In 2018, the Oxford Dictionary chose “toxic” as the Word of the Year.

That’s because it was re-entering the popular lexicon. People were starting to work it into daily conversations more often, mainly because they discussed everyone’s favorite 2022 topic: toxic people.

Toxic people come in several different types, including liars, control freaks, gaslighters, angry “venters,” know-it-alls, intimidators, egomaniacs, drama queens or crisis kings, negging artists, the high and mighty, emotional roller coaster, guilt-trippers and addicts.

Toxic people generally engage in their behavior for several reasons, which can include the fact that they enjoy it, they learned it while growing up, they benefit from it (especially in the case of narcissists), they never matured beyond their teenage years emotionally or because they’re compensating for underlying mental or emotional struggles.

There are a few ways to combat toxic people, but the best way to avoid being their victim is to know the system they employ and find the appropriate counter.

For some people, that means loving and accepting them and encouraging them to be better. For others, it means employing a method known as “grey rock,” wherein you become an emotional void and don’t react to their toxicity – thereby robbing them of any gratification. Then there’s the most important one: setting healthy boundaries.

Once you’ve identified a toxic person in your life and figured out what type they are, you can start building boundaries around yourself to keep their toxicity out. Remember: boundaries are for how you let people treat you, not for controlling other people’s behavior. So don’t expect miracles.

But do protect yourself. Don’t ignore those red flags; use them to build a wall.