Toxic relationships are very draining and not healthy for us or the people around us. There are disadvantages, so many that there are no advantages to a toxic relationship. A relationship shouldn’t be based on boredom or physical activities. You can like what they can give you, but that doesn’t need to be your whole relationship. It is mostly based on love and the emotional connection between two people.

“I hate to say a year, but it’s true,” freshman Roslyn Morgan said. “I was dumb and viewed it through rose-tinted glasses, per se, not considering how much it stressed me out.”

The first thing you should do is feel your emotions. Breaking up can hurt a lot, and it might make you want to go back. But, you are powerful. You can handle it. Take time for yourself. Focus on building yourself and your mental health back up. In any shape or form, you can not text them “Hi.” Try not to contact your old ex. This will make them think that you’re still into them, and you want them to think you’re fine on your own. This way, they don’t try to draw you back in. You will be more hurt back in the toxic relationship than keeping it broken it off.

“At first, I was upset, but I found someone who treated me right,” freshman Isaiah Hayden said. “So, I’m better after, and I learned a lesson.”

Try not to wait for closure because most likely they don’t care, and they are already moving on. You could wait years, and they still won’t apologize for the hurtful thing they said or did to you while in the relationship or even while you were talking to them.

“By telling him we need to break up,” sophomore Madison Claiborne said. “When we broke up, I felt better, and I went out with friends.”

Get new friends to hang out with and people that have a positive impact on you. This will help you have a strong support system throughout this hard time in your life. A toxic ex, or even just an ex, can get jealous over the smallest things. This is them trying to be controlling. When that jealousy starts to affect your mental health, then that’s when it is a problem.

There is no shame in talking about what you have been through. Dont be afraid to tell and explain what you have been through to others. You could help them see the red flags in their relationships. Also, please don’t blame yourself for them leaving or them acting the way they did. That isn’t your fault. That’s their fault. It is something that they need to work on and want to do for themselves.

“I was in the relationship for a month because I didn’t see the problem till the mouth was close by,” Claiborne said.

Be patient. Don’t rush to get back into a relationship, and don’t let others pressure you. Take your time to heal and make sure you’re okay. Otherwise, you’re just going to hurt more. Dating isn’t something you need in your life. It’s nice, but you don’t need someone else. Note the experience you had so you can notice the red flags and not have to go through a toxic relationship again.