Strong women are more likely to stay in toxic relationships – psychologist explains why

Most people assume that women with low self-esteem, those who are not independent and are used to submitting, are the ones who stay the longest in toxic relationships. However, psychological practice and research show the opposite – strong, successful, and responsible women are much more likely to remain in such relationships. This is not a coincidence but a clearly explainable psychological mechanism related to a distorted idea of one's role in a relationship.

Why does this happen? Candidate of Psychological Sciences Jeļena Jarikova provides an explanation. One of the main reasons is that a strong woman is accustomed to solving any problem. She deals with complex tasks at work and in daily life, which fosters a belief that she can also 'save' her partner or the situation in a relationship. Because of this habit, she is willing to endure difficulties and take responsibility for another person's behavior, thereby staying in toxic relationships longer than necessary.

The psychologist points out that this tendency is closely linked to strong women's high sense of responsibility and desire to solve other people's problems. Unfortunately, this approach often leads to emotional exhaustion and prolonged suffering. To break this cycle, it is important to realize that not all problems need to be solved by oneself and that sometimes it is healthier to leave a relationship than to try to fix it.