How could a relationship that seemed so good become your worst nightmare?
If you’ve ever felt blindsided by love, you may have a rude awakening when you realize that the person you thought you loved wasn’t that person at all.
When you cannot accept the truth, you can tell yourself dangerous lies to justify staying in a relationship that is bad for you. When the truth hurts, you don’t always want to accept it.
Related: 3 Extremely Toxic Expectations That Kill Your Relationship
Sometimes, it’s easier to sweep things under the rug than to clean up the mess that keeps accumulating.
You may be holding on to unrequited love or a one-sided relationship.
It can be difficult when your partner continues to cheat, lie to you, or hurt you, and refuses to take responsibility for his or her actions.
Regardless, you deserve better. You deserve to be happy and feel safe.
Here are 7 dangerous lies people tell themselves when they stay in toxic relationships.
- “Maybe it will change.”
You keep telling yourself that they can change, so you cling to hope. No one can change if he doesn’t want to or doesn’t think he has a problem.
They may keep telling themselves they will change but don’t get help or take responsibility for their behavior.
Related: I Stayed In A Toxic Relationship Because Of Love — Big Mistake
- “They have a lot of potential.”
You continue to want to see the good in them, despite their behavior. In fact, you can’t help but accept the person for who he or she is.
- “If you wait long enough, I’ll make you fall in love with me.”
If a guy doesn’t want commitment, telling yourself that you can make him fall in love with you will only lead to heartbreak if he doesn’t invest in a relationship with you.
Related: 5 Tiny Habits That Will Keep You In A Toxic Relationship Forever
- “I know he wants me, even though he won’t admit it.”
You can fall in love with how someone makes you feel, and confuse these feelings with love, when a man only wants one thing from you.
If he doesn’t call you his girlfriend and introduce you to your friends and/or family, then you are just an option and not a choice.
- “He is the man of my dreams!”
You can tell yourself that this is the right person when you make him everything you are looking for in a relationship.
You can fall in love with the person you want him to be, place all your hopes of unfulfilled love on him, and when he doesn’t meet your expectations, feel disappointed in him.
Related: I Stayed In My Toxic Relationship For The Fleeting Moments That Felt Good
- “I’m afraid I’ll lose him if I don’t give him what he wants.”
You can convince yourself that there is hot chemistry between you and someone when they attract you into a relationship even though they ignore your boundaries and force a relationship on you.
This way you convince yourself to accept behaviors that are not serving you well.
You can protect yourself by denying the truth when you do not want to give up the bond of trauma or unrequited love.
Your mind can trick you into keeping you stuck in a relationship that is toxic for you because you don’t want to give up the love you want.
Sometimes, the pain of letting go of the love you want is difficult to face, so you have to protect yourself by finding ways to justify the behavior of the person who hurts you.
You can tell yourself that love is avoiding losing the person who hurt you. This all happens when you deny reality and trick yourself into feeling love when you are stuck in a painful bond or a one-sided relationship.
This way you can avoid letting go of someone toxic to you by telling yourself that it’s not that bad.
Related: 15 Tragic Signs You’re Stuck In A Toxic Relationship
