It seems understandable that a toxic situation hurts the people being infected and
affected by the toxicity, but it may surprise you to know that toxic situation hurts
everyone whether they know it or not.
Let’s look at the obvious.
Toxic situations hurt victims- Those who are subjected to unrest and negativity are
the most vulnerable and likely to suffer. Here are some scenarios:
In the home: Family members who live with toxic people tend to suffer from
depression, weight gain, anxiety, apathy, and much more. They may have physical and
mental health issues as a result of the negativity and bullying that they live with day-to-
day.
At work: Employees and co-workers who are forced to co-exist with toxic people have
a higher rate of absenteeism, businesses have a high rate of turnover, and overall
morale is generally lower, causing low productivity.
In Friendships: Friends who continue toxic relationships may bring their anxieties
home. Unaware or unable to understand the impact their toxic friendship is having on
them; they may have angry outbursts or other uncontrolled emotions that leak out when
they should be enjoying their family time.
In each of these situations, being subjected to toxic people or toxic cultures can cause a
multitude of problems from mental to physical and takes a toll on livelihood and general
well-being.
While most people would agree that this toxicity hurts those subjected to the poison,
they may not see the impact it is having on the perpetrators as well. When toxic
situations and/or toxic people are not held accountable, all parties become contributors
to the problem. There is no longer a line between villain and victim.
Let’s look at the not so obvious.

Toxic situations hurt perpetrators- Those at the root of the problem dishing out the
toxicity are also being negatively impacted by their own behaviors. Here are some
scenarios:
In the home: People who bully, play the victim, and demand unreasonable amounts of
attention are creating dynamics that they fear the most. Generally, people who operate
in dysfunction come from a place of fear. They often bring the things they fear most-
alienation, distrust, abandonment- into their lives themselves.
At work: From management down, toxic employees drive away good people. If a
business owner is toxic, they likely won’t have staff long enough to make a profit. If a
toxic employee is not managed or eliminated, they can not only cause productivity to
diminish, they can cause lawsuits brought on by affected employees or disgruntled
customers.
In friendships: Toxic friends who do not face their demons can find themselves at risk
of being abandoned or, at the very least, subjects of gossip and fodder. Men and
women who lack awareness or accept responsibility for their destructive behavior can
be at risk of dangerous self-harm or outward harm towards others.

So, why do people remain toxic and/or remain in toxic situations? Frankly, toxic people
are oftentimes in authority and resist being called out on their behavior. The risk isn’t
worth the reward to the victims and the price of change isn’t low enough to the
perpetrator, so the cycle goes on and on.
The best thing for all involved is requiring that perpetrators be held accountable and
victims require health above all else – in all situations and at all costs. Toxic situations
hurt everyone involved and must be managed for the health and welfare of the group.