Are You in a Toxic Relationship?

It's often difficult to see your own relationship health clearly when you are the star in your own drama. It may take a loving friend or family member to point out the imbalance and abuse that is going on. Abuse does not always just take the form of physical violence but can also surface in the form of verbal or emotional abuse through neglect, manipulation, control, bullying or even belittling type of behavior. If you've ever wondered if you are the victim of a toxic relationship, check out these warning signs.

Isolation from Friends, Family and Social Contacts
In the beginning, you may think having your own private romantic island with your partner is bliss. You fool yourself into believing that they love you so much that they don't want to share you with anyone else. Beware. It's a way of alienating you from anyone that can influence your thoughts and actions away from your partner. It may begin slowly where they talk you into canceling plans with other people to spend time with just them or manipulate you into breaking commitments because they need you.

You start to realize that your partner is never open to hanging out with other couples or happy when you make plans with your family or friends. Your friends and family never see you anymore and can never reach you by phone. Your lover does not support or encourage your spending time with or being in close contact with friends, family or other people that take your attention away from the relationship. She is jealous of the time you spend with the same or opposite sex and discourages you from pursuing those types of friendships, even if the person has a long platonic history with you.

A healthy relationship is one where you can have outside contact with different people and be comfortable in sharing activities with those people without the consequence of an irate or hurt partner. Every relationship has a honeymoon period where all you see is the other person and want to spend your time with them. But, it's important to maintain a life outside the relationship as well. Most importantly, that outside life should be encouraged.