Really Crass - This Is What Happens to Your Body in a Toxic Relationship!
Some relationships are actually toxic. They can have a negative impact on both your psyche and your physical well-being. If the relationship is toxic and has a negative effect on your psyche, your body may react accordingly, since mind and body are closely connected. Often, psychological suffering is expressed through physical symptoms. From a medical point of view, the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol are responsible for this effect. If there is an increased release of both hormones, digestive problems and muscle tension can result. The disharmony between two people is often noticed at the beginning of a relationship, but then perhaps ignored. In retrospect, one then realizes that the first impression was the right one. Of course, other influencing factors can always be responsible for strange gut feelings. In general, however, your body is able to react directly to its environment and to people, and is able to send the appropriate signals. Sometimes it takes time for the mind to grasp what has long been clear to the subconscious. Your body is able to foreshadow this knowledge from the beginning. People affected by toxic relationships often show physical symptoms which cannot be explained by medical diagnostic procedures. The symptoms of a toxic relationship can even continue and manifest themselves beyond the end of the relationship. In many cases, those affected suffer long-term consequences. But what exactly happens to your body when you are in such a toxic relationship? Find out in this article.
1. Autoimmune Issues
Over the course of a toxic relationship, your body can react with autoimmune issues. These may include skin reactions, inflammation, or aching limbs. Beyond this, medical examinations usually fail to find any other causes. This quickly drives patients to despair since initially no targeted treatment can be prescribed for their symptoms. So it is necessary to look more closely at the person, their relationships, and their environment in order to find the causes. However, the person in question is not always aware that he or she is in a toxic relationship. Sometimes the emotional abuse only comes to the surface with the appearance of various symptoms of illness.
2. Exhaustion
Many people who are in a toxic relationship suffer from increased fatigue and exhaustion over time. Yet this state is often even desirable for the abuser, as it reduces resistance. People who offer only weak resistance, or no resistance at all, can be controlled more easily. Relationships are also often characterized by continuous ups and downs. High phases constantly alternate with abusive situations. Then there is an alternating release of adrenaline and cortisol in stressful situations and, on the other hand, of dopamine as soon as there is a reward situation. However, cortisol and adrenaline levels basically become permanently elevated. Therefore, it is not unusual that physical reactions develop over a long time. Visually, this can also often be seen in the face. Those affected suffer from dark circles under the eyes or have haggard facial features. Once they have left the toxic relationship, patients begin to glow again and their zest for life returns.
3. Memory Lapses and Speech Problems
Your body can also react to a toxic relationship with memory lapses and speech problems. This is because it is constantly on alert, and you are always planning exactly what to say and how to act. Your body is therefore permanently in a state of stress. Many patients find it difficult to concentrate on a book and retain new information. Gaps in memory also frequently become widespread. During the acute phase of the toxic relationship, these symptoms are usually particularly pronounced. Your mind is trying to determine what is wrong and what is causing the abuse. Your mind cannot see why other people do not have the same need for harmony. Their objectives seem to be completely different. Often it is the knowledge of the discrepancy that leads to an "aha" moment. With the end of the relationship, self-confidence then returns as well as one's own freedom of opinion. Many patients first have to learn again to speak freely with other people, without questioning themselves and weighing every word. After all, for a long time they were used to always having to expect the worst as soon as they said or did something that was not appropriate or right in the eyes of the abuser.
4. Hormones and Digestion.
When your body is exposed to an increased amount of stress for an extended period of time and both adrenaline and cortisol accumulate to higher levels, food intolerances, among other things, can set in. The ongoing anxiety causes the hormones that cause the flight and fight responses to skyrocket. In practice, however, this hormone power is not used. As a result, your body starts to fight back against itself. Affected people often have to restore their physical balance long after the relationship is over.
5. Intuition and Gut Feeling
From many therapy interviews, it appears that victims had a bad gut feeling from the very beginning and met the perpetrator with antipathy. Patients repeatedly report that they had the feeling that something was wrong. However, they usually cannot find any rational explanations for this. As a result, the so-called trauma bond develops. Rejection suddenly turns into attraction. The perpetrators can often be very charismatic people. After the first uneasy feeling, your own perception often becomes blurred. However, you should listen to your first gut feeling, which, at the beginning, is still unbiased and not otherwise manipulated by the abuser.
6. Tension
Another typical symptom in such toxic relationships is muscle tension. Should you notice that you are suffering from muscle tension, then you should see this as the first warning sign. At this point it is exactly the right moment to closely listen to yourself and try to find out if your gut feeling and subconscious have perhaps already received the first warning signals that have not yet reached your mind. That's it for today.