Toxic Relationships

When you hear about toxic relationships, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? To most, it’s about couples. However, it is not.

Toxic relationships can develop among everyone and anyone: family, friends, coworkers, teammates, classmates, etc. Name any existing bond you know of, and (sadly) there’s a way for it to turn into a toxic relationship.

First things first, though: there are differences between a toxic relationship and an abusive one. In a toxic relationship, there’s no physical violence, just as there’s not always a victim-abuser dynamic. In fact, it’s common that both parties are detrimental to each other, what’s worse, some toxic relationships aren’t born out of negatives emotions, such as hate and spite.

To name a recent case as an example:

I have a friend which is in a toxic friendship. Recently, that friend attacked me because I was trying to make a point in a (written) discussion, and the person I was disagreeing with was their toxic buddy.

I didn’t use harsh words, nor called anyone names, all I did was explain my point of view on the situation. But my friend attacked me anyways and ruined everyone’s fun (we were planning our next roleplay when the argument broke), in order to ‘protect’ his buddy. From what I don’t know, because I wasn’t attacking anyone.

I’ve got depression and anxiety, so trust me: I know how it is to be sensitive on some topics. I’m the type of person whose emotions hurts. Literally. Angers causes me stomach pain to the point I’m pretty sure that, at the very least, I’ve got an ulcer by now.

But to be sensitive to the point of taking offense on everything, and then have your friend fight everyone and coddle you every-single-time?

Formerly, I thought dearly of said person, but after the ensuing events and leaning of how he treated my best friend behind my back, I… honestly, have never been so disappointed in anyone since my Dad.

To make it worse, this friend of mine was dating my best friend, who was understandably done with this kind of crap. It wasn’t me– this situation had been happening for over a little three years, it seems.

My bestie tried to be a cool boyfriend, thought he was being paranoid at first and continuously put effort in getting along with Toxic Buddy, but this person only kept antagonizing him; eventually, it led to this person behaving as if my best friend killed their firstborn or something, and of course my friend in all his fool glory was too blinded to listen to their partner.

I’ll never understand it– making an enemy out of everyone for just one person, and seeing this unfold without stopping it? No matter how you put it, this kind of behavior will only lead to unhappiness.

Well, that’s just my opinion.