Can A Toxic Person Make You Sick?

Yes, a toxic person can make you sick. Interpersonal relationships—whether as a couple, friendship, or family—have a profound impact on our physical and psychological health. Furthermore, some studies have shown that the presence of a toxic link can trigger a “fight or flight” reaction constantly, which has adverse effects on our health.

If this survival mechanism remains active for too long, chronic stress results. can weaken the immune system and cause the body to be more susceptible to physical and mental illnesses. Additionally, prolonged exposure to toxic behaviors can erode your self-esteem and self-confidence. To avoid it, we recommend reading this article on Toxic People: Characteristics and How to Treat Them.

Toxic people often exhibit negative, selfish, and manipulative behaviors. Therefore, the consequences of being with these “emotional vampires” can be devastating and affect both your mental and physical health.

chronic stress

One of the main consequences of being with a toxic person is chronic stress. The continued release of the stress hormone cortisol not only affects mood, but can have serious physiological effects, such as headache, digestive problems increase in blood pressure, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, the constant presence of stress can lead to anxiety and depression.

Anxiety and depression

A toxic person can make you you constantly feel nervous, insecure and down. In fact, repeatedly distrusting your abilities and the absence of emotional support can leave you feeling hopeless and deeply sad. In other words: exposure to negative and abusive behaviors can lead to anxiety and depression disorders.

Low self-esteem

A truly toxic person can destroy the self-esteem of those around them. To do this, they resort to criticism, manipulation, devaluation and emotional abuse, in a way that you feel useless, incapable and unworthy. These feelings, in turn, can affect your self-care and work performance, undermine your ability to make healthy decisions, and erode your bonds.

Problems with your links

As we have said before, being in a relationship with a toxic person can affect your other relationships. And the toxic person can create an environment where you depend solely on it, isolating you from your friends and family. A toxic person can not only make you sick, but can distance you from important and valuable relationships for you.

Impact on your physical health

The impact of stress and emotional distress caused by a toxic person can manifest in physical problems, such as sleep disorders and even autoimmune diseases. Additionally, prolonged stress can accelerate aging, and increase vulnerability to infections and/or chronic diseases.

For all these reasons, if you want to identify a toxic person and how to act, don’t miss this article on Types of toxic people.

Distancing yourself from a toxic person is a brave and necessary act to protect your personal well-being. However, it is a process that often It takes time, effort and resilience. We provide you with some guidelines to prevent a toxic person from making you sick.

Recognize your toxic behavior

Without a doubt, the first step to distance yourself from a toxic person is recognize that their behaviors hurt you. Talking badly about yourself behind your back, having a constantly negative attitude, not taking your feelings and limits into account, lying, devaluing, controlling and isolating you from other people are some of the techniques that toxic people use.

Set limits

Once you have accepted that the other person harms you with their actions and attitudes, establish clear limits and comply with them. These limits They are essential to protect your emotional integrity and psychological. They can range from reducing the time you spend with her to refusing to engage in harmful or manipulative conversations.

Also, be discreet with these types of people, as they can use your trust to nullify or harm you. Remember that the people who love you will be happy about your success and will be there to support you in times of difficulty.

Walk away or end the relationship

In some cases, the healthiest option will be completely distance yourself from the other person. This step can be very difficult, especially if the person is your partner, a family member, or a childhood friend. However, your happiness and well-being must be your priority. Precisely, in this article you will see How to get away from toxic people.

Seek support

Talk to your friends or family to get a fresh perspective on the situation. Also, the support of the people who love you can give you the strength to walk away of the toxic person. In fact, did you know that just as there are people who make your mood worse, there are also those who make it better? They are known as “vitamin people.”

However, if you detect that the separation or breakup with the toxic person is going uphill, perhaps it is time to visit a mental health professional. A therapist will provide you with the tools and strategies necessary to regain your self-love and heal your wounds.

Prioritize your health

As you have seen, a toxic person can make you sick. So, once you have distanced yourself, it will be time to recover everything you lost. Do sports frequently, improve your eating habits, rest, reduce time on social networks, try new activities and, if necessary, go to therapy.

This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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