A Safe Process to End a Toxic Relationship

A Safe Process to End a Toxic Relationship

Do you want to escape from a toxic relationship? You may feel trapped and worried, but there’s hope. You can get out of a negative relationship and move on with your life. You may even find love again quickly.

Try this process to escape a toxic relationship:

1. Start by asking yourself questions. The first step to ending a toxic relationship is to ask yourself several important questions.

• Are you ready to move on and end things with this person?
• Do you have emotional and financial support from family or friends to help you through this process?
• Have you tried to end things in the past and changed your mind? How can you prevent this from happening again?
• How will your life change after the relationship is over?

2. Decide on your next steps. Toxic relationships can vary a lot. You may be in a controlling or abusive situation. You may also simply feel trapped and unhappy in a negative situation that sucks the life out of you. Depending on the type of relationship you’re in, the next steps can vary.

• You may need to alert family and friends about your plans.
• You may need to put together a survival bag, separate your finances, or take other measures.
• If you have children, plan for their safety. Seek legal counsel to find out your rights and responsibilities for the state you live in.
• Make a list of everything you need to do and follow it.

3. Plan your break-up. You may want to ask a friend or family member to stay with you, or you may be able to do this on your own.

• Figure out the best way to have a conversation with your mate about ending things. You may want to use a public location if safety is a concern.
• Practice what you’ll say to your mate. You can write this down and say it in front of a mirror. You can also put the text on your phone to make it easier to remember.
• Remember to stay calm and confident throughout the planning stage.

4. Confront your mate. Once you’re done with the planning, give yourself a specific day to confront your mate.

• Put this date in your planner or schedule and stick to it. You may be tempted to ignore the set date, but it’s important to stay confident and go through with it.
• Stay calm when you talk to your mate. Don’t let your mate convince you to give it another chance if you know this will be dangerous.

5. Let your mate go. Avoid dragging out the break-up with your mate.

• Learn to let your mate go with ease and confidence.
• Don’t check on them on social media, respond to their texts, or read their emails.
• Instead, make it a clean break so you can move on with your life.

6. Figure out how you’ll handle the backlash. Unfortunately, people in toxic relationships may have a hard time letting you go quietly.

• How will you handle it if your ex calls your job and complains to your boss?
• What will you do if your ex annoys your family and friends?
• Are you prepared to handle gossip and rumors after the break-up?
• It’s important to keep a level head and not seek revenge as a response because it can only make things worse. Instead, figure out how to protect yourself emotionally and legally.
• Surround yourself with supportive and loving people who are on your side.

You can move on after a toxic relationship. The key is to free yourself and learn to love again. Avoid going back to your ex by constantly reminding yourself why you left in the first place.

For anonymous, confidential help available 24/7, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).

Gerald C. Anderson, Sr. is a published author with several novels under his belt. In 2015 he published, “Standing Firm (One Family’s Fight Against Domestic Violence)”. Standing Firm is a fictional novel about domestic violence. Click here to order your copy of Standing Firm today.