If you’re dealing with a friend or partner who’s exhibiting some toxic traits, it’s always in your power to start a dialogue, set and enforce boundaries, and speak your truth. If you’re lucky, they may try to adjust their behavior in order to salvage the relationship.
However, Campbell says, there’s one major caveat: Truly toxic people usually don’t want to hear it.
While you could take the high road of tolerance and forgiveness, is it really worth it? According to Campbell, it’s often not, and many of us would be far better off walking away before any more damage is inflicted. For example, she says, “If you tell a toxic person where they’ve hurt you and you go to set a boundary, you’ve just given them information on where to further hurt you.”
She adds that if you’re someone who finds yourself in relationships like this a lot, you might be a sensitive and compassionate person who doesn’t want to “give up” on others or hurt their feelings. But what about when they hurt you? “You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your need to take care of yourself—get out sooner than later,” she advises.
