Relationships can be challenging even in the best of circumstances. When substance use disorders (SUD) or mental health issues are a factor, relationships can become highly strained or even toxic. SUD and, to a lesser degree, mental health concerns are identified as family diseases because they have an impact on everyone in a family, not just the affected individual.
One of the most commonly recognized dysfunctional relationships is codependency. Relationships, particularly within families, are essential to our functioning. Toxic relationships threaten our sense of well-being.
At The Ranch, we understand the devastating and potentially lasting impact of toxic relationships Our family therapy program in Nashville provides a safe, supportive environment for clients and their families to identify and heal damaged relationships. Call 1.844.876.7680 to learn how we can help.
Types of Toxic Behaviors in Relationships
Toxic relationships can occur in almost any environment, from school to work to home. Any relationship that negatively affects your emotional, psychological, or physical well-being, including making you feel demeaned, disrespected, misunderstood, attacked, or otherwise unsafe or unsupported, can be considered toxic.
Common toxic behaviors in relationships can include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Verbal abuse – Belittling, insulting, intimidating, or constantly criticizing another to undermine their self-esteem
- Gaslighting – Making another person doubt their memories, perceptions, or sanity by twisting truths or denying facts
- Manipulation – Manipulating another to get your own way through exploitation, lying, guilt, or other means
- Possessiveness and jealousy – Constantly monitoring another’s behavior or making false accusations based on unreasonable jealousy and distrust
- Controlling behaviors – Excessively monitoring another’s activities, dictating what they can and cannot do, or isolating them from friends and family
- Blame shifting – Refusing to take responsibility for one’s actions and blaming another for adverse outcomes
- Emotional blackmail – Using fear, guilt, or a sense of obligation to control another’s decisions and actions
- Neglect – Ignoring another’s feelings, physical needs, emotional needs, or general well-being
Toxic relationships are further characterized by dishonesty, financial control, using punishment as a form of control, inconsistent behavior, unpredictable moods, and a general lack of respect. Threats of violence or acts of violence are clear indications of a toxic relationship. Identifying toxic behaviors is the first step toward resolving them. However, professional help may be required for effective resolution.
Understanding Codependent Relationships
In a codependent relationship, a significant power imbalance exists between a “giver” and a “taker” or between a codependent and an enabler. The codependent person has low self-esteem and a strong desire for approval, which the enabler uses to control and manipulate them. The codependent constantly strives to please the enabler out of fear of rejection or abandonment.
Additional characteristics of codependent relationships include:
- Excessive caregiving – One person has a compulsion to help or fix the other person even when unnecessary or inappropriate and detrimental to their own needs.
- Control issues – One person tries to control the other, often in subtle or manipulative ways.
- Lack of boundaries – Blurred or non-existent boundaries lead to difficulty saying no, feeling overwhelmed, and being taken advantage of.
- Emotional dependence – One person relies entirely on the other for support and emotional validation and feels frustrated and resentful when these are not reciprocated.
- Dysfunctional communication – One or both parties may use passive-aggressive behaviors, silent treatment, and conflict avoidance instead of direct communication.
The codependent person will go out of their way to please others at the expense of their happiness and well-being and struggle to assert their wants and needs. The codependent person enables the other’s negative behaviors, such as addiction, by making excuses for them, covering for them, or taking responsibility for their mistakes.
Call The Ranch for Family Therapy in Nashville
Codependency is complex and can be difficult for those who are in a codependent relationship to recognize. Codependency has biological and psychological foundations that can be connected to family history and childhood experiences. At The Ranch, we rely on evidence-based family therapy to help clients and their families identify and heal unhealthy relationships like codependency. Call 1.844.876.7680 or complete our online form to begin your healing journey today.
