Your relationships with other people are important, and in healthy relationships, these connections can offer a sense of security and comfort. They can provide opportunities for socializing and learning about yourself and can even boost your self-esteem and confidence. While these are all positive takeaways, toxic relationships can have the opposite effect.

Toxic people can be very draining on your emotional and mental well-being, and you might find yourself in dangerous situations. If you are concerned that you are in either a toxic romantic relationship, friendship, or with a family member, here are some suggestions to help you move away from this for the sake of your well-being.

Seek Professional Help

It isn’t always easy to identify whether you are in a toxic relationship with someone or not, especially if you and the individual in question are close. Manipulative people can also make you question your emotions and thought processes, leaving you confused or blaming yourself for the way that you feel.

If you are concerned that you might be in a toxic relationship, but you’re not sure, seeking professional help could benefit you. Speaking to a therapist who specializes in this field could offer you some insight. There are also helplines available if this is a preferable option for you at this time. They may also be able to discuss ways to deal with toxic people, such as the gray rock method.

Reach Out to Others

In some toxic relationships, you may have found that the toxic person you have been dealing with has isolated you from other loved ones over the time you have been involved with one another. This isn’t always the case, but it can happen in certain circumstances. This can make the idea of reaching out to friends or family hard, particularly if you are worried that they won’t respond to you.

You might also feel embarrassed about the state of your relationship or unsure how to explain things. It is important to reach out to other people you can trust and who love you, however. Although these conversations might be difficult at first, having support in place to help you move away from the toxic individual in your life will be crucial and will make this transition much easier for you.

Trust Your Instinct

This isn’t always easy when you have been dealing with a manipulative person, but that gut feeling is there for a reason. Even if you might not be able to articulate those feelings at first or struggle to pinpoint what is bothering you, if something doesn’t feel right, you need to follow your instinct.

If you are being made to feel uncomfortable in any way, this is a sign that your boundaries are being crossed. When this happens, do what you can to put distance between yourself and this other person. The more space you have away from them, the easier it will be to understand your emotions and identify your needs.

Toxic relationships are never easy to navigate, nor are they always easy to identify at first. If you are dealing with a toxic person in your life, use these tips as a starting point to help you move away from them and end these unhealthy connections.