How To Heal From A Toxic Relationship

heal from emotional abuse

Can You Heal From A Toxic Relationship, Yes You Can

Not all relationships are made in heaven. The nicest people are often sucked into hurtful situations, they may have grown up and become used to them. We’ve been there so we know what it feels like to be hurting when you’re with someone who doesn’t treat you with love and respect. Don’t feel bad or discouraged if you find yourself in a toxic or abusive relationship. There is nothing to be ashamed of here. However, it’s important to stay away from abusive relationships, particularly after you get away! so, we put together some useful tips on how to heal and stay safe in the future.

These 5 Tips Will Help You Move On

You can heal from a toxic relationship and restore the you that used to be. Here’s how. Are you dwelling on a the grief of a toxic relationship lost? Sounds weird to say you miss a person who hurt you, but it’s all too true that we often miss the people who abused us. It’s not easy to get over relationships that we wanted and hoped would be nourishing and lasting. When bad relationships are over, for whatever the reason, we may feel so sad we tell ourselves it wasn’t so bad, even when it was. 
 
Feelings are not logical, if they were we would have only great relationships. So when a bully or narcissist is out of our lives at last, we may still miss the person we wanted to love. Wanting a positive outcome may linger for a while. It is only human. These distractions do work to heal from a toxic relationship.

Journal All Your Feelings

Writing helps to focus on what went wrong and what you want for the future. You can also write letters to your ex telling him/her your feelings and hurt, as long as you don’t send them. Journaling is better than complaining to friends. Journaling can also help you understand your part and how you will choose your loved ones in the future. Believe us when we say that expressing yourself on paper releases the bad and opens the door for good to enter.

Stick To The No Contact Rule

The end of a relationship can trigger a kind of desperation. You might want nothing more than to see or speak to your ex-partner. Perhaps you want to beg them to return, despite the fact they have nothing positive to offer you, or maybe you are fantasizing about starting an argument in which you let them know precisely how awful they’ve been.

Reaching out or responding to their messages might feel gratifying in the short term, but if you want to heal from a toxic relationship the only option is to go cold turkey. Stop talking to your ex, block them on social media, and don’t pick up the phone when they call. Use your friends to remind you why you have to stick to the no contact rule.

 Learn How To Spot Toxic People

Anyone who has survived a toxic or abusive relationship knows that learning how to identify energy vampires, narcissists, or anyone who doesn’t have your best interests at heart is a crucial life skill. 

Even if you don’t intend on getting into another relationship, this knowledge will still help you deal with other people in your life, such as colleagues and friends. 

Recover The Passions And Interests You Used To Have

Toxic relationships tend to be soul-destroying. They prevent you from doing the things you love. You spent all your time pleasing someone else. By the time you end a toxic relationship, you may have forgotten the old hobbies and passions you used to have. Now’s the time to rekindle those old loves. Remember when you loved to read, to hike, to play with animals, to volunteer, to spend time with loved ones and friends to go to movies.

You’re free. You can do all those things again. Break out of your sadness by exploring new interests and old ones. This distraction will remind you of the self you lost.

What Do The Experts Say

What you can do: If you catch on to this final stage, don’t expect an easy escape. Narcissists don’t like to admit defeat and will do anything to keep their victims under their control. They’re manipulation experts. Have steps set up to help yourself get away to safety. If you are in an abusive relationship or someone you know is, call the 24-hour National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-723. For more information, click here. Safety first. 

But what if you don’t want to leave? If you are married and determined to make the relationship work, I would recommend you check author Laura Doyle’s article on being happily married to a narcissist. She has some unconventional ideas that may help. Please keep in mind that we always recommend you put your safety first. And living with a narcissist can be dangerous both physically and emotionally.

More Articles To Read About Healing From A Toxic Relationship

How To Escape From A Narcissist

Boundaries That Help You Stop Being A Doormat

Moving on from a toxic relationship.

Toxic Friendship Quiz

What Happens When An Empath Falls For A Narcissist