How to Deal With Toxic People & Protect Yourself
How to Deal With Toxic People & Protect Yourself
Learning how to deal with toxic people is not an easy task. Toxic people can cause self-doubt and other problems in your personal and professional life. The closer the person is to you, their words and behavior will have a bigger impact on you.
When discussing toxic people, most people mention ex-boyfriends, old friends, and relatives they meet at family gatherings. How do you know whether a person is toxic or not? What can you do to protect yourself from a toxic person?
How to Identify a Toxic Person
If you know someone who is difficult and causes problems, they may be toxic. These people may stress and discomfort you and others while causing emotional and physical harm.
Toxicity is not a mental illness. However, a personality disorder or other underlying psychological issues may be the source of toxic behavior. These include posttraumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, and personality disorders such as narcissistic, bipolar, histrionic, and antisocial.
Inconsistency
Experiencing both positive and negative moments is a natural part of being human. However, a toxic person is rarely reliable, and they act in unpredictable ways. They never fulfill their promises or responsibilities. You never know where you stand with them or what they’re going to do next. Since toxic people are inconsistent, it can be hard to feel stable or secure in a relationship.
Seeking Attention
Have you noticed if this person constantly needs something from you? Toxic people always look for emotional support, whether through persistent phone calls, messages, or visits to your home. They will ask so much from you while they only provide a little in return.
Don’t Respect Boundaries
A person is toxic if you have repeatedly shared your boundaries with them, and they just cannot respect them. Trust and the capacity to respect limits are the cornerstones of healthy partnerships. For toxic people, that is just not an option.
Using Manipulation to Get What They Want
Are you feeling manipulated? To get what they want, toxic people take advantage of others around them. This might include lying, twisting the facts, exaggerating, or omitting facts to influence your behavior or opinion. Even if it means causing harm to others, they will stop at nothing.
How to Protect Yourself from Toxic People
The most important thing to understand is that you cannot change a toxic person. That is how most of us fall into these patterns. We expect that if we do this or say that, the person will become aware of their impact on others. A toxic person will not change because of others. They prioritize taking care of themselves above all else, and often they will not question hurting others in the process.
That is why it’s important to learn how to deal with toxic people and protect yourself from them.
Confront Them
Don’t keep quiet and wait for someone to change their toxic behavior on their own. Point out their contradictions or false promises. Express your disapproval of their actions. This will show them that you are not naive and that you will not allow this behavior. However, be sure to confront them and not try to convince them, as there is a huge difference between these two.
Suggest Seeking Help
You can’t help them, yet others can. You can direct them to helpful resources or suggest finding a therapist. Therapy can help them understand the causes of their actions and give them more effective coping mechanisms. However, if they refuse to acknowledge that they need help, don’t be surprised. Most toxic people will not be aware of how their behavior is affecting other people because they don’t care about it enough to think about it.
Establish Clear Boundaries
Establishing boundaries for the relationship you have with this toxic person will safeguard you, even if it could make you uncomfortable at the beginning. For instance, tell them that you won’t see them again until they stop drinking or using drugs. Don’t forget that the toxic person in your life will not be pleased with the boundaries you have set and will likely resist and attempt to instill guilt in you.
Control Responses
You have no control over other people, but you do have control over how you react to their actions. A toxic person frequently tries to elicit a negative reaction from you. Refrain from giving them it. It might be beneficial to rehearse your approach to a specific scenario in advance. Don’t let them control you or hold yourself responsible for their actions.
Prioritize Yourself
Maintaining your mental and physical well-being is crucial. Focus on wholesome and encouraging interactions with other people who are not toxic. If you can’t avoid interacting with this person, make sure all you do and say is in your best interest. Lastly, if it’s affecting you too much, consider talking to a mental health expert to learn to set limits and understand your position in this relationship.
In Final Words
It might be difficult to deal with toxic people, yet you can handle these circumstances more skillfully if you have support from your therapist. To manage a toxic relationship and enhance emotional resilience, professional therapists provide tailored advice and coping mechanisms.
Additionally, whether online or in person, an intern or coach can offer you insight and help you with advice. By using these resources, you may keep a more positive outlook and create useful coping strategies. This can also help you become more aware of the reason you’re staying close to this toxic person and gives you the strength to walk away from them and live a more fulfilled life.
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