| p>For someone in a toxic relationship, or with a | | | | us of impending physical, emotional, and spiritual |
| history of being involved in toxic relationships, | | | | danger. It is important to begin to reactivate our |
| breaking away is often very difficult. If you've gotten | | | | awareness of these instincts. Start with noting in |
| involved and attached to someone who struggles | | | | your body how you feel around certain people and |
| with damaging personal issues - addiction, abusive | | | | situations. Are you relaxed, peaceful, and safe? Or |
| tendencies, and cheating behavior, for example - the | | | | are you agitated, anxious, or shamed around others? |
| result is often a lowered sense of self worth, feelings | | | | This may be telling you what you need to do and |
| of incapability or inferiority, or even doubts about his | | | | who you should move toward or away from. |
| or her own perceptions of reality. This can make the | | | | 2. Avoid contact with your ex, and/or other people |
| prospects of going it alone seem overwhelming, and | | | | that your instincts tell you might be toxic. Your toxic |
| there may be that voice in the back of your head | | | | ex partner will likely employ the same tactics which |
| that wonders if you really deserve this treatment. If | | | | have worked on you to this point to either draw you |
| you've realized that you are in a toxic relationship and | | | | back into the relationship, or at least maintain some |
| want to stay out, or avoid them in the future, here | | | | control. You need time and space to heal and |
| are the last 2 of 4 steps to keeping yourself clear of | | | | reprogram the negative messages that came from |
| these types of relationships: | | | | the actions and words of your toxic ex partner. The |
| 1. Get back in touch with your instincts and red flag | | | | same goes for new people you meet that activate |
| warnings. Sometimes when we are in a toxic | | | | your red flag responses. Be very cautious with these |
| relationship, we learn to push aside and ignore the | | | | people, and consider avoiding contact if you feel |
| warning bells that are going off all the time to warn | | | | fragile or vulnerable. |