101 Toxic Relationship Quotes to Remind You You're Not Alone

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Toxic relationships are not something that anyone wants for themselves, and yet, it happens. If you’re in a toxic relationship or looking to get out of an unhealthy relationship, these toxic relationship quotes may help remind you that you are not alone.

Relationships should be a source of joy and happiness, and if yours isn’t, it might be time to take a closer look. Not every bad relationship is a toxic relationship, but as you read through these toxic relationship quotes, you’ll know which ones apply to you.

Everyone deserves happiness in their relationships, whether they are family, friend, or romantic relationships. If these toxic relationship quotes feel a little too familiar to you, then you’ll know it might be time to move on from the toxic relationships in your life.

Toxic Relationship Quotes

A couple sits back to back, upset with one another. — Quotes about toxic relationships can help you feel less alone.

“Love should not make you feel like walking on eggshells.”― Emma Xu
“Don’t light yourself on fire trying to brighten someone else’s existence.”― Charlotte Eriksson
“Letting go of toxic people in your life is a big step in loving yourself.”— Hussein Nishah
“Love cannot live where there is no trust.”– Edith Hamilton
“If you walked away from a toxic, negative, abusive, one-sided, dead-end, low vibrational, relationship or friendship – you won.”– Lalah Delia
“We all have that toxic people around us that make our lives miserable… The day we take them out from our lives, we will all become better people; including them…”― Rodolfo Peon
“When being in a toxic relationship in life at times you may have to step outside yourself, to see yourself, so you can find yourself and love yourself again.”―Angel Moreira
“I seem to be torn between ‘I wish we’d met earlier’ and ‘I wish we’d never met’.”― Ahmed Mostafa
“We should fight for our relationships, but if fighting means ripping yourself to shreds and piggybacking all his demons, you need to leave.”― Tara Love
“Just because someone desires you, does not mean that he values you.”—Julianne Cantarella
“Oh what an ill fate it was that has made me love that man.”― Iris Murdoch
“Life is too short to hang around people who are causing you to compromise. Pulling you down. Your time is too valuable to waste with people who don’t have a dream. People that aren’t going anywhere. You don’t need to make some big announcements, but little by little, you should spend less time with them. ― Joel Osteen
“Losing will not always amount to a loss, sometimes you have to lose those toxic relationships and bad habits to create a space for better things.”― Gift Gugu Mona
“If there is a particular person in your life that is repeatedly choosing not to honor you and is causing you more sadness or pain than they are joy – it might be time to release that friendship back to God and trust that it is not where you belong.”– Mandy Hale
“Consistency is genuinely improving yourself to become a good match for those with whom you are in relationships while distancing yourself from people when their actions become too toxic.”― Dexter A. Daniels
“You make me feel like a firefly. Trapped in a bell jar; starved for love.”― Ayushee Ghoshal
“Toxic people attach themselves like cinder blocks tied to your ankles, and then invite you for a swim in their poisoned waters.”― John Mark Green
“A bad relationship can do that, can make you doubt everything good you ever felt about yourself.”― Dionne Warwick
“A bad relationship is like standing on broken glass, if you stay you will keep hurting. If you walk away, you will hurt but eventually, you will heal.”―Autumn Kohler
“If you’re in a relationship and all you do is cry, you need to stop and ask yourself, are you dating a human or an onion?”― Karen Salmansohn
“Don’t allow someone not worth it to have the power to occupy your thoughts.”― Donna Lynn Hope
“Just because someone is your family doesn’t mean you have to keep them around if they are toxic or abusive. Don’t let people guilt you.”― Winnie Nantongo
“Some people live in cages with bars built from their own fears and doubts. Some people live in cages with bars built from other people’s fears and doubts; their parents, their friends, their brothers and sisters, their families. Some people live in cages with bars built from the choices others made for them, the circumstances other people imposed upon them. And some people break free.”― C. JoyBell C.
“It’s better to be healthy alone than sick with someone else.”― Dr. Phil
“It’s amazing how someone can break your heart and you can still love them with all the little pieces.”― Ella Harper
READ NEXT: Top 10 Relationship Green Flags for a Healthy Relationship
“Oh what an ill fate it was that has made me love that man.”― Iris Murdoch
“Dear Self: Stop re-opening your doors for toxic people, then calling it ‘seeking closure.’ Certain things don’t work out in life… And that’s ok.”— Reyna Biddy
“When it comes to abuse, you believe there’s no way out. There is always help. There is always a way out.”― Rev. Donna Mulvey
“I know people can be awful dooms for each other.”― Iris Murdoch
“How you choose to feel today should not be dependent on others.”― Anthon St. Maarten
“Don’t settle for a relationship that won’t let you be yourself.”― Oprah Winfrey
“I burned my bridges so the devil couldn’t follow me.”― L.M. Browning
“There must come a time when your love for yourself becomes more important than your need to hold onto the pain of your past.”― Karen Salmansohn
“It was strange, really. A couple of months ago, I had thought I couldn’t live without him. Apparently I could.”― Gabrielle Zevin
“When you get out of it, you realize how toxic it actually was.”– Steve Maraboli
“We’ve all loved someone way too freaking much.”— Karen Salmonsohn
“It is better for someone to break your heart once by leaving your life, than for them to stay in your life and break your heart continually.”–Terry Mark
“The only way to win with a toxic partner is not to play.” – Unknown
“May you reach that level within, where you no longer allow your past or people with toxic intentions to negatively affect or condition you.”― Lalah Delia
“Do not hold your breath for anyone. Do not wish your lungs to be still. It may delay the cracks from spreading. But eventually they will. Sometimes to keep yourself together, You must allow yourself to leave. Even if breaking your own heart, Is what it takes to let you breathe.”― Erin Hanson
“You can’t change someone who doesn’t see an issue in his actions.” – Unknown
“Fire False Friends as early as possible. Do it before they dig out the dream seeds you’ve planted! The earlier, the better; the quicker, the safer!”―Israelmore Ayivor
“Forgiveness is a personal process that doesn’t depend on us having direct contact with the people who have hurt us.”― Sharon Salzberg
“Don’t let your loyalty become your slavery.” ― Karen Salmansohn
READ NEXT: 10 Relationship Red Flags to Watch Out For, According to Therapists
“A real relationship is two-way.”– Sophie Kinsella
“It is only when we no longer compulsively need someone that we can have a real relationship with them.”– Anthony Storr
“Clutter is not just physical stuff. It’s old ideas, toxic relationships and bad habits. Clutter is anything that does not support your better self.”– Eleanor Brown
“Release the toxic and infectious spreaders of misery, souls destroying souls and poisonous liars. Awaken from the hallucinations and take back your heart. Reclaim your self-esteem and leave the toxic be.”– Giorge Leedy
“If you keep pretending you’re not hurt, how can you heal? True love doesn’t expect you to deny you’re in pain.”― Zara Hairston
“In order to reach your highest potential, it is imperative that you remove all negative people from your life.”― Germany Kent
“Make sure you’re not saying ‘It’s complicated’ when it’s actually TOXIC. The more words it takes you to explain your relationship, the less healthy it probably is.”― Steve Maraboli
“Even if toxic people are right about what is “good,” they are wrong if the approach is not healthy.”– John Lewis Lund
“You can love them, forgive them, want good things for them…but still move on without them.”– Mandy Hale
“My encouragement: delete the energy vampires from your life, clean out all complexity, build a team around you that frees you to fly, remove anything toxic, and cherish simplicity. Because that’s where genius lives.”– Robin S. Sharma
“Who has time for toxic relationships? If someone isn’t honoring your feelings, it’s not a real relationship. If you feel drained after spending time with someone, that’s a red flag!”– Doreen Virtue
“Toxic people defy logic. Some are blissfully unaware of the negative impact that they have on those around them, and others seem to derive satisfaction from creating chaos and pushing other people’s buttons.”– Travis Bradberry
“Don’t let Negative and Toxic people rent space in your head. Raise the rent and kick them out.”– Zig Ziglar
“Know your worth and please don’t invest in toxic people or relationships, because any bond that requires servicing is not worth your time.”– Masaba Gupta
“Many people get into a relationship as a way to compensate for something they lack or hate within themselves. This is a one-way ticket to a toxic relationship because it makes your love conditional – you will love your partner as long as they help you feel better about yourself.”– Mark Manson
“He would hurt me and make the hurt my fault. So no matter who got hurt, I was to be blamed, always.”― Namrata Gupta
“Removing toxic people from your life can repay you in scores of holistic wealth.”― Keisha Blair
“Keeping bad company is like being in a germ-infested area. You never know what you’ll catch.”― Frank Sonnenberg
“When you are finally able to see and understand the toxicity you have been surrounding yourself with, they will do everything in their power to make you out to be the evil one.”― Christine E. Szymanski
“When you notice someone does something toxic the first time, don’t wait for the second time before you address it or cut them off.”― Shahida Arabi
“You don’t let go of a bad relationship because you stop caring about them. You let go because you start caring about yourself.”– Charles Orlando
“Relationships based on obligation lack dignity.”— Wayne Dyer
“Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got.”―Robert Brault
“One’s dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but it can never be taken away unless it is surrendered.” ― Michael J. Fox
“Don’t judge yourself by what others did to you.”― C. Kennedy
“The person who doesn’t value you is blocking you from the one who will.”―Robert Tew
“Just say no to complicated, dead end, unhealthy, and toxic relationships.”―Stephanie Lahart
“You create more space in your life when you turn your excess baggage to garbage.”― Chinonye J. Chidolue
“At some point you have to realize that some people can stay in your heart but not in your life.”― Tara Westover, Educated
“I mean, if the relationship can’t survive the long term, why on earth would it be worth my time and energy for the short term.”― Nicholas Sparks
“Like arsenic, toxic people will slowly kill you. They kill your positive spirit and play with your mind and emotions. The only cure is to let them go.”— Dennisse Lisseth
“Staying in an unhealthy relationship that robs you of peace of mind, is not being loyal. It is choosing to hurt yourself mentally, emotionally, and sometimes, physically.”– Kemi Sogunle
“You’ll never be good enough for the wrong person.”― Steph Social
“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.”― C.G. Jung
“There are only two kinds of people who can drain your energy: those you love, and those you fear. In both instances, it is you who let them in. They did not force their way into your aura, or pry their way into your reality experience.”―Anthon St. Maarten
“The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.”― Ernest Hemingway
“We can deeply love our poison. We can love the taste of it, the scent of it, the comforting weight of it in our belly and find ourselves woken in the night with stabbing cramps, arms around porcelain toilet bowls, hurling every last bit until collapsing on bathroom tile, limp from dehydration. Sometimes parting with love is essential for survival. I’ve found the most tragic aspect of losing loved ones wasn’t the big boom of the fallout, but realizing later how much healthier I was without them.”― Maggie Young
“When he’s the last thing you need, he’ll drain you. He’ll exhaust you. He’ll destroy you. And you won’t see it that way. In fact, you won’t notice it at all. But everyone else will.”― Kirsten Corley
“Toxic relationships are dangerous to your health; they will literally kill you. Stress shortens your lifespan. Even a broken heart can kill you. There is an undeniable mind-body connection. Your arguments and hateful talk can land you in the emergency room or in the morgue. You were not meant to live in a fever of anxiety; screaming yourself hoarse in a frenzy of dreadful, panicked fight-or-flight that leaves you exhausted and numb with grief. You were not meant to live like animals tearing one another to shreds. Don’t turn your hair gray. Don’t carve a roadmap of pain into the sweet wrinkles on your face. Don’t lay in the quiet with your heart pounding like a trapped, frightened creature. For your own precious and beautiful life, and for those around you — seek help or get out before it is too late. This is your wake-up call!”― Bryant McGill
“Wasting time with the wrong person is just time wasted.” ― Greg Behrendt
“We’re taught that in life, we should try to look on the bright side, to be optimistic. Not in this case. In this case, look on the dark side. Assume rejection first. Assume you’re the rule, not the exception.” ― Liz Tuccillo
READ NEXT: Top Signs of an Unhappy Marriage (and how to make it better)
“Thinking of you is a poison I drink often.” ― Atticus
“It’s one thing if a person owns up to their behavior and makes an effort to change. But if a person disregards your feelings, ignores your boundaries, and continues to treat you in a harmful way, they need to go.” — Daniell Koepke
“The wise do not consider the chains and shackles of jail to be the toughest restraints. The chains of attachment are the strongest of the ties that bind.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
“Know your worth and move on.” – Unknown
“A broken heart bleeds tears.” — Steve Maraboli
“You picked a lemon, throw it away lemonade is overrated. Freaks should remain at the circus, not in your apartment. You already have one asshole. You don’t need another. Make a space in your life for the glorious things you deserve. Have faith.” ― Greg Behrendt
“You will evolve past certain people. Let yourself.” – Mandy Hale
“You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It won’t happen automatically. You will have to rise up and say, ‘I don’t care how hard this is, I don’t care how disappointed I am, I’m not going to let this get the best of me. I’m moving on with my life.’” – Joel Osteen
“It is far better to be alone than to be in bad company.” – George Washington
“Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself.” – Deborah Reber
“Lots of things can be fixed. Things can be fixed. But many times, relationships between people cannot be fixed, because they should not be fixed. You’re aboard a ship setting sail, and the other person has joined the inland circus, or is boarding a different ship, and you just can’t be with each other anymore. Because you shouldn’t be.” – C. JoyBell C.
“Sometimes we must undergo hardships, breakups, and narcissistic wounds, which shatter the flattering image that we had of ourselves, in order to discover two truths: that we are not who we thought we were; and that the loss of a cherished pleasure is not necessarily the loss of true happiness and well-being.” – Jean-Yves Leloup
“Until you let go of all the toxic people in your life you will never be able to grow into your fullest potential. Let them go so you can grow.” – DLQ
“Sometimes it takes heartbreak to shake us awake and help us see we are worth so much more than we’re settling for.” – Mandy Hale
“Poisonous relationships can alter our perception. You can spend many years thinking you’re worthless. But you’re not worthless. You’re underappreciated.” – Steve Maraboli
“The wrong person will give you less than what you’re worth but that doesn’t mean that you have to accept it.” – Sonya Parker

Two children lay with their heads on a table while parents fight behind them. — These quotes about toxic relationships can remind you that toxic relationships are unhealthy for everyone involved.

If you’re feeling like these toxic relationship quotes hit a little too close to home, know that you deserve a healthy relationship. It’s never too late to make moves to remove yourself from a toxic relationship, whatever kind of relationship it is. Life is too short to spend unhappy. You’ve got this!