150 Toxic Relationship Quotes To Help You Heal

What is a famous quote about toxic relationships?

on October 27, 2023

Read time: 10 mins

Toxic relationships can leave you feeling drained, diminished, and trapped. The journey to healing, growth, and self-discovery often begins with realizing the truth about your relationship dynamic.

To help your healing process, we have compiled 150 toxic relationship quotes to empower you to move on. These quotes will resonate with those who have felt the sting of a toxic relationship and inspire strength to find the peace and happiness everyone deserves.

What is a toxic relationship?

A toxic relationship is characterized by behaviors and patterns that are unhealthy or damaging to one or both parties involved. While most relationships can have ups and downs, toxic or unhealthy relationships are persistently draining.

Research shows that toxic relationships can actually worsen anxiety and stress disorders, with another study showcasing how these negative relationships can directly affect your health — even leading to unhealthy coping behaviors such as alcohol abuse.

When you’re deep in an unhealthy dynamic, it’s hard to spot signs of a toxic relationship. However, there are usually a number of red flags that alert you to the presence of a toxic partner. For example, these dynamics feature generally a lack of respect as well as various forms of control or manipulation that diminish your self-worth and self-esteem.

Sometimes toxicity can evolve into an abusive relationship, with emotional abuse escalating to physical abuse. Depending on the severity of the situation, you may need professional help in order to safely remove yourself from the situation — for the sake of your mental health.

What is the difference between a toxic relationship and a normal relationship?

Toxic relationships and healthy relationships vary greatly in terms of dynamics, communication, respect, and the overall well-being of the individuals involved.

While healthy relationships enhance the lives of the individuals involved, fostering growth, happiness, and stability — toxic or poisonous relationships do the opposite. These dynamics are filled with hostility, negativity, and fear, and are not sustainable even in the short term.

Why does a toxic relationship hurt so much?

Even when you recognize all the red flags of a toxic relationship, why is it so hard to walk away?

Toxic relationships can cause intense emotional pain and turmoil, but due to manipulative tactics, this complex dynamic keeps drawing you in — as you might believe their critique and think that you can’t do any better.

Due to this complex interplay of emotional, physiological, and even physical factors, it’s incredibly emotionally damaging. The betrayal of trust, erosion of self-worth, unmet emotional needs, and loss of personal identity can leave you in a terrible place when the relationship comes to an inevitable end.

Even though it may not make sense to anyone else, walking away can feel like the most painful thing. However, despite what they say, you’re better off without them.

150 toxic relationship quotes to help you move on

As hard as it is, walking away from a toxic relationship is one of the most important steps you will ever take. And it goes without saying, that you should be proud of yourself for having the strength to do so.

With lashings of self-love and empowerment, we hope that these inspirational quotes provide you with the wake-up call you need to realize you deserve better.

Or if you have recently walked away from an unhappy marriage, to give you the peace of mind that you made the right decision.

“When you get out of it, you realize how toxic it actually was.” — Steve Maraboli
“Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.” —- Steve Maraboli
“Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness.” — Steve Maraboli
“You can spend many years thinking you’re worthless. But you’re not worthless. You’re underappreciated.” — Steve Maraboli
“Don’t confuse “familiar” with “acceptable”. Toxic relationships can fool you like that.” ― Steve Maraboli
“Let go of those who keep weighing you down.” ― Steve Maraboli
“If they do it often, it’s not a mistake; it’s just their behavior.” — Steve Maraboli
“Blocking, unfollowing, muting, and unfriending also lead to “happily ever after.” — Steve Maraboli
“Sometimes trying to fix them, breaks YOU.” ― Steve Maraboli
“Letting go of toxic people is an act of self-care.” — Karen Salmansohn
“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
“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
“Do not hold your breath for anyone, do not wish your lungs to be still” — John Mark Green
“Don’t be a sacrificial lamb on the altar of his rage. Don’t play the martyr to his hate. You can never save someone by letting them destroy you. That’s not love, it’s relational suicide. Save yourself instead. Get out while there’s still time.” — John Mark Green
“You make me feel like a firefly. Trapped in a bell jar; starved for love.” — Ayushee Ghoshal
“When you notice someone else’s toxicity, it’s time to move on” — Bryant McGill
“Toxic relationships are dangerous to your health; they will literally kill you. Stress shortens your lifespan. Even a broken heart can kill you.” — Bryant McGill
“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
“You create more space in your life when you turn your excess baggage into garbage.” — Chinonye J. Chidolue
“A bad relationship can do that, can make you doubt everything good you ever felt about yourself.” ― Dionne Warwick
“We teach people how to treat us.” — Dr. Phil
“It’s better to be healthy alone than sick with someone else.” ― Dr. Phil
“Love should not make you feel like walking on eggshells.” — Emma Xu
“You take your power back by letting people go.” ― Emma Xu
“You must allow yourself to leave. Even if breaking your own heart, Is what it takes to let you breathe.” — Erin Hanson
“Let things come and go. Stay calm, don’t let anything disturb your peace, and carry on.” — Germany Kent
“When dealing with toxic people, they always choose distance over disrespect.” ― Germany Kent
“In order to reach your highest potential, it is imperative that you remove all negative people from your life.”― Germany Kent
“As you begin to walk away from negativity and toxic people, it will inspire you to embrace positivity and your life will become more rewarding and fulfilling.” — Germany Kent
“You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It won’t happen automatically.” — Joel Osteen
“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
“There are people who bring you down by just being them. They need not do anything.”― Malebo Sephodi
“No partner in a love relationship… should feel that he has to give up an essential part of himself to make it viable.” ― May Sarton
“Don’t settle for a relationship that won’t let you be yourself.” ― Oprah Winfrey
“The person who doesn’t value you is blocking you from the one who will.”―Robert Tew
“Toxic relationships will make even the strongest person feel helpless and alone at times.” — Robert Tew
“You don’t have to stay in a toxic relationship just because there was once love there.” — Robert Tew
“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
“You don’t ever have to feel guilty about removing toxic people from your life.” — Daniell Koepke
“They kill your positive spirit and play with your mind and emotions. The only cure is to let them go.” — Dennisse Lisseth
“You can love them, forgive them, want good things for them…but still move on without them.” – Mandy Hale
“Toxic people will pollute everything around them. Don’t hesitate. Fumigate.” ― Mandy Hale
“A healthy relationship doesn’t drag you down. It inspires you to be better.” ― Mandy Hale
“It takes a heartbreak to shake us awake & help us see we deserve so much more than we're settling for.” — Mandy Hale
“At some point, you have to realize that some people can stay in your heart but not in your life.” ― Tara Westover
“The moment you realize you deserve better, everything will change.” — Unknown.
“You have to speak to be heard, but sometimes you have to be silent to be appreciated.” — Unknown
“Sometimes, we must grow outside of the environment where we've been planted.” — Farrah Gray
“When you leave behind the familiar, you create the conditions necessary for you to succeed.” — Les Brown
“If you walked away from a toxic relationship, you won. You've reclaimed your peace and freedom.” — Unknown
“Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious.” — Anna Taylor
“Respect yourself enough to say 'I deserve peace,' and walk away from people or things that prevent you from attaining it.” — Jerico Silvers
“Never love something so much that you can't let go of it.” — Ginni Rometty
“Healthy love never requires you to sacrifice your dreams, your dignity, or your happiness.” — Vironika Tugaleva
“Toxic people spread negativity. Loving people spread love and peace.” — Debasish Mridha
“Healing from a toxic relationship isn't about forgetting; it's about forgiving yourself for loving the wrong person.” — Unknown
“The first step to loving yourself is to stop allowing people to behave with you in a way that you do not love.” — Suzy Kassem
“Never regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s an experience.” — Victoria Holt
“Sometimes the hardest part isn’t letting go but rather learning to start over.” — Nicole Sobon
“The only thing more exhausting than being in a toxic relationship is pretending you're not in one.” — Unknown
“Some of the most poisonous people come disguised as friends and family.” — Unknown
“A toxic person will never change. They just change victims.” — Unknown
“What's broken is broken — and I'd rather remember it as it was than mend it and see the broken places as long as I lived.” — Margaret Mitchell
“Relationships are worth fighting for, but sometimes you can't be the only one fighting.” — Unknown
“Not everyone you lose is a loss.” — Unknown
“I will not allow anyone to walk in my mind with dirty feet.” — Mahatma Gandhi
“You survived what you thought would kill you. Now straighten your crown and move on like the queen you are.” — Unknown
“When someone shows you their true colors, believe them the first time.” — Maya Angelou
“You are allowed to terminate toxic relationships. You are allowed to walk away from people who hurt you.” — Daniell Koepke
“Stand up for yourself. Never let anyone convince you that you don't matter.” — Unknown
“Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.” — Tony Robbins
“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
“Holding on is believing that there’s only a past; letting go is knowing that there’s a future.” — Daphne Rose Kingma
“Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.” — Jonathan Lockwood Huie
“Let go of what has passed. Let go of what may come. Let go of what is happening now. Don’t try to figure anything out. Don’t try to make anything happen. Relax, right now, and rest.” — Tilopa
“Embrace uncertainty. Some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives won’t have a title until much later.” — Bob Goff
“Sometimes God closes doors because it’s time to move forward. He knows you won’t move unless your circumstances force you.” — Unknown
“You can’t change someone who doesn’t see an issue in their actions.” — Unknown
“Growth is painful. Change is painful. But, nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you do not belong.” — N. R. Narayana Murthy
“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” — Will Rogers
“You are strong when you know your weaknesses. You are beautiful when you appreciate your flaws. You are wise when you learn from your mistakes.” — Unknown
“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” — Christian D. Larson
“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.” — Rikki Rogers
“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” — Margaret Thatcher
“Resilience is knowing that you are the only one that has the power and the responsibility to pick yourself up.” — Mary Holloway
“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” — Rumi
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“You are enough just as you are.” — Meghan Markle
“Becoming acquainted with yourself is a price well worth paying for the love that will really address you.” — Rainer Maria Rilke
“Who you are is not up for debate.” — Kate Fagan
“The effect of toxic people is never simply contained. It’s insidious, penetrating, and destructively far-reaching.” — Unknown
“You can’t change a toxic person, but you can change how you deal with them.” — Unknown
“Don’t set yourself on fire to keep others warm.” — Penny Reid
“People appear like angels until you hear them speak. You must not rush to judge people by the color of their cloaks, but by the content of their words!” — Israelmore Ayivor
“Sometimes it’s not the person who changes; it’s the mask that falls off.” — Unknown
“The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” — Henry Ward Beecher
“Happiness is not by chance, but by choice.” — Jim Rohn
“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.” — Mother Teresa
“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.” — Jim Rohn
“Life is too important to be taken seriously.” — Oscar Wilde
“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim.” — Harvey Fierstein
“Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy.” — Robert Tew
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
“Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them.” — Aristotle
“Self-respect is the cornerstone of all virtue.” — John Herschel
“The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.” — Morrie Schwartz
“The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.” — Diane von Furstenberg
“The heart will break, but broken live on.” — Lord Byron
“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.” — Lucille Ball
“Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.” — Tori Amos
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs
“You were born with everything you need to answer the call of your soul.” — Marie Forleo
“Your past mistakes are meant to guide you, not define you.” — Ziad K. Abdelnour
“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.” — Nido Qubein
“Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” — Steve Jobs
“The only real wisdom is knowing you know nothing.” — Socrates
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” — Alan Watts
“Turn your wounds into wisdom.” — Oprah Winfrey
“Wisdom comes from experience. Experience is often a result of lack of wisdom.” — Terry Pratchett
“We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.” — Marcel Proust
“Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.” — Wayne W. Dyer
“Inner peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions.” — Pema Chödrön
“Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace.” — Robert J. Sawyer
“You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level.” — Eckhart Tolle
“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” — Dalai Lama
“You must be strong enough to know that love will come to you when you are ready. You must be strong enough to know when to say goodbye, and know that letting go is not weak.” — Marisa Donnelly
“Sometimes, the only way to save your sanity is to let go of a toxic relationship. Your well-being is worth more than holding on to something harmful.” — Sharon Salzberg
“People inspire you, or they drain you. Pick them wisely.” — Hans F. Hansen
“Don’t let a toxic person change how good you are.” — Karen A. Baquiran
“Sometimes the person you’re most loyal to is the one who needs to go.” — Tony Gaskins
“Don’t allow someone who did you wrong to rob you of a better future by holding on to what happened.” — Rachel Wolchin
“I will not try to convince you to love me, to respect me, to commit to me. I deserve better than that; I am better than that. Goodbye!” — Steve Maraboli
“Releasing toxic people from our lives is only allowing room for a new flow of positivity. You don't have to toxic people for them to grow.” — Chinonye J. Chidolue
“If the person you’re in a relationship with is unfaithful or abusive, it’s not a sign that they don’t love you. It’s a sign that they don’t love themselves enough to treat you right.” — Cassandra Clare
“Sometimes we have to let go of what's killing us, even if it's killing us to let go.” — Unknown
“When you leave a toxic relationship, you're not leaving something behind. You're moving towards something. Towards healing, happiness, and a fulfilling life.” — Karen Salmansohn
“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.” — J.P. Morgan
“Removing yourself from a toxic relationship is self-care, and that is not selfish.” — Charles Orlando
“Burning bridges? Nah, that takes too long. I’ve upgraded to explosives.” — Alfa
“Toxic relationships are like good pasta that has been overcooked.” — Asa Don Brown
“Sometimes, your heart needs more time to accept what your mind already knows.” — Unknown
“Don’t let toxic people infect your day. Acknowledge the infection and work to heal it, but don’t let the person who caused it hold any power in your life.” — Danielle Koepke
“Toxic relationships are like glass, sometimes it’s better to leave them broken than hurt yourself trying to put it back together.” — Unknown
“When someone shows you their true colors, don’t try to paint a different picture.” — Tony A. Gaskins Jr.
“Some people are going to leave, but that’s not the end of your story. That’s the end of their part in your story.” — Faraaz Kazi
“You don’t have to feel guilty about removing toxic people from your life. It doesn’t matter whether someone is a relative, romantic interest, employer, childhood friend, or new acquaintance. You don’t have to make room for people who cause you pain or make you feel small.” — Cheryl Strayed
“Don’t let negative and toxic people rent space in your head. Raise the rent and kick them out.” — Robert Tew
“Toxic people will not be changed by the alchemy of your kindness. Yes, be kind, but move on swiftly and let life be their educator.” — Brendon Burchard
“What's broken is broken, and I'd rather remember it as it was than mend it and see the broken places as long as I lived.” — Margaret Mitchell
"Embrace the courage to walk away from anything that doesn't serve you, grow you, or make you happy. Your worth isn't negotiable." — Unknown.