Not all toxic relationships are loud, dramatic, or obviously unhealthy. Sometimes toxicity hides in behaviours that are normalised, tolerated, or even celebrated. It can look like avoiding conflict to keep the peace, expecting people to read our minds, using guilt to influence decisions, confusing control with care, or remaining silent about issues that are slowly damaging trust and connection.

Across romantic relationships, friendships, families, and even workplaces, many people find themselves trapped in unhealthy patterns that have become so familiar they no longer recognise them as toxic. The challenge is that these behaviours often go unchallenged because they are woven into the way we relate to one another.

Thobile "Tops" Mkhwanazi, conversationalist and woman advocate at Sisterhood Connect joined us to unpack this.