner Won’t Take Responsibility
If your partner refuses to own up to things or admit that they are wrong, it is a red flag. They will often blame you for everything and constantly point out your flaws instead of worrying about their own. Plus, they will always have a reason why they couldn’t do something they were supposed to.
4. Jealousy Is an Issue
A little jealousy in a relationship is normal but, in toxic relationships, it goes beyond that. The jealousy issue could go both ways, too, with one of you trying to make the other jealous, knowing they will react.
If you feel like you are always in competition for your partner’s attention, it isn’t a good sign. When there is competition, it means that your partner is entertaining other people, too. You should be the one they focus on, so there should be no one to compete with.
Likewise, if you often try to make your partner jealous, it is a sign of an unhealthy relationship. It can cause your partner to feel insecure, angry, or fearful of the relationship ending.
Plus, if either of you is jealous of the other’s life achievements, it can be hard to overcome that. You should both be happy for one another when someone gets a promotion or achieves something.
5. Your Partner Overreacts Too Often
If someone in your relationship tends to overreact often, it’s a sign of toxic drama. They will raise their voice to get their way, devaluing the partnership you two have developed. It will leave the other partner feeling fearful of an explosion, causing them to avoid speaking up at all.
You might notice small things cause an over-the-top, negative reaction in the relationship. Something that wouldn’t usually matter becomes a big deal, and a fight breaks out.
6. You Don’t Have Much in Common
Relationships are tough enough as it is, but when you add in not having much in common, there’s not much hope. Your partner should have similar life plans, values, and interests to avoid unnecessary drama. You don’t have to have everything in common, but you should have enough to enjoy fun moments and connections.
7. You Fight in Public
When a couple fights in public, it is a sure sign of toxicity in the relationship. It is normal to become frustrated with your partner, but arguing in public is not normal, no matter what. Couples in healthy relationships respect themselves and their partner too much to behave in that way.
8. Your Partner Doesn’t Support You
If your partner doesn’t support your dreams and goals, it reveals toxicity. A partner should support what you want to do, and they should help you along the way. They should have your back through it all, and they will encourage you to work hard.
Toxic partners, on the other hand, will hold you back. They will suck the motivation out of you and convince you that it is okay to slack. Plus, they might even convince you that you can’t achieve your goals or that they aren’t worth the attempt.
9. They Cry to Win Every Argument
When someone cries because they are emotionally or physically hurt, it is normal and appropriate. Sometimes, people even cry if they are frustrated or overwhelmed. When your partner cries to win an argument, however, it is not healthy behavior.
A toxic person will cry if they did something wrong so that their partner isn’t as angry. They will even try to get their partner to feel bad for them, even if they were disloyal. Usually, however, a toxic person will use tears to get you to back down from a fair argument.
10. Your Partner is Disrespectful Toward You
Any disrespect in your relationship is a negative sign. If your partner will disrespect you, then it reveals toxic drama between the two of you.
A disrespectful partner is often dishonest by telling lies about where they are or who they are with. They might do this to avoid their partner or for other reasons. Either way, any lie is a sign of disrespect in your relationship.
Disrespectful people might also constantly be late, even if they know you don’t have much time. They will often claim to forget about important events in your life.
How to Stop Toxic Drama
If you want to stay with your partner, you must work on stopping the toxicity. No matter what point you are at in your relationship, you can make changes right now to make it healthier. As long as you are still together, it isn’t too late if you make the change right away.
First, you must both be respectful to one another. A relationship can’t be healthy unless there is respect from both partners in all regards. With respect, most other things will fall into line, making it an essential aspect to focus on in your relationship.
You can also try to change your perspective when you feel drama creeping in. No one has to be perfect or correct all of the time, and winning an argument isn’t worth sacrificing your relationship. Think of your relationship problems from a different perspective and see if things make more sense.
Another way to eliminate the toxicity from your relationship is by communicating effectively. Don’t belittle or manipulate one another. Instead, try to solve the problem together while staying calm, patient, and listening to one another.
Removing negative influences can save your relationship from toxic drama. If anyone close to you behaves in these ways, it could rub off on you or your partner. Studies show that this type of behavior is contagious, so eliminate the bad influences from your life.
Final Thoughts on the Erratic Behaviors That Reveal Toxic Drama in a Relationship
No matter the cause of the toxic drama in your relationship, it must end one way or another. It isn’t healthy for anyone involved, and it can destroy your relationship. Look for ways to make it better and start working on improving the toxicity in your relationships.
If you don’t find ways to fix the problem, it can cause intimacy issues and other unmanageable issues within your relationship. Start implementing healthier habits to save your relationship, or make the difficult decision to walk away. You have to do what is best for your well-being and the well-being of your partner.
Watch for these behaviors that reveal toxic drama to make sure you address any problems in your relationship. Dealing with the problem now will help you come up with a solution before things go any further.
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