We’ve all once experienced what it’s like to be hurt, and we’ve quickly moved on from that.
But, what if these feelings continue to appear in the company of your close friend, family member, or in your work environment?
Do you feel like this person is causing a lot of drama and attention in your other circle of friends, which is annoying you?
Warning – toxic people in your life!
Yes, these can be some of the visible signs that you are in a toxic relationship, which can wear down your mental and physical health very quickly.
You may still not realize how dangerous these traits are, but this article will open your eyes and clarify some of the questions that are bothering you.
Follow me and find out how toxic traits and behaviors affect us, how to recognize them, and how to deal with them.
10 Toxic Personality Traits
What are the most common toxic personality traits and how do they behave? Should we be worried?
Well let’s see…
- Emotional manipulation
People often manipulate each other, but when does this manipulation cross the line? How can you determine if this is a clear sign that there is a toxic person around you?
If you feel like someone is manipulating your insecurities and trying to get the best out of you for their own benefit, rest assured that you are spending time with someone who is harming your health.
Emotional manipulation is first on the list of toxic traits. Anyone can emotionally manipulate you: from a loved one, a close friend, a family member, or an acquaintance, to your co-workers.
Of course, manipulation can be done unconsciously (because this person does not know how to behave differently) or intentionally (here, we are talking about personality disorders, for example, psychopaths, sociopaths, etc.).
If you notice that someone is constantly belittling you, know that your relationship is headed in the wrong direction. You will soon start believing that someone is better than you, which will eventually lead to low self-esteem.
Once you get drawn into this type of relationship with people, it becomes difficult to get out of it. This condition is called emotional dependence. Even though your person is manipulating you, you are used to it and it is difficult for you to notice that something is wrong.
- Narcissistic trait: There is an “I” in everything
Have you ever noticed that the person you’re talking to uses a lot of the word “I”? Well, it’s normal to think about ourselves and our well-being, but isn’t it a bit narcissistic to only see ourselves in all situations?
One of the characteristics of a toxic person is narcissistic behavior. Such people are trapped inside the “eggshell of selfishness.” They take without giving, have no feelings for others, and usually everything revolves around them.
You don’t have much to expect from these people. Don’t hope that it will help you when you are having difficulty. They can only add insult to your injury.
The truth is that this type of toxic individual will turn things around in his favor and your problems will remain as they were.
- Drama is their middle name
Do you feel that your relationship with someone is very exciting, but you are not the one to make a mountain out of a molehill?
Well, that’s a red flag for the “drama queen” next to you. You may have tried to ignore their problems and drama many times, but with people like these, it’s not that easy.
This is probably because toxic people cannot build healthy relationships with anyone. Instead, they are always in conflict with others, seeking attention; Crying over their victim while hurting you.
So, whether at work, in a relationship, or a family member is creating a lot of drama out of nothing, my advice is to step back. Believe me, this is the key to your health.
- Consistently inconsistent
It sure feels good when someone understands you and when you have someone to rely on in difficult life situations. But, what if, at some point, we can count on this person, but in a short while, this person will write you off?
This is another sign of toxic people in your life, and it’s called inconsistency.
It is very difficult to follow inconsistent people. Their behavior is changeable, and you are never sure what they will do next.
At one moment, they can instill trust and confidence, while at another moment, they can turn their backs on you.
Sure, it will be difficult to stay away from someone like this at first, but after a while, you will realize that this gives you more freedom.
- Lack of support
Do you consider yourself a friendly person who supports the dreams and desires of your friends, relatives and family members, but some of them are still not there for you when you need them?
A lack of empathy and support is also linked to toxic behavior.
You may be able to handle disappointment many times, but if you don’t want it to overwhelm you and lead to low self-esteem, be aware of this trait in people.
- Passive-aggressive behavior
A toxic person will never attack you directly over something. Instead, he will use small verbal jabs to make you feel guilty.
For example, if you agree on something with a close friend and he doesn’t like it, he won’t admit it to you directly. Rather, he will use emotional blows to take revenge on you.
If you find yourself in this situation, keep in mind that it is not harmful at all. I would define it as serious, indirect manipulation.
Passive aggression is a form of emotional abuse, and if you ask me, as soon as you notice it in your relationship, you will need to act immediately.
- Jealousy
Another negative thing we can experience in toxic relationships is a bout of jealousy. Your toxic friend can easily become jealous of the people around you, which will make you feel uncomfortable and even frustrated.
Jealousy can be a result of fear and manipulation, but it is also a result of selfishness.
If you notice that your person is “making scenes” in front of others to keep you safe, know that this is misbehavior and that the outcome may not be good for you.
- The hidden competitor
Another sign that you have a toxic friend is when you notice that he or she is copying you, but with the intention of being better than you.
Don’t be fooled that this is just friendly love and this is how your friend wants to get closer to you.
It is no coincidence that this happens on its own. Alternatively, this could be a clear sign that your friend is arrogant and overly competitive.
Watch out for this type of person because they can easily take your advantages and actions, of course, if you allow the whole situation to continue.
- Not respecting boundaries
You must often wonder when it is time to draw the line in your relationships with people.
Toxic people usually don’t respect you and tend to violate your boundaries.
Some clear signs of disrespect are: ignoring someone’s thoughts and ideas, insulting, showing inappropriate behavior in front of others, lying, interrupting, etc.
This behavior can easily push your buttons.
The bottom line is to set boundaries. Don’t allow someone to cross your limits.
- Gas lighting
Finally, I would like to describe this trait, which I consider the most dangerous of all. It’s gaslighting.
Gaslighting is a specific type of manipulation that often occurs in very close relationships.
How do you know if someone is gaslighting you?
Your partner uses “mind games” to control your thoughts, and sometimes even your movements. They will eventually convince you of something you are not and do not want to be.
Do you often apologize to someone? Do you often feel that everything you do is wrong?
If the answer to that is yes, then it’s time, my friend, to do something about it. It doesn’t make sense to be in a relationship where you feel disrespected and insecure, right?
What are the toxic traits in a relationship?
As mentioned earlier, there are many toxic traits, and we can experience them within different relationships with humans.
But you are definitely afraid to face this in your relationship. In this case, among all the features mentioned, I would like you to pay special attention to these features:
- Emotional manipulation
- Passive-aggressive behavior
- Mind manipulation
There are many ways in which a relationship can be poisoned, but I consider this to be the most toxic.
Why do I classify them as the most dangerous?
Because all three of these traits are attacks on mental health, and all other diseases and deficiencies begin with them.
What are narcissistic traits?
In addition to toxic traits that disrupt our relationships with people and negatively affect them, there are also narcissistic traits that have a strong association with traits.
Narcissistic personality disorder specifically involves having narcissistic traits.
Of course, this does not necessarily mean that every person with these traits has this disorder, but it can certainly be a warning sign of it.
Here are some major narcissistic traits:
- A great feeling of superiority
- Feeling of self-importance
- Arrogant behavior
- Underestimating others
- Envy of others
- Follow-up
How do you know that you have a toxic trait?
Most people are not aware of their toxic traits. “Why me, when there are others to blame?”
Unless you are self-aware? If you have a high degree of self-awareness, you will easily recognize your personality in the eyes of others.
But, if you haven’t gotten the right answer yet, go back to the first paragraph and read carefully again what those toxic properties are.
What is toxic behavior?
A toxic person is anyone who brings insomnia, anxiety, or stress into your life, affecting your mental and physical health.
The manipulative behavior of a toxic person is often accompanied by strong desires to control other people; Jealousy, disrespect, passive aggression.
Is jealousy a toxic trait?
In a way, yes.
Jealousy is also a universal trait. But a bout of toxic jealousy manifests itself in uncontrolled outbursts of rage, often described as “childish.”
Jealousy is good, but only in small amounts. It actually shows that you genuinely care about someone. However, if you let it completely consume you, if you cross the boundaries and get into a state called possessiveness, it becomes a real problem.
What is a toxic friendship?
A friendship in which one side is always loving, caring and a bit naive while the other side manipulates and uses that kindness.
How do we know that our person is toxic?
If you often feel depressed in your friend’s company, it’s time to reevaluate your friendship. If your person has any of the above traits, the bad news is that the relationship you are in is harmful to your health.
So, my friend, either solve it or run away from it.
How toxic people affect our mental health
If I were to give you the shortest, most specific definition of a toxic person, I would probably say that it is someone who negatively impacts your mental health.
Sometimes, even though you know someone’s behavior is inappropriate, you still give in to them because you don’t want a conflict to arise, right?
Well, a toxic relationship can suck every last ounce of energy out of you, pushing all those positive things out while outweighing the negative.
These people are very difficult to deal with, and determining the cause of this behavior is usually complicated.
but! Suppressing problems and tolerating such behaviors is not the solution to your problem.
This can seriously affect your mental health and well-being. Keep in mind that no one “benefits” in such a relationship. The toxic individual builds his ego in the wrong direction, while the other person loses his sense of self-worth.
Trust me, once your mental health deteriorates, it will be difficult for you to rebuild it.
It is a good idea to ask yourself what causes poisoning in humans, and how to identify such people. Once you discover them, it will be easier to set boundaries and priorities.
Although these traits and behaviors are not the same for everyone, and while some traits predominate over others, here are some warning signs that you are in the company of someone with toxic traits.
What are the causes of toxic behavior?
Before coming to any conclusion about how to deal with toxic people, one must ask, why are they the way they are, and where do such behaviors come from?
One thing I’m sure of is that you’ve already created a bad image of toxic people, and you’ve probably already labeled them as evil people, right?
But sometimes things are not as they seem at first glance. Since all behaviors have their causes, toxic behaviors must also have their own. Let’s look at it.
Have you ever tried to get rid of some of your bad traits, but it didn’t work? Perhaps this is where the answer to the question “Why are toxic people so toxic” lies?
Their way of treating others has always been this way, but over time, the severity of this “bad behavior” has become worse. This can be caused by a lack of social skills, lack of self-confidence, and some other forms of insecurity.