Some of us get into relationships where we're pretty much destroying our self esteem because we ignored initial warning signs that the person we're attracted to is an emotional train wreck or ticking time bomb.

Very often we are swept off our feet by the physical, mental or sexual attraction only to end up heartbroken, angry, bitter, revengeful or caught up in an emotional roller coaster.

These five warning signs will help you tell if someone is an emotional train wreck or ticking time bomb.

1. Has shallow emotions – He/she is quick to share too much early in the relationship or say “I Love You” or want to marry or commit to you. Typically, in less than a few weeks of dating you’ll hear that you're the love of his/her life, he/she wants to be with you forever, and he/she wants to marry you. You'll be showered with all the benefits of instant attraction, endearing names and overwhelmed with attention and promises.

Remember the old saying “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is (too good to be true)!” The rapid warm-up is always a sign of shallow emotions which later cause him/her to detach from you as quickly as he/she “committed”.

2. Cannot handle unpleasant emotions – In the first few dates you will frequently hear stories of what others do or did to him/her and how “evil” the world is etc. But these stories quickly turn to what you are doing or not doing that is hurting him/her emotionally. The relationship becomes one of blaming, accusing, arguing, explaining yourself, defending yourself, trying to talk him/her into feeling differently about this or that etc. You feel like you are constantly walking on eggshells because you are.

People who can’t handle unpleasant emotions are easily overwhelmed emotionally. Most hold grudges, cling to bitterness, cannot handle frustration, criticism or rejection. They also “punish” you and try to make you “pay” for how they feel (as far as they are concerned, it’s your fault they feel this or that!).

3. Shows no emotions – From the very first date, he/she will toy with your emotions -e.g. shows up late, promises to call you but doesn’t, agrees to meet and “forgets” to call you to cancel, “forgets” things that are important to you etc. Most of the time you feel uncertain where he/she stands with regard to his/her feelings for you. When confronted, he/she may admit that he/she really has no feeling towards you – and does so very coldly.

Most of these people speak with a boring almost zombie-like monotone, which is their emotional give away. It says they find it hard to get excited about anything — including you. Coldly put, they are emotionally bland and cold.

4. Prone to emotional outburst (short fuse) – The signs are there in how he/she treats a waiter/waitress, customer service people, others drivers and even perfect strangers. He/she is clearly letting you know that he/she has that ability and capability – and that it might come your way. There will come a time when he/she has no one to let out his/her temper on and you are the obvious soft and easy target. And it is not just men. Women may not necessarily be physical with their temper, but every sentence she speaks and the many lies she can invent are just as hurtful as physical abuse – if not more hurtful.

5. Uses emotions to manipulate - He/she creates situations in which he/she becomes the center of attention, even if it’s negative attention. He/she constantly exaggerates or distorts things to dramatic proportions. Some people even go as far as playing the persecuted victim, feigning or exaggerating illness or causing or inviting injury (e.g. shows up with bruises and cuts and expects you to feel bad for him/her and even take care of the injury) etc.

You find yourself spending all your time trying to make him/her feel good about him or herself. The more attention you give the more schemes he/she comes up with. It’s like trying to fill up a bottomless pit!

Take some words of wisdom from someone who’s been there… if it doesn't fit, don't force it. Even if you are the most kind, loving and emotionally solid person in the world, being around someone who is emotionally challenged for a period of time eventually gets to you. The worst part of it all, they still think it’s your fault!