Ever meet someone who waltzes in all confident and dazzling, like they’ve just stepped off a movie set? At first, you’re totally smitten—or at least intrigued. But then, slowly, those charming vibes start to unravel and you find yourself wondering, “Wait a minute… is this person actually a walking headache?” Trust me, love-hate relationships might look like sparks flying on screen, but in real life, they can fry your nerves and mess with your mojo big time. Here’s the kicker: difficult people don’t just challenge you—they make you question your own sanity, like you’re stuck on a never-ending reality show where you can’t even trust your own judgment. And spoiler alert: you can’t fix ‘em. Not with patience. Not with kindness. Not with tears. So, before you make the classic mistake of trying to play therapist, check out these eight sneaky signs that your “leading man” or “leading lady” might just be the diva from your worst nightmare. Oh, and with Mercury doing its usual dance of mischief, isn’t it fitting to wonder if the stars are secretly nudging you to see the writing on the wall? Buckle up, buttercup. LEARN MORE.
When you first meet someone, they may seem confident, charming, and challenging (in an intriguing way). But soon you notice signs that you may, in fact, be dealing with a truly difficult person.
Love-hate relationships seem funny, and even romantic… in the movies. But in real life, they wreak havoc on your health and happiness. Difficult people make you second-guess yourself constantly and question your sanity whenever you try to solve everyday issues. Often, it’s not that they won’t play nice; they can’t. And you can’t change them or fix them, either. You might think that if only you were more patient, nurturing, kind, or understanding, these problems would stop. If you’re feeling that way, you need to look squarely at these eight traits and see how many your partner has. If the answer is a lot, you’ll probably want to get some help.
Alex075 via Canva
You tell yourself that you’re safe with them, but all too often you find there are cracks in the foundation, and misplace your trust.
They go so far that you feel like a bad person for not trusting them, even though you know you cannot.
Advertisement
Tiger Lily from Pexels via Canva
Communication with them is usually vague and confusing. Nothing ever seems permanently pinned down. Everything is in flux. Decisions you think you made together get changed, negated, or twisted.
This leaves you twisting in the wind, which is pretty much exactly how they like it.
Advertisement
Keira Burton from Pexels via Canva
They seem bound and determined to keep them going, and you’re right: these people thrive on conflict and want to keep things in a state of constant chaos.
They have no interest in making things easier for anyone, including themselves, but especially you.
Advertisement
pixelshot via Canva
As soon as you get too close (by their definition), they do something to break the connection. Yet, strangely, they tell you that you are the one who is emotionally distant.
People with these traits fear closeness, all the while claiming that they don’t get enough of it.
Advertisement
princigalli from Getty Images Signature via Canva
It’s always your fault. It’s never their fault. If, by chance, you’re not the one blamed, then it’s the weather, the family, the office, the government, or God. For that reason, you often finally give up trying to solve problems, and too often, you give in.
Attempts at being rational with them are exhausting. You can’t be right because they cannot be wrong!
Advertisement
Halfpoint via Canva
Their response to any situation is how they feel about it, not focusing on what actually happened. Because they feel it, it makes it so, and what you think has no bearing on the matter.
They also make assumptions and presumptions about your ideas, feelings, motives, and needs. They won’t ask you directly. They honestly believe — and need to believe — that they know you better than and more in-depth than you know yourself.
Advertisement
Liza Summer from Pexels via Canva
When you are so busy making assumptions about your partner, and knowing that your partner is always wrong, why bother with introspection? Also, self-reflection is for courageous people who are not afraid of life.
People with the traits described here find the very idea of looking inward completely terrifying.
Advertisement
Alex Green from Pexels via Canva
That is why every disagreement is a possible war. They fear any conversation they cannot control. That’s why nothing is ever their fault; they’re petrified that the opposite is a possibility.
If these traits set off alarm bells for you, don’t panic. When your partner has these traits, you will either argue a whole lot, or one of you will shut down, withhold, and dish out the silent treatment. Neither strategy will work.
If you love your partner and you want the relationship to work, you’ll need some expert help to shift your thinking, move away from blame, and establish some new patterns of interaction. Unfortunately, you’ll need to change first. Only then will you know what’s possible for the relationship.
Problematic behaviors may persist, but you can put an end to second-guessing yourself and questioning yourself. Underneath, they are confident and charming, mysterious and delightful, but you need help. You cannot solve this on your own.
Rhoberta Shaler, PhD, has spent the past 30 years helping couples navigate challenging relationships.
Advertisement