
My heart's crippled by the vein that I keep on closing They try to pull me away, but they don't know the truth Yet everyone around me thinks that I'm going crazyīut I don't care what they say, I'm in love with you Yet I know that their goal is to keep me from fallingīut nothing's greater than the risk that comes with your embraceĪnd in this world of loneliness, I see your face Their piercing sounds fill my ears, try to fill me with doubt Trying hard not to hear, but they talk so loud This is when you need to gather the strength to cross that line between the “comfort zone”– if we may call it that– and a new life. Because when one person is about to leave the relationship, the toxic person might become even worse in an attempt to keep their partner by their side. More than a struggle with someone else, it's a struggle with yourself, as well as your beliefs, feelings, and even fears. That’s what makes toxic relationships so difficult to walk away from.

Or sometimes it's just the fear of being alone.


For instance, some of the thoughts that can make someone stay are that they won’t find anyone better, that they can work things out, that they can “change” them. There are also other personal factors that can determine whether someone stays in a toxic relationship or not. When we’re in love, our brain releases hormones such as dopamine (the hormone of pleasure) and serotonin (the “mood stabilizer” par excellence), so being in a toxic relationship is like being addicted to a drug: you know the “side effects” can destroy you, but you remain dependent because of the few benefits. Why would anyone stay with someone who lessens, abuses, and makes them suffer? Well, it's not that simple: most of the time, our feelings aren't logical. From an outside perspective, toxic relationships don't make any sense.
