It’s hard to walk away from a relationship, even when you know it’s really bad for you.
We asked women who left extremely toxic partners to share how they escaped and never looked back:
- Look for someone whose natural condition is good.
“The last straw for me was when we were driving to his niece’s baptism and Chris Brown’s ‘With You’ came on the radio. I smiled at him and squeezed his hand. ‘This song always reminds me of (his ex-girlfriend)’ he said. It didn’t take long for her to walk away. My advice is to be with someone who knows how to love and be kind, just like a natural state. People who don’t have any innate goodness with them are not worth your time. —Lindsay, 27
Related: If Your Partner Has These 8 Personality Traits, You May Have A Toxic Relationship
- When you finally break up, put some distance between you.
“I dated a guy who was very dishonest and toxic. In the end, the way I was able to end it was by putting distance between us. I moved away temporarily. Living alone without access to him made it easier to just call him up and say, ‘Yes, I I’m done with this.” Sometimes we forget that we’ve already lived and enjoyed a full period of time in our lives before this person, and realizing that helps you see that you can do it again. — Roslyn, 40
- Commit 100% to your decision to end things.
“When you decide to leave, don’t look back. Don’t call, text, or meet up with him. If you make excuses like ‘We go to the same gym’ or ‘I left my bank card at his house,’ you’re just ruining your chance to break free in a healthy way.” —Brianna
- Start over and reinvent yourself.
“Move country/state/city and start a new life. Tell the world about your wonderful life. The feeling that you can live a wonderful life is priceless in itself, but so is the fact that he is stuck in his old life, the miserable small town life.” —Katia, 38
Related: 14 Signs You’re In Denial About How Your Toxic Relationship Is
- Find someone who really sees you.
“I’ve been with this guy for two years, and I can count on one hand the number of times he’s said I look pretty or anything other than ‘cute.’ I don’t know if he really saw me, and even though he wasn’t physically abusive… Or even emotionally, but he definitely took advantage of my kindness and nature that I paid the price for almost everything and I was always on edge when I broke up with him, he cried and told me he loved me, but all I could think about was if he was really upset because he didn’t want to have to leave some kind The relationship we had.” – Kerry, 37
- Facing the unknown is scary, but it’s better than the alternative.
“Many of us stay in bad relationships because we think that’s all we’re going to get. We’d rather be in a bad situation than face the unknown. But once we take that leap and know that we deserve better, we will find better.” – Melissa, 38
- Do something for yourself.
“A bad relationship can cause us to give up on ourselves. We gain weight and wear the same old clothes over and over again. We feel bad and then give ourselves more reasons to do so. Join the gym, eat better, or treat yourself to a spa day “No, it won’t fix your life, but it will make you feel better.” – Mandy, 33
Related: How To Get Out Of Victim Mentality In A Toxic Relationship
