b'Life with MSTTooxxiiccRReellaattiioonnsshhiippss::HHoowwttoossppootttthheemm,,hhoowwttooeennddtthheemmSocial relationships are important to human 2. Negative communicationhealth and well-being. A variety of studies The person only has negative things to sayhave shown that strong social ties can actually on a regular basis. They may mock or belittledecrease stress-related illness and increase you or others, yell, or be frequently sarcastic.lifespan. On the other hand, loneliness and They may constantly complain, or they mayisolation can shorten life expectancy. In MS, be overly critical, picking at everything youresearch has demonstrated that better social do or say. support leads to improved quality of life, and 3. Patterns of disregardlower rates of depression and anxiety. For thisreason, cultivating and maintaining social They are frequently late, cancel plans withoutrelationships is important. However, not all agoodreason,orchangeplans withoutrelationships are healthy ones. Some are toxic. consulting you. They consistently prioritizeWhat are toxic relationships? their time and feelings over yours. Theyforget things youve asked them to do, orWhere healthy relationships oer support, not to do. You nd yourself not botheringcomfort, and improved well-being, toxic to share your feelings because you knowrelationships are characterized by negative they wont be heard or acted upon.feelings, conict, and lack of respect. They 4. They thrive on stresscan cause you to feel unhappy, lower your Thepersonmayseemtocreatedramaself-esteem, and drain your energy. In short, wherever they go. They might pick ghts,positive relationships build you up, and toxic always have to play devils advocate, orrelationships tear you down. conversely, always present themselves asToxic relationships can occur in any type of the victim of a story.relationshipromantic, familial, or friendship. 5. You feel negatively towards themRelationships that began as healthy onescan become toxic over time as people and Yound yourselfdreadingtalkingtoorcircumstances change. How do you know if seeing the person. You walk on eggshellsyourrelationshipistoxic?Herearesome around them. You hold resentment towardssigns to look for in your life: the way they treat you.1. Lack of support Of course, there are other types of toxicThe person will expect you to care about behavior, but these are a few common issuestheir concerns, but wont show an interest in relationships. If you see these issues inin your challenges. They may treat you as your relationships, what should you do?though your problems are trivial, of your Evaluate the relationshipown doing, or try to one-up you. They willnot oer you help, and when asked to help If you determine that one of your relationshipsmay do so grudgingly, if at all. All the eort has become toxic, the rst step is to evaluatein the relationship seems to come from you. how important that relationship is to you, tomsfocusmagazine.org 20'