If you’re completely smitten by a person, but something they do causes you to suddenly feel repulsed, you’ve got “the ick.” Psychotherapist specialist Susan Zinn says, “An ick feeling is instantaneous, and your intuition is signaling to you to get away as fast as possible.”
“The ick” can happen at any time in a relationship, and you might not have even known it was a turn off until it happened. “The ick” is more about the experience you had, not so much the person, so if your new partner wears a cologne that your toxic ex wore, that would be an “ick” signaling you to bail and prevent past circumstances from happening again.
Just because you get “the ick” doesn’t mean you should ditch a relationship, since it could be a signal that you need to face challenges head on, but if your partner is toxic, you should leave. It’s very possible to move past “the ick,” as it could just be a sign that you don’t know your partner well enough yet.