Relationships have the power to lift you up or drag you down. Unfortunately, the sheer number of toxic relationships far outweigh the healthy ones. As a result, it’s vital that you know when you’re potentially seeing the signs of a toxic boyfriend. Then, you can either work to rectify the situation or, more likely, walk away with your head held high.
When you fall in love, it’s easy to overlook all the negative aspects of the relationship. You put up with a lot because you simply don’t want it to end or you think that perhaps your partner is going to change.
The problem is, a toxic boyfriend is likely to stay a toxic boyfriend unless he sees the error of his ways and changes for the better. He’s not going to do that without a conversation that tells him so, or you decided that enough is enough and finding happiness in yourself, away from him.
# He often speaks down to youIt’s nothing but annoying when someone speaks down to you, regularly uses sarcasm, or acts in a condescending manner. As annoying as it can be from someone you’re not close to, it’s not something you should be dealing with from a boyfriend. If you’ve pointed it out to him before and he’s still doing it, it’s one of the key signs of a toxic boyfriend.
# He resorts to gaslightingGaslighting is a form of manipulation. It’s also a type of emotional abuse. While we must be careful that we don’t combine toxicity with abuse and think it’s always the exact same thing, but, in some cases, it overlaps.
Gaslighting is when someone makes you question yourself, in most cases, your own sanity. For instance, your boyfriend might say something and when you recall it later, he pretends he never said it. You then doubt whether you heard it or not.
Over time, this form of manipulation can be very damaging.
# He is controllingOne of the main signs of a toxic boyfriend is someone who is regularly controlling. You are a grown adult and have your own mind. You do not need someone else telling you what you can and can’t do. When a man tries to control you, he is bending you to his will. Don’t allow it!
# Jealousy is a common theme
Let’s be honest, it’s nice when someone is a little jealous occasionally, perhaps when another guy looks at you in a certain way and he puts his arm around you to let the guy know you’re his. However, it’s not nice when it’s a constant, and it stops you from doing anything. There is no place for extreme jealousy in a relationship.
# You often catch him in a lieLiar, liar, pants on fire! Lying basically means that you’re deceiving your partner, and it’s one of the biggest signs of a toxic boyfriend. If your guy is always lying about the small things, you don’t know that he’s not lying about the big things either. Lies erode away at trust and make it impossible to believe anything he says.
# You’re constantly walking on eggshellsIt’s no fun when you’re never sure what mood your guy is in, and you have to walk on eggshells around him to avoid a drama. It’s toxic because you can’t relax and can’t be free to allow your relationship to develop.