8 Warning Signs Of  A Toxic Person And How To Deal With Them

Do you know in your relationship circles someone described as a toxic person? Does someone in your life constantly leave you feeling confused, frustrated, or guilty? If so, you've probably dealt with a toxic person or at some point in your life, you must have come across someone who fits that description.

In human behavior, the word "toxic" is used to describe someone who causes distress,harm to others through negative words and actions. However, it is not always easy to identify a toxic person, as their behaviors can be subtle. For example, you may have someone in your life who repeatedly causes you confusion, anxiety, and stress, but you're not sure why. 

So, how do you know if someone is "toxic"? And how can you cope? Here are some tips for recognizing toxic behavior and how to deal with it.

Toxic people: They are those people who make us feel bad about ourselves. When we spend time with them, these people have toxic effects on every aspect of our lives. 

According to Mental Health America, 84% of women and 75% of men have reported having a toxic friend at some point. And about three-quarters of American employees have or have had a toxic boss. So it is important that we begin to get to know these people and set boundaries with them to improve our mental and physical health.

8 Traits Of Toxic People: 

1- Manipulation: 

Toxic people take advantage of  being closed to you and knowing your weaknesses in order to try to persuade you to do what they want. They often distort your words or make you feel guilty to get what they want. They may use other people as the clergy to pressure you. 

2- Pre-judging Others:

Everyone can make judgments from time to time, but a toxic person makes judgments almost all of the time. They sees things only in black and white and criticizes anything they does not agree with or agree with, rather than consider other people's circumstances or feelings.

3-  Playing The blame game:

A person with toxic traits will not apologize for the painful situations they put you in. He/She always finds ways to make you accountable for his/her actions and to shirk responsibility.
“Look at what you made me do” “You are the reason we got there” 

Blaming the partner is motivated by incitement to certain behavior or as a motive and justification behind any violence or wrong behavior, rather than taking responsibility for the violence.

4. They Don't Respect Your Boundaries:

Another sign of a toxic person is a lack of respect for boundaries. If you are clear with someone over and over again about your needs, behaviors or expectations, and they can't accept or respect your boundaries, they are toxic. Healthy relationships are built on understanding and the ability to respect boundaries. Toxic people always dodge in order to gain benefits and take advantage of others.

Read Also:   5 Reasons Why Empaths Attract Toxic People 

5- They never say sorry:

They see no reason to apologize, because things are almost always the result of someone else's fault. In many cases, although they try to organize relationships to serve their own ends and interests, they try to gain sympathy and attention by claiming a "victim" status.

6- Passive aggression: 

These behaviors are a way toxic people express their dissatisfaction without making a direct statement about their problems or how they feel about you. This type of hostility is less visible than stated anger, and it can be shown in a number of different ways. Some forms of passive aggression include vile comments, sabotaging other people's efforts, making fun of others or not doing something to make things uncomfortable for someone, belittle them, or make sarcastic jokes against them.

7- Controlling Behaviors: 

One of the most dangerous traits of a toxic person is the constant pursuit of controlling behavior and controlling all aspects of the relationship. They may try to restrict you from contacting your friends or family, isolate you from the world, control your finances, or prevent you from continuing your studies, restricting your ability to interact with the world around you. THEY ALWAYS NEEDS EVERYTHING TO BE UNDER THEIR CONTROL.

8- Selfish:

Toxic people mostly care about themselves. They don't think about how their actions affect others and think they are better than anyone else. The self-centered person is focused on getting what he/she wants and is unlikely to compromise or take into account another person's point of view or needs. They always wants you to be busy serving them and fulfilling their desires and not paying attention to yourself or taking care of yourself.

How To Deal With A Toxic People:

If you become aware that you are in a relationship in which you are exposed to toxic behaviors, there are ways you can reduce the impact of these behaviors on your mental health and well-being.

1- Setting a clear boundaries. 

Even if it makes you fell guilty when dealing with toxic behavior, setting boundaries is crucial. The challenge is to eliminate the guilt and exercise the right to self-determination necessary to set and adhere to appropriate boundaries. 

For example, if the toxicity is from a parent, you may feel guilty if you set boundaries with them - even if it is in your best interest. Reluctance to set boundaries may also stem from fear of the person's reaction, especially if they are using tantrums to manipulate the outcome of the situation. 

However, maintaining clear boundaries on what you will or will not do is a necessary step toward moving forward and recovering from your toxicity. Although this step may create feelings of guilt, it is helpful to remember that you are not harming anyone and that you are doing what it takes to protect yourself from abuse and manipulation.

2- Avoid being drawn into drama. 

The common denominator in toxic behavior is drama, which can seem to creep into every aspect of their lives. Even going to the grocery store can lead to a situation where something negative happens to them - and it's never their fault.

Some toxic people attract drama. An endless series of problems. And of course, once you solve one problem, another appears. They only want your sympathy and your feelings - but not your advice! You want to offer help and solutions, but they don't seem to want to fix anything. Instead, they complain and complain.

In a relationship, you find drama magnets thrive in crises by mastering the role of the victim, because it makes them feel important. So watch out, you might one day become part of the drama.

3- Talk to them about their behavior: 

Sometimes a person who exhibits toxic behavior may not realize that what they are doing or saying is hurting you. If so, consider having a direct conversation about what you're going through. However, some people may have an underlying personality disorder or an untreated mental health condition that may make effective communication difficult. In this case, encouraging them to talk with a mental health professional about your concerns may be more helpful.

4. Resist your urge to fix things for them.

Wanting to help someone else when they are in great difficulty may be especially true when you feel you have good advice that might help fix the situation. However, trying to help can turn into a frustrating cycle of listening and advising with no solution at all. To avoid this, it may help to remember that you are not responsible for other people's problems especially when they don't seem to want to solve their own. And try to stay as uninvolved as possible.

Related: 5 Safety Steps To Get Out Of An Abusive Relationship

5 Limit Your Time Around Them: 

If the relationship is causing you a great deal of stress and hurt, you may want to consider cutting ties and moving on. However, this may not be possible if you share a workplace or the toxic person is a parent. In this case, it's okay to do your best to limit communication, and only engage with them when necessary.