5 Reasons Toxic People Only Intensify Your Anxiety

1. They only bring you down

Toxic people want others to feel exactly how they feel. Unhappy and miserable, just to name a few.

Intentionally or not, they will bring you down with hurtful comments, constant sarcasm, derogatory statements, and passive-aggressive behavior.

They may claim they’re joking or that you’re too sensitive, but your gut knows better.

Negative words can wreak havoc on your self-esteem. This can increase your anxiety as your stress levels rise.

You must find ways to walk away from people like that, even if it means cutting them out of your life for good. They are not worth your energy.

SEE ALSO: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LOVING A PERSON WHO SUFFERS FROM ANXIETY

2. They manipulate you

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Manipulation is a type of power for the toxic person and their need to control people. They have a way of twisting your words.

They make you feel guilty if you don’t do what they ask or if you don’t agree with their point of view.

Feelings of guilt are common for an anxious person and a toxic person seeks to maintain the balance of power by convincing you that you are wrong. That you should feel guilty.

It is not your responsibility to bear the burden of someone else’s problem. Don’t allow a manipulative person to intensify negative feelings. You are not a failure!

SEE ALSO: 5 EARLY ANXIETY SYMPTOMS THAT GO UNNOWED

3. Toxic people drain your energy

If you are in a toxic relationship, a toxic job, or a toxic environment, negativity will drain your energy to the point of exhaustion. This can affect your health and emotional well-being, further increasing your anxiety.

No matter what you do, no matter how attractive you become in your relationship, your partner is unlikely to change.

SEE ALSO: 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY TO SOMEONE WHO SUFFERS FROM ANXIETY

If you try to keep your head down and get on with your work, the toxic work environment is unlikely to change. The only change that will happen is you. You will become someone you don’t even recognize anymore.

Trust your intuition and jump ship. You’ll do yourself a favor instead of staying, drowning in toxicity.

4. They make you feel mediocre

Negativity breeds negativity. Toxic people are adept at bringing out the worst in you. If you’re spending time with toxic people who just want to create drama, then it’s only going to kill you.

As human beings, we are social beings who emulate the behavior of others. To avoid making your anxiety worse, limit the time you spend with a toxic “friend” or family member.

MANDATORY READING: ANXIETY – TURBULENT MINDS AND RESTLESS BODIES: CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT

Invest time with positive people who want to see you happy and you will start to feel a difference in your mental and emotional well-being.

5. Toxic people want to see you lose

Anxiety manifests itself in insecurity. You constantly question yourself about what you are capable of doing. A toxic person feeds on those feelings that you don’t think you’re good enough.

As your anxiety starts to subside and you start to recognize your self-esteem, a toxic person doesn’t applaud you for it. They are not rooting for you and your improvement. They are most satisfied when you feel lost and confused.

Toxic people hate to see you overcome life’s challenges because in their minds it means you won and they lost.

It’s not an easy process to remove toxic people from your life, but for your own mental well-being, it is an absolute necessity.

Try to create some distance between you and these toxic individuals. You will create a happier life for yourself.

SEE ALSO: SOCIAL PHOBIA: WHEN ANXIETY AND FEAR CONTROL YOUR RELATIONSHIPS