toxic relationship psychology

What Are the Signs of a Toxic Relationship? — When Love Starts to Feel Like Self-Betrayal

People ask what are the signs of a toxic relationship as if toxicity is obvious—shouting, cheating, manipulation, chaos. But most toxic relationships don’t start with fireworks; they start with softness. A person who seems gentle. A bond that feels intense. A connection that feels fated. You don’t realize what’s happening until your nervous system is trained to expect unpredictability, until your self-worth is conditioned to survive on crumbs, until your love becomes a negotiation you have with pain. The real signs of a toxic relationship aren’t loud—they’re subtle. They show up as emotional erosion, confusion, tension in your chest that you call “love,” and a version of you that becomes smaller every month.