When It’s Not You, It’s Them: The Toxic People That Ruin Friendships, Families, Relationships

When It's Not You, It's Them: The Toxic People That Ruin Friendships, Families, Relationships

One of the joys of being human is that we don’t have to be perfect to be one of the good ones. At some point we’ll all make stupid decisions, hurt the people we love, say things that are hard to take back, and push too hard to get our way. None of that makes us toxic. It makes us human. We mess things up, we grow and we learn. Toxic people are different. They never learn. They never self-reflect and they don’t care who they hurt along the way. 

Toxic behaviour is a habitual way of responding to the world and the people in it. Toxic people are smart but they have the emotional intelligence of a pen lid. It’s no accident that they choose those who are open-hearted, generous and willing to work hard for a relationship. With two non-toxic people this is the foundation for something wonderful, but when toxic behaviour is involved it’s only a matter of time before that open heart becomes a broken one.

If you’re in any sort of relationship with someone who is toxic, chances are you’ve been bending and flexing for a while to try to make it work. Stop. Just stop. You can only change the things that are open to your influence and toxic people will never be one of them. Here are some of the ones to watch out for.

15 Versions of Toxic People

  1. The Controller.

    Nobody should have to ask for permission or be heavily directed on what to wear, how to look, who to spend time with or how to spend their money. There’s nothing wrong with being open to the influence of the people around you, but ‘the way you do you’ is for you to decide. Your mind is strong and beautiful and shouldn’t be caged. Healthy relationships support independent thought. They don’t crush it.

  2. The Taker.

    All relationships are about give and take but if you’re with a taker, you’ll be doing all the giving and they’ll be doing all the taking. Think about what you get from the relationship. If it’s nothing, it might be time to question why you’re there. We all have a limited amount of resources (emotional energy, time) to share between our relationships. Every time you say ‘yes’ to someone who doesn’t deserve you, you’re saying ‘no’ to someone who does. Give your energy to the people who deserve it and when you’re drawing up the list of deserving ones, make sure your own name is at the top.

  3. The Absent.

    These versions of toxic people won’t return texts or phone calls and will only be available when it suits them, usually when they want something. You might find yourself wondering whether they got your message, whether they’re okay, or whether you’ve done something to upset them. No relationship should involve this much guess-work.

  4. The Manipulator.

    Manipulators will steal your joy as though you made it especially for them. They’ll tell half-truths or straight out lies and when they have enough people squabbling, they’ll be the saviour. ‘Don’t worry. I’m here for you.’ Ugh. They’ll listen, they’ll comfort, and they’ll tell you what you want to hear. And then they’ll ruin you. They’ll change the facts of a situation, take things out of context and use your words against you. They’ll calmly poke you until you crack, then they’ll poke you for cracking. They’ll ‘accidentally’ spill secrets or they’ll hint that there are secrets there to spill, whether there are or not. There’s just no reasoning with a manipulator, so forget trying to explain yourself. The argument will run in circles and there will be no resolution. It’s a black hole. Don’t get sucked in.

    You:   I feel like you’re not listening to me.
    Them:
      Are you calling me a bad listener
    You:
      No, I’m just saying that you’ve taken what I said the wrong way.
    Them:
      Oh. So now you’re saying I’m stupid. I can’t believe you’re doing this to me. Everyone told me to be careful of you.

    They’ll only hear things through their negative filter, so the more you talk, the more they’ll twist what you’re saying. They want power, not a relationship. They’ll use your weaknesses against you and they’ll use your strengths – your kindness, your openness, your need for stability in the relationship. If they’re showing tenderness, be careful – there’s something you have that they want. Show them the door, and lock it when they leave.

  5. The Bullshitter.

    They talk themselves up, they talk others down and they always have a reason for not doing what they say. They’ll lie outright or they’ll give you versions of the truth – not a lie, not the truth, just that feeling in your gut that something is off. You can’t believe a word they say. There’s no honesty, which means there’s no intimacy. At worst bullshitters are heartbreakers. At best they’re raving bores.

  6. The Attention Seeker.

    It’s nice to be needed. It’s also nice to eat peanut butter, but it doesn’t mean you want it all the time. The attention seeker always has a crisis going on and they always need your support. Be ready for the aggression, passive aggression, angst or a guilt trip if you don’t respond. ‘Oh. You’re going to dinner with  friends? It’s just that I’ve had the worst day and I really needed you tonight. Oh well, I suppose I can’t always expect you to be there for me. If it’s that important to you then you should go. I just want you to be happy. I’ll just stay in by myself and watch tv or something (sigh). You go and have fun with your friends. I suppose I’ll be okay.’ See how that works? When there’s always a crisis, it’s only a matter of time before you’re at the centre of one. 

  7. The One Who Wants to Change You.

    It’s one thing to let you know that the adorable snort thing you do when you laugh isn’t so adorable, but when you’re constantly reminded that you aren’t smart enough, good-looking enough, skinny enough, strong enough, you have to start thinking that the only thing that isn’t good enough about you is this loser who keeps pointing these things out. You’ll never be good enough for these people because it’s not about you, it’s about control and insecurity – theirs, not yours. As long as they’re working on changing you, they don’t have to worry about themselves, and as long as they can keep you small, they’ll have a shot at shining brighter.

    These people will make you doubt yourself by slowly convincing you that they know best, and that they’re doing it all for you. ‘You’d just be so much prettier if you lost a few pounds, you know? I’m just being honest.’ Ugh. Unless you’re having to be craned through your window, or you’re seriously unhealthy, it’s nobody else’s business how luscious your curves are. If you feel heavy, start by losing the 160 pounds of idiot beside you and you won’t believe how much lighter you’ll feel. These ones aren’t looking out for you, they’re trying to manage you. The people who deserve you will love you because of who you are, not despite it.

  8. The One You Want to Change.

    People aren’t channels, hairstyles or undies. You can’t change them. Someone who snarls at the waiter will always be the kind of person who snarls at the waiter – whether they’re snarling or not. People can change, but only when they’re ready and usually only when they’ve felt enough pain.  It’s normal to fight for the things that are important, but it’s important to know when to stop. When a relationship hurts to be in, the only thing that will change will be you – a sadder, more unhappier version of the person you started out as. Before it gets to this, set a time limit in which you want to see change. Take photos of yourself every day – you’ll see it in your eyes if something isn’t right, or check in at the end of each week and write down how you feel. Have something concrete to look back on. It’s easier to let go if it’s clear over time that nothing has changed. It’s even easier if you can see that the only thing different is that the lights have gone out in you.

  9. The Abuser.

    The signs might be subtle at first but they’ll be there. Soon, there will be a clear cycle of abuse, but you may or may not recognise it for what it is but this is how it will look:

    >>  There will be rising tension. You’ll feel it. You’ll tread carefully and you’ll be scared of saying or doing the wrong thing.

    >>   Eventually, there will be an explosion. A fight. There will be physical or emotional abuse and it will be terrifying. At first you’ll make excuses – ‘I shouldn’t have said that/ did that/ gone out/ had an opinion/ said no.

    >>  Then, the honeymoon. The abuser can be wonderfully kind and loving when they need to be, but only when they need to be. You’ll be so desperate for things to get better that you’ll believe the apologies, the tenderness, the declarations of love, the promises.

    >> The tension will start to rise again. Over time, the cycle will get shorter and it will happen more often. The tension will rise quicker, the explosions will be bigger, the honeymoons will be shorter. 

    If this is familiar, you’re in a cycle of abuse. It’s not love. It’s not stress. It’s not your fault. It’s abuse. The honeymoon will be one of the things that keeps you there. The love will feel real and you’ll crave it, of course you will – that’s completely understandable – but listen to this: Love after abuse isn’t love, it’s manipulation. If the love was real, there would be mountains moved to make sure you were never hurt or scared again.

  10. The Jealous One.

    Your partner is important and so are other people in your life. If you act in a trustworthy way, you deserve to be trusted. We all get insecure now and then and sometimes we could all do with a little more loving and reassurance, but when the questions, accusations and demands are consistent and without reason, it will only be a matter of time before your phone is checked, your movements are questioned, and your friends are closed out. Misplaced jealousy isn’t love, it’s a lack of trust in you.

  11. The Worse-Off One.

    These people will always have problems that are bigger than yours. You’re sick, they’re sicker; you’re exhausted from working late every night this week, they’re shattered – from the gym; you’ve just lost your job, they’re ‘devastated because it’s really hard when you know someone who’s lost their job’. You’ll always be the supporter, never the supported. There’s only so long that you can keep drawing on your emotional well if there’s nothing coming back.

  12. The Sideways Glancer.

    Ok. So the human form is beautiful and there’s nothing wrong with admiring it, but when it’s done constantly in your company – in your face – it’s tiring, and it feels bad. You deserve to be first and you deserve to feel noticed. That doesn’t mean you have to be first all the time, but certainly you shouldn’t have to fight strangers for your share of attention. Some things will never be adorable.

  13. The Cheater.

    Infidelity doesn’t have to mean the end of a relationship – that depends on the circumstances and the people involved and it’s not for anyone else to judge whether or not you should stay. It’s a deeply personal decision and one you can make in strength either way, but when infidelity happens more than once, or when it happens without remorse or commitment to the future of the relationship, it will cause breakage. When people show you over and over that they aren’t capable of loving you the way you want to be loved, believe them. Move them out of the damn way so that better things can find you. 

  14. The Liar.

    Let’s be realistic – little white lies happen. In fact, research has found that when lying is done for the right reasons (such as to protect someone’s feelings) it can actually strengthen a relationship. ‘So that’s the orange cocktail dress you’ve spent a month’s pay on? Wow – you weren’t kidding when you said it was bright. Oh, it has pandas on it. And they’re smiling. And the shop doesn’t take returns. And you love it. Well keep smiling gorgeous. You look amazing!’. However, when lies are told with malicious intent and for personal gain, it will always weaken relationships. Relationships are meant to be fun, but none of us are meant to be played.

  15. The One Who Laughs at Your Dreams.

    Whether it’s being a merchant banker, a belly dancer, or the inventor of tiny slippers for cats, the people who deserve you are those who support your dreams, not those who laugh at them. The people who tell you that you won’t succeed are usually the ones who are scared that you will. If they’re not cheering you on, they’re holding you back. If they’re not directly impacted by your dreams, (which, for example, your partner might be if your dream is to sell everything you both own, move to Rome, and sell fake sunglasses to the tourists) then you would have to question what they’re getting out of dampening you.

Being human is complicated. Being open to the world is a great thing to be – it’s wonderful – but when you’re open to the world you’re also open to the poison that spills from it.  One of the things that makes a difference is the people you hold close. Whether it’s one, two or squadron-sized bunch, let the people around you be ones who are worthy of you. It’s one of the greatest acts of self-love. Good people are what great lives are made of. 

426 Comments

Rye S

Toxic people are like emotional vampires, draining the life out of friendships, families, and relationships with their relentless negativity and manipulation. I once had a friend who seemed to thrive on drama, turning every minor disagreement into a full-blown crisis. Their constant need for validation and control made it impossible to maintain a healthy connection. It’s astonishing how one person’s toxic behavior can erode the foundation of trust and love that relationships are built on, leaving you emotionally exhausted and questioning your sanity. Navigating a toxic relationship can be like walking on eggshells, where every step could trigger an eruption of conflict, leaving lasting scars on your mental health.

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Jordan

These are all the qualities of my ex wife, hence the reason I had to go back with her. There’s something so sexy about walking on egg shells, fighting, and especially the serial cheating.
I must be pretty special for her to come back after 3 different guys.
Psycho is sexy, gentlemen

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Deitra W

All of this gives the full definition of what I’ve endured these past five years. It sounds so much like a strong NPD and all this time I was convinced that there was something wrong with me. side note: they never like to be told about themselves, they constantly need to be catered to and play the victim when you don’t put up with their bs. Lastly, they want you so desperately to beleive that your life will not be better without them in it.

Thank you!

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Ricky D

Little white lies are one thing but when your partner constantly puts the blame on you for anything that goes wrong, then the line has to be stopped because it’s not a game and its frustrating and has no construction to it, period!

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sasha

I’m back with another update. After speaking to my ‘friend’ about the situation, I thought she’d gotten better, but today I realised she is still the same, toxic, mean, poisonous, venomous, noxious, virulent, harmful, vitriolic, malignant, pestilential, person she was before. Today when trying to get through my day, she did the same hurtful things she has always done, even though she swore she wouldn’t. My life is hanging on by a thread, and my friend – Lara, is trying to cut that thread and kill me.
I am confused on what to do; Do I ditch her and get better friends or do I try to reason with her and her hateful, thoughtless nature.

Please can I have some advice.

P.S Has anyone done the connections today?

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Tina

This is great writing and great advice. Funny and kind, smart and caring, it helped me and I’ve shared it with friends who needed to hear it. Thank you for writing this!

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sasha

I am currently ‘friends’ with a girl who likes to crush anything that makes me happy. It started off small, little things that I enjoyed such as the wordle, but it keeps getting more severe, ruining things that kept me living. She ruins my day constantly, and when I try to reason with her, she always gaslights and manipulates me. I’m not sure what to do, I want to get rid of her (in multiple ways). Can I have some advice on what to do?

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jenna

hey sasha,

please do not resort to violence to get rid of your friend. as much as she is making your life difficult, i do not believe it is necessary to ‘get rid of her’. communication is key. tell her to her face that she is being manipulative, and if she does not like that, who cares? she obviously doesn’t like you, either, and she is keeping you around most likely to use you. if the dislike is mutual, it would be beneficial to just cut her off. block her. ignore her. do anything you have to. i hope this helps you (especially with your wordle, because i would be upset if someone messed with mine, too)

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Wondering

Thank you for this article! My husband of 19 years , it turns out, is an excellent liar. He also has female “friends” who he has introduced to me over the years, who treated me disrespectfully and meanly. He has bouts of insulting/yelling at me, in front of others – his kids, my kids, his family,and female “friends”. One of these “friends “ we travelled 5 hpurs to visit. The first night, he left the hotel at 10 and returned at 2 am because I called him. It took him 14 years to admit that it was wrong, but still defends his “friend”.

During the day, she and he visited and he poured his heart put to her about all of the stress with his ex wife and the crazy way she and his lids were acting (a taboo subject for me to bring up, which always results in him yelling, telling me to mind my pwn business, even thpugh my life has been negatively effected by wrongful accusations, being called whore, cunt, and bitch by his kids, etc) – and I got to listen to hos “friend’s” mom tell me to be careful not to upset his “friend”, because when she gives someone the evil eye, bad things happen.” This “friend was a prison guard who had shot and killed 7 prisoners. When he started to yell at me, his “friend” said I could drive myself and the kids home, and she would drive him back in a few days. We visited 3 times and she said this each time.

He seeks out old friends from high school and college, and secretly texts him. He says I am a control freak because I don’t want people like them in my life.

First he said they were just his “Sideliners”, but when I looked up the definition in the Urban Dictionary, he was highly offended, then said I had used that term (I hadn’t – when he is angry he says horrid things and can’t even remember what he said.) only it’s impossible for me to forget. Now he says they are “sisters” to him.

He always starts out saying he wants me to meet them, wants us all to be friends, that they want to be friends. I called him out on it with another female, and she absolutely did not want to be friends. He had said that if she did not want to be friends that he would forget about her, but then he couldn’t. She is the one that he called when he left me at Christmas for 3 days during covid. He had told me about her at the start of our relationship – that they had been friends, but she had used him to put together her wedding, promised to reimburse him, and he never heard from her again. So I looked her up on the internet, and behold, she was quite notorious wherever she lived. Blogs dedicated to exposing her, how she was found guilty of Felony Theft from a well-known charity for over 9 Grand, sentenced to 1000 hrs of volunteer work, and in 4 months, moved to another state where she also became notorious, “borrowing” 20 K from a fiancee and not repaying it, trashing her apartment and writing bad checks for rent, charging people money for services not rendered…

And still, he defends her. On her twitter she describes how low-quality toilet paper gets “stuck to her twat” – what kind of woman with 86k followers writes, much less thinks those thoughts with those words?

His reaction? I am “nosy”. I just wanted to know who this person was.

For some reason, I am still here. I have been caretaking my Mom for 15 years, lots of medical emergencies, and I am self-employed. I guess I have been too tired, and I do feel badly for him in that his ex so thoroughly alienated his children from him. It is my children who call and text him on Father’s Day and come to his Birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

We have seen 2 different therapists. He is always nice at the start, then he explodes. He continued to see the last therapist who decided these women were “harmless”, and apparently she told him that he could lie to me about not seeing them anymore. So he did. I found out 3 years later. I had told her that I can’t handle lies. I saw her for 6 months before he would agree to go.

I am realizing that perhaps I married a stranger. I have read up on covert narcissism, ptsd, personality disorders, etc. i am gaining strength every day.

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Deb

I have a “friend” who is very self centered. But this last thing she did was tell me it’s my fault my boyfriend died because I didn’t live with him so I could have called 911 and he may have been saved. That doesn’t seem like a supportive friend.

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Kayla

I’m in a tough spot right now. Some of my friends have told me, essentially, if I don’t break up with my boyfriend they will not talk to me. This is all over an incident that happened about a month ago when we all went to a bar for my birthday. Although this was a turning point apparently some of these friends have been feeling out off by him for a while. While at the bar he apparently was looking at a friend and got drunk and very touchy with people. They were very uncomfortable and ended up leaving. Before this on New Years he kissed someone in front of me. I didn’t consider this cheating since me and him had started talking about doing things with other people as well. And there were some comments made while he has been sober that they didn’t like. Most of them never brought it up to either me or him that they were uncomfortable. I don’t think he meant to do these things in order to harm them at all, I genuinely believe he just didn’t understand the boundaries they wanted. He had no idea that most of them were even upset with him. They want nothing to do with him and I don’t blame them but also I love him and I don’t want to break up. Me and him talked and he feels awful, and is looking into therapy and is going to stop drinking. At this point I genuinely don’t know what to do.

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Gabriel

If they’re wanting you to drop your bf, my question begins with, why let your friends decide what’s best for you? Or what’s important to you in a friendship/relationship….have my own problems right now with a shit ton of toxic people i don’t want to know and tbh nobody i currently know is worth a thing to me.

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sasha

It doesn’t matter if he ‘feels awful’, break up with your boyfriend, he is a bad person, and get new friends while you are at it. It doesn’t matter if he was drunk because drunk actions are sober thoughts.

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Lauren

I was friends with a guy that was toxic he would cancel plans last minute he never did what he said he was going to do he just wasn’t good at keeping his word yes he was in a serious relationship but that’s no excuse eventually it got so bad that I ended the friendship that was five years ago I haven’t seen him for a year and I haven’t talked to him for two or three years every time I think about talking to him I remind myself why I ended that friendship it’s a good thing I did too because he’s engaged now but not living here anymore I’m hoping he won’t I don’t need to see that I’ve got better friends then he was the last year or so now so I’m good now I don’t feel sad anymore I surly don’t feel guilty at all and why should I

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Ivyv

I unfortunately have two toxic older sisters! And towards me though not each other. When I ask for advice about a situation that I fell I was wronged the don’t usually console me they always make it seem it was my fault in the situation. And when something good happens to me and I let them know they are never happy for me and turn it around and usually make me feel guilty. I have always gone out of my way for my sisters and always the one to encourage them while they treat me quite the opposite. Till this day I don’t know why they act this way towards me. I only hangout with them sometimes because my kids love spending time with my nephews. And because I’m divorced.

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Lauren

The toxic person I had in my life was not a boyfriend he was just a friend he would say he was going to do something but never did it he made plans then broke them each time he wasn’t there for me much when I had a panic attack he said he was at school but I suspect he was with his girlfriend yes he was in a serious relationship but he needed to make time for his friends too alone he started getting serious with his girlfriend a year after that then I ended the friendship he is now engaged and I’m glad I’m not his friend anymore it would have gotten worse I have not spoken to this guy in a year or two

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Vickie

I have a 52 year old younger brother who is so toxic & I have come to realize just how worthless he really is! I am the oldest of 4, he’s the youngest. Our mother died a few months ago & 3 of us have been working together…dealing with Mom’s belongings & her house. We have tried to do so with respect & honor for Mom. He has done nothing! He won’t come over, while any of us are at the house. He takes things & tries to start fights, which none of us have taken the bait! He acts like he was the only one who loved his mother! He only gives out passive aggressive remarks, mainly to our other brother in reference to my sister & I. Then he might give one to me about our brother. He’s never been a happy person. He’s used his “anxiety & depression” as an excuse to not participate in life for years! Mom enabled this & he never sought out help, even though we encouraged it. I can understand his “issues”, but fail to get his mean & spitefulness! We are just trying to get through it until Mom’s house has sold & then the 3 of us intend to break off all ties with him! Which is sad for us, especially since he has 2 children that we won’t have contact with. He’s not going to allow us to have a normal relationship with them anyway & he appears to have no empathy for anyone. He can admit no wrongdoing for anything in his life, long before Mom died! It’s impossible to have a relationship with someone who doesn’t really want one…especially, unless you constantly agree with him that he is right & you are wrong!!!

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M

I came across this article while searching for something of relevance to what I’m experiencing in my life currently and what has been reoccurring in a cycles for years now. Over the past year I’ve severed ties with two best friends and my own sister, and why? Because I finally saw the light and realized what they were doing to me. I felt I needed these people, even thought that they were my support system during my hard times and back to back toxic/abusive romantic relationships with men. I confided in them with vulnerability and transparency – as I should be able to do without fear. After one specific bad relationship (which I have no issue admitting was not the first of this sort) there was a drastic shift in how I was being spoken to/ spoken about/ treated and I was now receiving a lot of grief for how my situations somehow impacted them more than me. And don’t get me wrong, I understand how seeing your best friend/ sister/ etc. in a series of bad relationships can make you “angry”. Especially when you for some reason feel this person didn’t “listen to you” or take your advice. But to continually revisit and reawaken the trauma that another is working so hard to heal from and while that person is actively making progress and shifting to seeing life through a positive lens. Continuously downing me for my choice of men and trying to make me feel guilty or as if so did these things to harm them intentionally. Suddenly every disagreement result in these people digging up details or their feelings towards my past. Using it to justify their disrespect and exploding, saying below the belt and uncalled for things. There are so many layers but the one thing that I do know for sure is I have finally had some clarity. People who love you, friends and family included, won’t say or do things to intentionally hurt you and regress you back to a negative space. No matter how upset they are. Things like loyalty and respect never have to be questioned when the love is healthy and real. For some time I believed their words and that I was at fault for these people blowing up on me in a repeated cycle over the SAME topics that had been previously discussed and acknowledged time and time again. I honestly sit back and think where do I go from here. I saw these people as constants in my life. These people, my sister included, have ganged up on me and attacked me. Congregated to discuss my life and support each other’s toxic forms of communicating/ expressing concern. All together turning the gun on me as if they weren’t not the aggressors in every situation. They want apologies from me. They’ve harbored the most negative thoughts and feelings which come out after some drinks and when they see even the slightest opportunity to capitalize off of my weakness. I know this was a lot to read but this article gives me hope that there are people out there who can relate and understand. There’s so much more I could say but I want everyone to realize that toxic relationships can extend to friends and family. Don’t tolerate that s***. Don’t accept being treated as less than and don’t accept the “justifications” for abuse. Love YOU enough to say when enough is enough.

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Pauline

Hi I just read your article

I am going through this at this very moment.

I have lost everything My job my Finance,

I will wont give on prays

I cant believe there are people like this

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Blair

Hello!

I read your comment and I feel like i’m going through the same thing. I’ve been constantly bombarded about my choices in men especially the ones that my bestfriend and sibling work with. In my point of view, my personal and/or sexual life has nothing to do with their professional lives. And everytime their coworkers see me and get close to me, they make it seem like I’m the one in the wrong. We are all just in this world trying to build connections, making mistakes along the way, and I’m just tired of apologizing for things that I never intentionally did. I could be wrong but that’s just how I feel.

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Curt C

Since we’re all just people & everyone seems to “step on it” from time to time, -I wanted to address a question many people have: “Is it ME? Am I the problem?”.
Ethical people entertain that question with the intent to MAKE IT RIGHT IF THEY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO HARDSHIP – even if the only remedy is to say “I apologize.”.
Toxic people NEVER entertain the question and they have NO INTENTION OF CHANGING THEMSELVES.
This is how to tell IF a person in your life is TOXIC. They will NOT entertain the simple notion that they might even be a PART of a problem NOR will they consider making right damage they have done.
Now, to the DEGREE a person manifests these traits is the DEGREE that they are TOXIC.
The world is in grayscale, NOT black & white when we are discussing human personality.
However, ETHICAL PEOPLE CARE ABOUT HOW THEY TREAT OTHERS.
UNethical people care only for themselves (But often fake the appearance of the former to achieve the latter – Like the tobacco company that gave $50,000 to charity & then spent $20-MILLION advertising the fact).

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Jason

My ex and I just broke up for the 3rd time in the last 4 years. The first two times she broke up with me for no apparent reason. I tried hard to reach out to her for answers. She ended up telling me that she didn’t love me and don’t want to be with me. That hurt so I’m pretty much gave up after that. I was depressed for months and I just count understand why because we had a great relationship. We ended up getting back together and she apologized for the way she treated me. She did love me and she talked about me to her friends nonstop. She told me she would never leave me that way again. But because of the way she treated me I’m insecure and I couldn’t let her in completely right away. I lied to her about some small stuff because I was scared if her leaving me again for nothing. She found out about the lies the day I had planned a date to talk to her. Now she broke up with me again and it’s the same treatment again. I’m going back and forth on whether or not she’s toxic but I’m still madly in love with her.

Reply

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First, we ask the questions of us:

Are they relationally safe?
- Do they have an anchor adult at school?
- Do they know how to access this adult?
- Do they feel welcome, a sense of belonging, warmth from their adults?

Do they feel safe in their bodies?
- Are they able to move their bodies when they need to?
- Are they free from sensory overload or underload?
- If not, what is their bare minimum list to achieve this with minimum disruption to the class, keeping in mind that when they feel safer in their bodies, there will naturally be less disruptive behaviour and more capacity to engage, learn, regulate.

Then we ask the question of them:

What's one little step you can take? And don't tell me nothing because I know that you are amazing, and brave, and capable. I'm here right beside you to show you how much. I believe in you, even if you don't believe in yourself enough yet.❤️

#anxietyrelief #anxiouskids #anxietyinkids #anxiousteens #childanxiety #positiveparenting
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Boundaries aren't requests we make of them. They're the actions we take to keep them (and everyone else involved) physically safe, relationally safe, and to preserve values when they aren't able to.

The rule: Phones in the basket at 5pm.

The boundary: (What I'm going to do when you're having trouble with the rule.) 

'Okay - I can see you're having trouble popping your phone in the basket. I'm just going to sit beside you as a reminder that it's time. Take your time. I'll just watch over your shoulder until you're ready. So who are we texting? What are we watching?'

Or:

'I know you hate this rule. It's okay to be annoyed. It's not okay to yell. I'm not going to listen while you're yelling.' 

Then, 'This phones in the basket thing is chewing into our night when we start it at 5pm. We'll see how we go tomorrow and if it's bumpy, we'll shift to phones in the basket from 4:30pm. Let's see how we go.'

It's not a punishment or a threat. It's also not about what they do, but about what we do to lead the situation into a better place.

Of course, this doesn't always mean we'll hold the boundary with a calm and clear head. It certainly doesn't mean that. We're human and sometimes we'll lose our own minds as though they weren't ours to own. Ugh. Been there too many times. That's okay - this is an opportunity to model humility, repair, self-compassion. What's important is that we repair the relational rupture as soon as we can. This might sound like, 'I'm sorry I yelled. That must have been confusing for you - me yelling at you to stop yelling. Let's try that again.'❤️
Boundaries are about what WE do to preserve physical safety, relational safety, and values. They aren’t about punishment. They’re the consequences that make sense as a way to put everything right again and restore calm and safety.

When someone is in the midst of big feelings or big behaviour, they (as with all of us when we’re steamy) have limited capacity to lead the situation into a better place.

Because of this, rather than focusing on what we need them to do, shift the focus on what we can do to lead back to calm. 

This might sound like:

The rule (what we want them to do): Phones go in the basket at 5pm. 

The boundary (what we do when the rule is broken), with love and leadership: ‘I can see you’re having trouble letting go of your phone. That’s okay - I’m just going to sit beside you until you’re ready. Take your time. You’re not in trouble. I’ll just stay here and watch over your shoulder until you’re done.’

Or …

‘I can see this phones in the basket process is dragging out and chewing into our night when we start it at 5pm. If that keeps happening I’ll be starting this process at 4pm instead of 5pm.’

And if there’s a bit of spice in their response, part of being a reliable, sturdy leader is also being able to lead them through that. Even if on the inside you feel like you’re about to explode 🤯 (we’ve all been there), the posture is ‘I can handle this, and I can handle you.’ This might sound like,

‘Yep you’re probably going to have a bit to say about it. That’s okay - I don’t need you to agree with me. I know it’s annoying - and it’s happening.’

‘I won’t listen when you’re speaking to me like this. Take your time though. Get it out of you and then we can get on with the evening.’

Then, when the spicy has gone, that’s the time to talk about what’s happened. ‘You’re such a great kid. I know you know it’s not okay to talk to me like that. How are we going to put this right? Let’s yet 5pm again tomorrow and see how we go. If it causes trouble we’ll start earlier. I actually think we’ll be okay though.’♥️
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