According to Marla Ahlgrimm, toxic relationships can and do have an impact on your mental and physical health. The negativity, stress, and anxiety involved in maintaining these relationships takes its toll in many ways.
Mental Health
For your mental health, Marla Ahlgrimm says that toxic relationships can trigger depression and anxiety. The feeling of constantly being on edge, having to walk on proverbial eggshells, or bracing for criticism (or worse) can weaken your mental health.
Being in a negative situation can also chip away at your self-esteem. When you’re constantly led to believe that you aren’t good enough, you begin to believe it’s true. Marla Ahlgrimm says that this can cause issues in other parts of your life, including relationships with friends and family and your job as well.
Seriously toxic relationships can even cause PTSD. If you experience violence and constant negativity, it can take months to years to fully recover.
On the reverse side of this coin, healthy relationships can improve your mental health. When you have a partner that you can rely on for emotional and other types of support, you are more at ease in life. You have a rock to lean on when things get tough and a partner to enjoy life with during the good times.
Physical Health
As if mental health problems weren’t bad enough, Marla Ahlgrimm says that toxic relationships can actually harm your immune system. Remember, stress can weaken your body’s defenses and make it more susceptible to illnesses. It’s also possible to experience headaches, stomach pains, and systemic fatigue and discomfort, which is also triggered by stress.
As you continue to live in a toxic and stressful environment, Marla Ahlgrimm says that you may also experience high blood pressure, sleep problems, issues with concentration, and chronic fatigue.
Solid relationships, by contrast, can have a positive effect on your health. One example here is that you and your partner may be more active together by walking, exercising, or exploring as a couple.
Other Concerns
A toxic relationship can lead to social isolation. This is when your partner insists that you withdraw from friends and family. You may also do this to protect your partner, says Marla Ahlgrimm.
Financial problems are also common in toxic relationships. If your partner is controlling, manipulative, or completely un-trusting, they may want to follow every dollar and accuse you of money mismanagement, cheating, or other imagined slights. Marla Ahlgrimm says one of the first signs of this is questioning your bank transactions.
A negative relationship may also lead to substance abuse. Marla Ahlgrimm says this is common, especially people who grew up in addicted households and believe that drugs and alcohol can numb the pain.
You don’t have to live in a toxic environment. Marla Ahlgrimm says that there is help. A few resources available to you include:
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The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
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- The National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE
- The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)
- The American Psychological Association: https://www.apa.org/
Remember, you are not alone. There are people out there that want to help. When you can’t help yourself, Marla Ahlgrimm says to contact one of the organizations above.
