TOXIC

A shield. Toxicity can act as a shield in a relationship when someone uses it as a defense mechanism to protect themselves from vulnerability, emotional pain, or deep-seated insecurities. They may create emotional distance, lash out first to avoid being hurt, or use control and manipulation as a way to manage their fear of abandonment. Often, toxic behaviors stem from past trauma, causing a person to project their inner struggles onto their partner or sabotage intimacy to avoid being truly seen. By maintaining chaos or detachment, they shield themselves from the risk of rejection or emotional exposure, even though it ultimately prevents the genuine connection they may secretly crave.