Community Wellness Classes @ High Point Public Library (Topic: Toxic Relationships)

This weeks topic is toxic relationships. A toxic relationships is one that is emotionally, physically, or mentally damaging to one or both people involved due to controlling, manipulative, or abusive behaviors. This can leave individuals feeling drained, unsupported, and insecure, and can negatively impact mental health, leading to stress, anxiety, or depression. Common signs include constant criticism, jealousy, dishonesty, gaslighting, and isolation from friends and family. A few examples are when someone reports they cannot express painful emotions within a relationship because "nobody wants to hear that” or nobody want to be around someone if they are sad, angry or in a lot of pain. The second example is when someone interacts in a relationship by only expressing anger, pain, and sadness. Some key characteristics: emotional damage (self-esteem, feeling unvalued, devalued, or misunderstood), harmful behaviors (pattern of control, manipulation, and emotional abuse which includes constant criticism, gaslighting, or dishonesty), powe…