Thursday 12 April 2018

Toxicity Be Gone: An Introduction to Toxic People

The topic of toxic people is something I've been thinking about lately, so I thought I'd do a four part series entitled, "Toxicity Be Gone," that will explore this subject in a bit more detail. Here is what I am thinking in terms of the posts of this series:

1/ An Introduction to Toxic People
2/ Toxic Acquaintances and Co-Workers
3/ Toxic Friends
4/ Toxic Family Members

Basically the series will address the toxic individuals that fall in the general outermost to innermost social circle for most people.


Welcome to post #1: An Introduction to Toxic People

So...toxic people. Oh man, where to even begin? They are the worst. But before I go further, let me clarify what I mean by someone who is "toxic."

When I say that someone is "toxic" I am not talking about a physical toxicity they have or a smelly person, but an emotional and mental toxicity they exude on those around them. Most of us know people like this; those who take more than they give, those that suck the life out of us, those that leave us feeling either exhausted or like shit (or both!) after our interactions with them, or those who always seem to leave us wondering, "Why did I act that way?" or "Why did I say that?" or "What was I thinking?!" when reflecting on the interaction at a later time.

Needless to say, these people are not those who I would consider to be "life-giving" because they are literally the opposite: toxic people are "life-draining" because they are TOXIC.

The most accurate way to identify whether or not someone in your life is a toxic for you is to ask yourself how they make you feel. Are you constantly feeling crappy and horrible after interacting with this person? Do you feel like a complete ass after spending time with them? Do you feel completely exhausted after having to interact or deal with this person? Do you dread having to spend time with them?

If you answered yes to any (or all!) of these questions, the person you are thinking about is likely a toxic one for you. Even if the person don't realize it themselves (chances are they won't because they are generally so self-absorbed so they would lack insight into how they are making you feel), they are poisonous so you need to protect yourself from their poison otherwise their toxicity will make you sick (or even sicker than it already has). 

Over the next few posts I'll share some examples from my own experience with toxic people as well as some ways to deal with them that I've learned and found helpful in hopes that you will find them helpful too. First things first though, stay away from toxic people as much as possible. They are no good for you because this is the thing with toxic people: they are really only out for themselves and they ultimately have no regard for your own sanity or mental health.

It's time to clean house and release yourself from their clutches. It's time to get your mental health and sanity back after being under their toxic influence(s) for too long. It's time to clear out the toxins in your life (with toxic people being one of them). It's time...