At first everything is easy. You’ve been blinded by infatuation and the sexual chemistry is so strong that you can’t see what’s really going on or what your partner is really like. We all do our best to impress whoever we’re dating. Most of us hide our flaws, but that’s completely understandable if you don’t have anything serious to hide.
The real problem arises when you stumble upon a toxic person. Of course, he will hide this side of himself because he wants to attract you to him. He will present himself as perfect and flawless so that you can relax a little and start trusting him.
When the honeymoon phase is over, the masks fall and you are finally able to see the true face of your loved one. The problem is that most of us get comfortable and put our guards down. That’s when toxic behaviors start to appear.
There doesn’t have to be anything big at first. In fact, there never is. Toxic behaviors are revealed little by little until they cause a huge explosion of emotions and ultimately disaster.
To avoid falling victim to toxic behavior, it’s best not to give in to the emotion completely at first. Try to look at things with a different eye, as if they were happening to someone else.
Try to be objective and careful. Maybe then, you’ll see all the red flags screaming at you to get out of that toxic environment.
These are the toxic behaviors he exhibits that will set your relationship on fire:
- He does not tolerate criticism
When there is a problem in your relationship that makes you unhappy and when you confront him about it, he flips out. No matter what you say, no matter what criticism you give him, he overreacts.
You think that after some time of being together, he will realize that you don’t want to let him down but help him become better by pointing out his mistakes and the things he did that hurt you. But he doesn’t understand it that way.
He thinks you’re out to get him and humiliate him. Therefore, any overreaction by him as a comment on something you have to say clearly shows a lack of respect for you.
By doing this, he is telling you that he doesn’t want to hear what you have to say. He doesn’t respect you.
Don’t let this happen to you. No one has the right to control your life or see you as subject to them. If you feel unhappy, you have the right to talk about it.
If he denies you, it’s better to leave than to deal with the much bigger consequences that will follow.
Your self-respect is very important, and if he doesn’t respect you, it’s only a matter of time when you stop respecting yourself. And then, you have a problem.
- He hides things from you
Trust is the most important element in a successful relationship. It is the foundation on which you build your future life with your loved one. If you are not honest with each other, your relationship will fail sooner or later.
You won’t know if he’s lying to you at first, but he won’t be able to hide the truth for long. It will eventually come out into the open.
You don’t deserve to be treated this way. Just remember that there are plenty of men out there who treat you like their princess, and would never lie to you simply because they trust you.
They know that you will help them and understand them without judging.
- It’s holding you back
This is very similar to ignoring someone. He won’t even acknowledge your presence.
If you are talking to him and trying to explain how you feel or trying to solve any problem, he will completely ignore you and stare at his phone or leave the conversation without announcing it.
Why? Simply because he doesn’t care. This is not healthy behavior. By obstructing your partner, the two of you will not be able to move further apart even if there is a chance to solve your problems.
You have the right to be heard. Your voice must be heard. Even if you are not right, you have the right to say what you want. No one can or should stop you from doing this.
Don’t fool yourself by making excuses for him, that he’s tired or something else. If you don’t stop this in time, it will get worse.
- Withholds affection
Maybe you did something he doesn’t approve of or he doesn’t like and he wants to punish you by withholding affection. He doesn’t want to give you love to teach you a lesson.
We are all human. We need the human touch and we need to be in someone’s arms. In short, we need to love and we need to be loved.
You have to realize that if you are true to yourself and honest, you won’t have to be punished. In fact, no one deserves to be punished, no matter what they do, and neither do you.
Withholding love may not affect you immediately, but it will cause greater pain and consequences later in life.
- He doesn’t respect your boundaries
It steals your sense of self. If he constantly includes you in things he likes to do without asking you first or not giving you the opportunity to say whether you like his idea or not, he is denying you the right to be your true self.
You have your limits as we all do. You have things you love to do and things you hate. If he doesn’t respect that, he’s nothing more than a selfish idiot who only wants what’s best for himself.
Don’t give anyone the power to control your happiness. You should be in charge of your life, and if you don’t like the same things, you should try to figure that out and not force each other to do only what one of you likes. You shouldn’t give him that much power over you.
