Relationships are meant to be enjoyed and cherished, but with the wrong person, they become not only a burden but a thorn in the flesh. Yet, as disheartening as it may be, you see people, often the victims keeping up with the relationship refusing to leave. It is surprisingly especially when we all know that being in a relationship is not a gateway to success or happiness; it is something you can do away with and still prosper.
Often times, no one ever starts off with a toxic relationships. In the beginning, everyone was always cool with joy and happiness shared between partners, suddenly, something triggers the toxicity and one starts misbehaving, treating the other like less than a human. However, some of the victims choose to stay, why is that?
- Hope for Change:
Often times, people cling to that singular hope that everything will reverse to normal in due time when they hang around. This is worse when the relationship didn't start off on a toxic note (which no one starts though).
- Children:
I have discussed with people I know who are not just in toxic relationships but toxic marriages and one of the reasons they cited for staying back is that they have given birth to children and for the good of their children; for their children to be raised in a complete family, they will endure whatever their partner throws at them.
- Love:
Often times, people stay back because of love. The love they have for their partner clouds their judgement to see that this isn't the right way to live. They stay back because of the fear of loneliness and the fear of the emotional void it will create when they breakup. This makes them rather stay back in that relationship other than hoping another one comes by.
Reducing the rate of toxic relationships is not something that will come by without everyone playing their quota in it;
Some of the solutions I proffer are...
- Happy Homes:
Family is the smallest unit of the society and primary environment where children learn from the most. When someone comes from a happy home where love flows, they subconsciously grow with love in them and this makes them discover a toxic relationship when they land themselves in one.
Because this is not the way they were raised, it becomes easy for them to leave the relationship because survival becomes difficult for them and they subconsciously know they deserve better.
- Education:
Teaching people about healthy relationships is one way to end toxicity in relationships. Knowing the red flags of toxicity helps early detection thereby preventing one from entering one and even enables them to exit the relationship before deeply entrenching themselves in it should they enter one.
- Support Groups:
Joining support groups where one can easily share his or her ordeal with people of goodwill and get support in making decisions is also a great way to end this toxicity.
- Building Self-Worth:
Not that people with self worth don't stay back in toxic relationships but it is always reduced to a great extent.
One who has self worth invariably can provide for himself or herself and won't be forced to stay in a relationship because of what the partner provides especially financially. This makes it easy for them to walk away from toxic relationships when they find themselves in one.
Picture Is Mine
Everyone deserves a relationship filled with love, kindness and respect and whatever reasons you may have for enduring, hoping the toxic relationship you are in turns around , do know that you deserve better.
Breaking free from toxic relationship in the end will always be your personal decision, but a relationship that uplift and nurture you shouldn't be a mirage to you, make that a reality.
Thanks for reading and have a nice day ahead 👍