Your relationship is supposed to bring happiness and a sense of fulfillment into your life. It should be your source of genuine contentment and safe haven. And when it comes to your partner, they should be your greatest support. Your biggest cheerleader. Your crying shoulder. Your best friend.

But if the relationship you’re currently in has recently started feeling more like a burden to you or prison instead of a safe haven or paradise, this may be a sign that you’re in a relationship with someone toxic. Of course, you should be aware of how you treat your girlfriend too, and whether your behavior makes your relationship thrive or harms it.

However, if you know that you’re doing your best to protect your relationship and make it thrive, then it’s likely that it’s your partner’s fault that your relationship is headed in the wrong direction. Since recognizing that you’re dealing with a toxic girlfriend may not always be easy, in what follows, we’ve presented 20 warning signs you’re in a relationship with a toxic girlfriend that gift-wraps her controlling behavior, toxicity, and insecurities in affection and love.

20 Signs Of A Toxic Girlfriend That Might Be Hard To Recognize

1. She’s Not Honest

Honesty is an essential ingredient of any healthy and successful relationship. However, honesty is a virtue that toxic people lack.

So, if your girlfriend has the habit of making all kinds of blatant excuses and telling you ‘white lies,’ which may appear harmless, but in fact can harm a relationship, to justify herself whenever you catch her in a tight spot, this indicates that honesty is the last thing you can expect from her.

Being in a relationship with someone who’s not honest makes you wonder if they’re honest about their feelings for you and intentions and plans when it comes to the future of your relationship, which can drain you out.

2. She Tries To Isolate You From Your Loved Ones

Does your girlfriend have the habit of throwing temper tantrums, acting like a spoiled kid, or even crying and emotionally blackmailing you whenever you have to go out and hang out with your friends or family?

If your answer is yes, know that this isn’t a good sign. This is how clingy people behave, and clinginess is one of the main personality traits of toxic individuals.

3. She Counts Your Mistakes

We all make mistakes, right? But we also try to correct them and make it up to the person we’ve done wrong. However, dating a toxic girlfriend means dating someone who is constantly keeping score of all the mistakes you’ve made and all the fights, whether minor or bitter, you’ve had and she uses every opportunity that might arise to remind you of them, which causes you to have the same fights time and time again.

Being in a relationship with someone who often criticizes you and repeatedly makes you carry the baggage of their resentment is a clear sign you’re dating a toxic person.

4. She Doesn’t Respect Your Needs

One common sign that reveals you’re in a relationship with a toxic person is if your needs are always disregarded. If your girlfriend makes your physical, emotional, financial, or social needs feel unimportant and constantly prioritizes her needs over your own, this is a clear sign you’re dealing with a toxic girlfriend.

5. She Doesn’t Reciprocate Your Efforts

One of the most common signs that reveal you’re dating a toxic girlfriend is if she expects you to be the only one doing all the hard work in your relationship. She might have set high standards for you and have unreasonable expectations of how you should treat but refuses to follow the rules she applies to you.

Being in a relationship with a girlfriend that is only interested in taking and never in giving is a telltale sign your relationship is toxic.

6. She Makes An Elephant Out Of A Fly

Does your girlfriend have a tendency to exaggerate and make things more serious than they really are? Let’s say, she asked you to throw out the garbage and you forgot. Or she wanted to eat ice cream for dessert and you bought her a chocolate cake. Or she wanted to go to a particular party but you couldn’t accompany her because you had to finish an important project at work.

Well, when you’re in a relationship with someone who is supportive, forgiving, and understands your needs, things like these are not a big deal. But when you’re dating a toxic person, they may feel like the end of the world. So, if your girlfriend has the habit of throwing a hissy fit and making you feel incompetent, or even stupid whenever you forget to do something she asked you to do or make a mistake, take this as a sign that she’s toxic.

7. She Often Displays Controlling Behaviors

Does your girlfriend like telling you what people you should hang out with, what clothes you should wear, what goals you should set for yourself, what diet you should follow, how much alcohol you’re “allowed” to drink, or even what career you should pursue?

If your answer is yes, take this as a sign that she is toxic, as toxic individuals enjoy controlling every aspect of other people’s lives.

8. She Acts Like She’s Always Right

Toxic people don’t like admitting their mistakes and taking responsibility for their actions. They may hurt your feelings, lie to you, or manipulate you, but they’ll never admit doing that.

Sentences such as “I’m sorry,” “I know I shouldn’t have told you those things, and I feel horrible about that,” or “Please, forgive me,” are something you’ll never hear come out of their mouths. Because, in their view, whatever they say and do, they’re always right. They know the best. They’re perfect.

So, if your girlfriend fits this description, this is a sure sign she is toxic.

9. She’s Never There When You Need Her The Most

A toxic girlfriend can text you or call you a thousand times a day, or even appear at your door if she needs your support or help with something. But when it’s you who want to vent your frustrations, share your problems, or talk about how you spend the day at work, she’ll withdraw emotionally and become distant. A toxic girlfriend is never there when you need her support or help.

10. She’s Overly Critical

Offering your partner constructive criticism since you have their best interests at heart and you want them to become the best version of themselves is normal and a good thing. But it’s a totally different story when you are constantly nagging your partner about their flaws, insecurities, or annoying habits. This is not constructive criticism. It’s unjustifiable and hostile criticism that’s designed to undermine and belittle the other person.

So, if your girlfriend frequently criticizes you for your weaknesses and that criticism is accompanied by a fair amount of resentment and sarcasm, this is a sure sign of toxicity.

11. You Constantly Have To Prove Yourself To Her

Any healthy and successful relationship is built upon a foundation of mutual trust. But in order to know that you can have absolute trust in your partner, it doesn’t mean that you need to secretly check their phone or constantly ask them about their whereabouts and who they are spending time with.

This is exactly what toxic females do. A toxic girlfriend will have a hard time trusting you, which is why you’ll often find her accusing you of lying and being unfaithful.

So, if the woman you’re dating fits this description and expects you to constantly prove your loyalty to her, this is a telltale sign she’s toxic.

12. She Doesn’t Respect Your Need For Privacy

Have you ever caught your girlfriend going through your emails, checking your phone, or eavesdropping on your conversations with your friends? Does she insist that you spend time with her 24/7?

If you answered with a yes, know this is an unmistakable sign of toxicity. Since when you’re dating someone who is genuinely nice, compassionate, supportive, and truly cares about you, they’ll respect your need for privacy. They’ll understand that you need space to do things you enjoy doing, and they won’t expect you to devote all of your attention to them.

13. She Has Frequent Mood Swings

I’m not referring to the mood swings women have when having PMS. A toxic girlfriend has mood swings on a daily basis, often without any obvious reason. The moment you say something she doesn’t like or do something she doesn’t appreciate, she becomes grumpy and upset. And you end up apologizing, even for things that are not your fault, and trying to make it up to her somehow. Well, that’s exactly how a toxic girlfriend wants you to behave.

14. She Insults You

When dating a toxic person, it’s not uncommon to start having low self-esteem and feel like a total loser who can’t do anything right due to the way the toxic person talks to you. To win an argument or when she’s running out of excuses, a toxic girlfriend will begin saying hurtful things to you. She’ll make snide and sarcastic comments about your vulnerabilities, fears, and flaws. Toxic people often display this type of behavior.

15. She Doesn’t Follow The Same Rules She’s Set For You

You can be quite sure you’re in a relationship with a toxic girlfriend if she has double standards. For instance, she may insist that you stop hanging out with your female friends while she keeps hanging out with her male friends. Or she may insist that she know all of your passwords on social media and emails but she has no intention of allowing you to know hers.

If this is how your girlfriend behaves, take this as a sign you’re dealing with a toxic person.

16. She Avoids Being Intimate With You As A Way To Punish You

Let’s say you’ve said or did something that hurt her feelings, which can often happen when you’re dating a toxic individual. The question is: Does she have an open conversation with you so as to tell you how your actions made her feel or does she keep quiet about it and become distant and cold?

If your girlfriend withdraws and becomes cold and distant and avoids being intimate with you whenever you make a mistake, fail to fulfill a promise you made, or do something that hurts her feelings, this is a sure sign she’s toxic because this is how toxic and manipulative girlfriends tend to behave. A toxic girlfriend will stonewall you and give you the silent treatment until you figure out what it was you did that upset her, apologize, and make it up to her.

17. It’s Her Way Or The Highway

Do you have the impression that your girlfriend always gets her way? Whether it’s deciding what movie to watch on Saturday night or what step you should take next in your career, her opinion always prevails.

Dating this type of woman can be overwhelming, draining, and frustrating since she makes you feel unheard, unimportant, and invisible. She makes you feel like you’re inferior to her. A relationship with such a woman is bound to fail sooner or later.

18. She Doesn’t Appreciate You

One telltale sign that shows a person truly loves you and cares about you is if they go out of their way to make you feel cherished and appreciated.

But when you’re dating a toxic female, you don’t get to feel this way since she takes you for granted. You never feel appreciated for all the things, whether small or big, you do for her. You rarely hear the words, “Thank you,” “Oh, you’re so kind,” or “That’s very thoughtful of you.” Even if she expresses gratitude or appreciation for something you did for her, there’s a reason behind that – she’s acting nice just because she wants to get something from you.

19. She Wants To Always Have You Around

She may pick fights with you or give you the silent treatment, but she can’t stand when you’re not around. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to spend quality time with your partner and have them around when you need help or emotional support, it’s very unhealthy when you feel the need to constantly have them around. As we already said, clinginess is one of the most common traits of toxic people.

20. She Considers You The Only Source Of Her Happiness

Of course, in healthy relationships, it’s normal for partners to want to make each other happy, content, and fulfilled. It’s normal for them to complete and complement each other. However, when you’re in a relationship with someone toxic, things are a little bit different. A toxic girlfriend will make you the main focus of her life and depend on you for her happiness. And if you fail to live up to these expectations, she’ll see this as a betrayal.

How Do You Break Up With A Toxic Girlfriend?

Unless a romantic relationship makes you feel happy and emotionally fulfilled, what’s the point of staying in one? Moreover, staying in a toxic relationship can negatively affect your self-esteem and overall health. So, if you’re dating a toxic girlfriend and you’ve done everything in your power to encourage her to change and see how her actions affect you, and yet nothing has changed, so you’re now considering putting an end to the relationship, here are several ways you can break up with her:

• Cut off all communication with her and take the time you need to process the breakup and heal.
• If you can’t abruptly end things with her, distance yourself gradually from her.
• Before you break up, think about all the things you want to say to your girlfriend and how you want to say them so that you avoid creating any ambiguity regarding the status of your relationship.
• Once you’ve decided that you need to end the relationship, don’t put it off.
• Stick to your decision to end the relationship and don’t let her make you change your mind about it if she tries to.
• Break up in person.
• Make sure you have reliable support after you break up with her. To deal with the negative emotions and pain following the breakup, it’s important and comforting to know that you have someone by your side that is there for you and will help you come to terms with the breakup and move on.
• In order to leave the toxic relationship in your past and move on with your life unaffected by it, it’s essential to forgive your partner and yourself as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Toxic Behaviors?

Over the course of life, we get to meet different types of people. Some are nice, compassionate, and caring. They exude positive energy and bring happiness and a sense of fulfillment into our lives. Others are inauthentic, envious, judgmental, and manipulative. They do nothing but hold us back, cause problems in our lives, and prevent us from being happy and the best version of ourselves. These behaviors are rightfully considered toxic since they negatively affect our well-being and mental health.                                                                                                                          

Toxic behaviors have the power to make you feel stressed, mentally and physically drained, and suck the happiness out of you. Knowing how to deal with people that display toxic behaviors can help protect your overall health and change the way you perceive and interact with those around you.

What Is Toxic Behavior In A Relationship?

Undeniably, all couples experience difficulties in their relationships and go through ups and downs. When you’re in a healthy relationship, having disagreements and arguments from time to time is normal. However, in this type of relationship, both partners are willing to put in the work for their relationship to succeed, openly discuss any issues that may appear, make important decisions together, and enjoy being around each other.

When you’re in a relationship with someone who shows toxic behaviors, well, that’s a completely different story. In this type of relationship, you may often feel stressed, overwhelmed, and drained when around your partner or after spending time with them. You might even dread the thought of spending time with them due to the way they make you feel and the constant arguments you have.

In what follows, we’ve presented the most common toxic behaviors in a relationship.

1. Toxic Communication

Being in a relationship with someone you have toxic communication with means that the majority of your conversations are characterized by heavy criticism or sarcasm and fueled by hatred.

So, if you’ve often caught your partner making snide or sarcastic comments about you, even in front of others, or if they overly criticize your decisions, choices, or simply the way you live your life, you can take this as a clear sign you’re in a toxic relationship.

2. Controlling Behaviors

Controlling behavior is one of the most common types of toxic behavior. If your partner constantly insists that you inform them of your whereabouts or become irritated or angry when you don’t answer their calls or texts right away, this may be a sign that they’re trying to control you.

3. Lack Of Support

When you’re in a healthy relationship with someone, both of you feel the need and a desire to support and encourage each other. You make sure you meet each other’s needs and help each other become the best versions of yourselves and succeed in life. On the other hand, you and/or your partner never get to behave these ways when one or both of you displays toxic behaviors.

4. Jealousy

When you’re in a relationship with someone you truly love, it’s normal to feel jealous occasionally. But when you and your partner constantly face this problem, which often leads to mistrust, angry fights, and suspicion, it can be classified as toxic behavior.

5. Disrespect

Does your partner often forget important events or dates and have trouble keeping their promises? If you answered with a yes, know this is a serious red flag in a relationship. It’s a toxic behavior known as disrespect.

6. Resentment

If you’re in a relationship where you and your partner tend to hold grudges against each other instead of openly discussing your relationship problems, trying to solve them maturely and calmly, and speaking up when something upsets you or hurts your feelings, this may indicate that your relationship is toxic.

7. Ignoring Your Needs

When you’re in a healthy relationship with someone, your needs are never disregarded, which is exactly what happens when you’re in a toxic romantic relationship. So, if you’re with someone who rarely asks for your opinion when making important decisions or planning a trip, holiday, or date or seldom shows interest in your personal problems, take this as a sign that they are ignoring your needs.

8. Dishonesty

If you’ve often caught your partner lying to you about their whereabouts or who they’re hanging out with since they wanted to avoid spending time with you or they worried about how you’d react if they told you the truth, chances are you’re in a relationship with someone who is dishonest.

What Does A Toxic Woman Mean?

If you know a woman, be it a friend, family member, relative, co-worker, or even your partner, that’s hard to deal with and causes a lot of problems and conflict in your life, this may be a sign that you’re dealing with a toxic woman. Toxic people can make you feel stressed, overwhelmed, and drained after spending time with them. Depending on how negatively they influence your life, they can also cause you emotional and physical pain.

A toxic woman is any woman that creates unpleasantness for you, brings negativity into your life, and makes you feel stressed and emotionally, physically, or mentally drained after spending time with her. This type of woman acts in toxic ways and if you’re not able to recognize you’re dealing with one or how to handle her negativity and toxicity, this can have a highly negative effect on your well-being and health.

So, the main question that arises here is: How can you tell if a woman is toxic?

In what follows, we’ve presented several warning signs that show you’re dealing with a toxic woman:

• Her behavior constantly makes you feel confused.
• You never feel comfortable and your best yourself when around her.
• You feel like she’s manipulating you into doing something you don’t want to do.
• When she says or does something that hurts your feelings and she’s aware of that, she never apologizes.
• You feel like you’re walking on eggshells when she is around.
• She disrespects your needs and boundaries.
• You often feel like you have to defend yourself to her.
• She always needs your support, but she’s not supportive of you.
• You consistently feel stressed, uneasy, overwhelmed, or even bad about yourself when spending time with her.
• Whenever you are around her, there’s always drama.

What Does A Toxic Girl Do?

Recognizing that you’re dealing with a toxic girl can sometimes be quite hard. So, in what follows, we’ve presented the most common subtle signs you’re dealing with this type of girl.

1. She Doesn’t Respect Your Boundaries

If you’ve been clear with her about your needs and she simply continues to treat you in ways that show she couldn’t care less about them and if she acts like she doesn’t understand how important having time to yourself to you is, it’s likely that you’re dealing with a toxic girl.

2. She Always Needs Something From You

If you’ve noticed that she constantly texts you, calls you, or even shows up at your place to ask for your help or emotional support, but when it’s you who need her support or help, she’s nowhere to be found, take this as a clear sign that she is toxic.

3. She Manipulates You

Toxic individuals know various ways to manipulate you in order to get what they want. They may sugarcoat things, leave out information, exaggerate, and lie just to make you have a certain opinion of them or act in ways that suit their needs. So, if there’s a girl in your life who fits this description, sorry, but she’s toxic.

4. She Keeps You Wondering Which Version Of Her You’re Getting

She can be lovely and super nice one day and the next she can be rude and inconsiderate. Oftentimes, you can’t find any reason why she’d change her behavior toward you, but you simply know that something isn’t right. Even when you ask her what’s wrong and whether she is sad or cranky because of something you said or did, you never get a clear answer. What you get is a simple “I’m fine.”

So, when this happens, you often end up apologizing to her, making excuses for her, and trying to please her, which is exactly how she wants you to behave.

5. She Leaves Your Conversations Unfinished

If a girl you know tends to leave your conversations unfinished, especially when you’re trying to talk about something important to her, like the reason why she’s treating you unfairly, avoids answering your calls and texts, and keeps you guessing what you might have done to upset her, it’s likely you’re dealing with a toxic girlfriend. Since a girl who is genuinely nice, honest, and truly cares about you will never let you feel sad or miserable without attempting to resolve whatever problem the two of you might have.

What Does A Toxic Wife Look Like?

You are married and suspecting your wife might be toxic? Here are several signs that show she is truly toxic:

• She disregards your thoughts and opinions.
• She interferes with your decisions.
• She tries to control every aspect of your life.
• She disrespects your boundaries.
• She avoids admitting her mistakes and taking responsibility for her actions.
• She keeps score of your mistakes, broken promises, and failures.
• She keeps secrets from you.
• She’s overly critical.
• She makes you feel insecure, unheard, and unappreciated.
• Intimacy is withdrawn or doesn’t exist at all.
• You often fight.
• She’s never willing to compromise.
• She ignores your need for privacy and personal space.
• She tries to sabotage your efforts to grow personally, pursue your goals, and become more successful since she’s afraid you’ll one-up her.
• She tries to isolate you from others.

How Do I Know If I’m The Toxic One In The Relationship?

Have you ever heard the saying: “It takes two people to make a relationship toxic? Well, some people can be toxic without being aware of it. So, what if you are the toxic one in the relationship? If you can relate to the following descriptions, take this as a sign that it’s not your partner who is toxic – you are!

• You treat your partner like they’re inferior to you.
• You manipulate them by lying to them, gaslighting them, stonewalling them, and hiding information from them.
• You don’t respect their need for personal space.
• You prioritize your needs over their own.
• You’re hyper-critical.
• You say hurtful things to them.
• You’re not supportive and affectionate.
• You avoid putting in the effort to solve your relationship problems together with your partner.
• You frequently pick fights.
• You like playing the blame game more than taking responsibility for your actions.
• You’re constantly threatening to break up.

What Is A Private But Not Secret Relationship?

Let’s get one thing straight: Keeping your relationship private is the right thing to do. Keeping it a secret is wrong!

For a lot of people, the clearest sign that they are in a relationship or in love with someone is ceaselessly talking about them. For instance, you could be sharing your own problems with someone, and they’ll search for a way to shift the topic from your problems to their girlfriend or boyfriend.

On the other hand, there are many people who don’t like bragging or talking about their relationships with others, including their friends and family.

We’d like to emphasize that it’s completely normal and fine if you want to keep your relationship private. However, you need to ensure that you’re keeping it private and not a secret since there’s a huge difference between a private and a secret relationship.

So, the main question that arises here is: What does keeping a relationship private but not a secret mean?

Keeping your relationship private means that although you don’t like putting it out there and sharing details about it with others all the time, you still never lie about your relationship status, meaning when someone asks you if you’re in a relationship, you say yes. However, that conversation ends here because that’s the only thing you let them know.

A private lie detector test can be beneficial for couples seeking the truth about their relationship. If there is doubt or suspicion of infidelity, this type of exam can help confirm one’s suspicions or strengthen the trust between them. The test results allow both parties to move forward with clarity and understanding, knowing they accurately represent reality.

Keeping your relationship private also means that you don’t inform your friends about what you and your partner are doing when spending time together or about every time you have sex with them. It means you don’t go to your parents to complain about every fight you and your partner might have and share the tiniest details about it with them. It means that you don’t show every present your bae got you on social media.

On the other hand, if no one knows that you’re dating someone and if you never confirm that you’re in a relationship when others ask you if you are, then this means you’re keeping your relationship secret.

Keeping your relationship secret may mean that you’re thinking about cheating on your partner or trying to hook up with someone by making them think you’re rolling solo when you’re actually not.

Keeping your relationship secret can also make others think that the reason you’re doing this is that you are keeping secrets from your partner or that you’re ashamed of them, no matter if they’re right or wrong about this.

Should A Relationship Be Kept Private?

Absolutely yes. There’s something unique and precious about keeping your relationship private. Not bragging about your relationship or showing it off on social media doesn’t mean that you’re afraid of others finding out you’re in a relationship or who your partner is. It simply means that you want to keep your relationship to yourself. It means you don’t want to share details about it with your family, friends, and acquaintances and give others the opportunity to form opinions and comment on your relationship.

So, here are 5 reasons why keeping your relationship private is a good and wise thing to do:

1. Not Everyone Will Be Glad To Know You’re Happy

You need to keep one thing in mind: Not every person you know likes you and not everyone will be glad to know you’re in a happy relationship. This might sound harsh, but it’s the truth. There will always be someone who doesn’t like you or envies you and is jealous of you. There will always be someone who wants to cause problems in your life.

So, the less others know how you’re doing in life or what your relationship status is, the less they’ll have a chance to interfere with your life.

2. It’ll Protect You From Dealing With Unnecessary Opinions

No one wants to deal with or have to tolerate the opinions of people that have nothing to do with your life. Unfortunately, this is something that has happened to us many times. Whether it’s our education status, friendships, career choices, political views, or you name it, we’ve been put in many situations where we’ve had to listen to others share their prejudiced opinions. Well, people love talking about others’ romantic relationships as well.

So, by keeping your relationship private, you’ll prevent others from forming all kinds of opinions about it and interfering with your life.

3. It Prevents Your Ex From Interfering With Your Love Life

You probably broke up with your ex since you stopped loving them or they treated you badly and you could no longer put up with it. And the breakup was probably difficult too and you had to make efforts to come to terms with it and move on with your life.

So, if I’m right about all this, why would you want your ex to know what’s going on in your love life? Just think about it – perhaps they are still hoping they can get back together with you. Or perhaps they’re making plans how to make things hard for you and ruin your relationship.

So, the less your ex knows what your love life is like, the better. Just remember-keep your relationship is private, but don’t keep your significant other a secret.

4. It Strengthens Your Relationship

Keeping your relationship private allows you and your partner to grow closer and connect more deeply. It allows you to enjoy every moment you spend together while preventing others from commenting on your relationship and peeking into your love lives.

When you don’t show off your relationship on social media and brag about it in front of others, you allow it to flourish and become deeper, more meaningful, and more fulfilling.

5. It Makes It Easier For You To Move On Once You Break Up With Your Partner

First of all, let’s hope that you and your partner are meant to stay together forever. But imagine what would happen if you break up? If you allowed others to like and comment on your and your bae’s selfies on social media while the two of you were together, then you have no right to expect them that they won’t comment on and try to peek into your love life after the two of you break up.

Going through a breakup is a difficult and painful thing on its own. You don’t need to deal with other people’s unnecessary questions, comments, and opinions about your breakup. You don’t need to bring more drama into your life. So, this is why keeping your relationship private will help you move on more easily with your life when you and your partner break up.

What’s The Difference Between Keeping Your Relationship Private And Keeping It A Secret?

Here are the 8 main differences between keeping your relationship private and keeping it a secret:

1. When You’re Asked If You’re In A Relationship, You Answer You’re Single

Of course, when someone asks you whether you’re dating anyone, they don’t expect you to tell them everything about your relationship or show them photos of your partner. However, saying that you’re still rolling solo when you are not is wrong and disrespectful. Whether you’re hiding your relationship status since you’re worried about what your friends will think of your partner or you’ve recently met someone you’ve started having feelings for, keeping your relationship secret is bad and it’s something your partner wouldn’t approve of for sure.

2. You Avoid Mentioning Your Partner On Purpose

Every time someone asks you something about your partner, you avoid mentioning them by shifting the topic to something else. Even when you’re talking about a situation or event your partner was involved in, you tend to start every sentence with “I” rather than “we.”

While it’s okay to not want to share every detail about your love life with others, going out of your way to avoid mentioning your partner and hide the fact that you’re in a relationship with someone is utterly wrong and you’re aware of it. That means you’re keeping your relationship secret.

3. You Haven’t Introduced Your Partner To Your Loved Ones Yet

If you’ve been in a relationship for a year or so, and neither your friends nor your family, (let alone your colleagues and other acquaintances), has met your partner, then there’s something weird going on between the two of you. Perhaps you’ve been avoiding introducing your partner to your loved ones since you’re not sure whether they’re the one or you’re worried about what they might think of them. Anyways, it’s time to ask yourself why your loved ones still don’t know who your partner is.

4. You Don’t Share Photos Of Your Partner On Social Media

Of course, you don’t need to post selfies of you and your significant other on Facebook or Instagram every day or every week. But if you’re active on social media and post statuses and photos of yourself, including your friends, then it’s certainly not a coincidence that there’s no trace of your bae on your Facebook or Instagram profile. Again, this is a clear sign that you’re trying to keep your relationship secret.

5. You Don’t Show Your Partner Affection In Public

Do you pretend you’re looking somewhere else when your partner tries to kiss you on the cheek or lips on the subway? Or do you let go of their hand when they gently squeeze yours at a restaurant?

Well, if you answered these questions with a yes, know this is not normal. Of course, it’s not that you and your partner need to stick your tongues down each other’s throats or do any “more inappropriate things” when in public. However, not showing any sign of affection doesn’t indicate that you’re keeping your relationship private. It means you’re keeping it secret.

6. You Don’t Call Your Partner “Babe” Or “Honey” In Front Of Others

If you’ve already introduced your partner to your family, friends, and co-workers, did you introduce them as your “friend?” Or do you call them by their first name or “buddy” instead of calling them “honey,” “sweetheart,” or “babe” when you’re around other people?

If you answered the questions with a yes, then it’s more than obvious you’re keeping your relationship a secret. If you and your partner don’t feel comfortable using labels yet, at least introduce them and refer to them by their first name. Never call them “buddy.” It’s insensitive.

7. You’re The Only One Secretive About Your Relationship

If both you and your partner have agreed that you still don’t want others to know you’re dating, that’s fine. It means you’re on the same page when it comes to revealing your relationship status. But if your partner proudly lets everyone know you’re together while you’re doing everything in your power to hide that fact, then they most likely feel bad about how you’re acting.

 8. You Don’t Let Your Partner Post Photos Of You On Social Media

If you’re not active on Facebook or Instagram, that’s fine and understandable. However, if you don’t let your partner post photos of you two on social media or you untag yourself when they do, well, it gets weird.

If you don’t like others to see photos of you on social media, tell that to your partner because otherwise it only appears that you’re trying to hide the fact that you’re in a relationship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Does My Boyfriend Want To Keep Our Relationship Private?

There could be several reasons for that and, in what follows, we’ve presented some of them:

• He doesn’t like or feel comfortable sharing his private life with others.
• He doesn’t want others to know what’s going on in his love life.
• He doesn’t want others to comment on your relationship.
• He thinks that if you put your relationship out there, this will have a negative effect on your emotional intimacy and bond.
• He might not be sure how he feels about you.
• He might not know where your relationship is going.

Why Does My Boyfriend Keep Me A Secret On Social Media?

If your boyfriend is keeping you a secret on social media, there may be a cause for worry. He might be doing this due to the following reasons:

• He’s committed to someone else, so he’s trying to keep you as a secret backdoor girlfriend.
• His friends don’t like you.
• He still has feelings for his ex.
• He’s afraid of commitment.
• He thinks his parents or friends won’t approve of your relationship.
• He’s recently broken up with some girl and doesn’t want others, including her, to know he’s dating again.
• He doesn’t want others to influence your relationship.