Many of us are in a toxic friendship and don’t even know it. If you think your friendship may be toxic, keep reading because I’m sharing 8 warning signs that it may be time to re-evaluate your friendship.
They Put You Down
Have you noticed that your friend regularly throws digs at you? Do they insult the way you look or dress? Or how about making fun of your personality or hobbies?
When a person is constantly trying to make you feel bad about yourself, jealousy is often the cause. If your friend is pushing you down, in order to build themselves up, that is not a loving and healthy friendship.
If you’re looking for help with building your confidence and being unapologetically yourself, I recommend the book Not Nice by Dr. Aziz Gazipura. If you prefer audiobooks, new Audible members can get their first audiobook free.
They Always Have Drama Going On
Is your friend is always involved in some sort of drama? Being around people that are constantly involved in drama can bring negativity and chaos into your own life.
Anytime you allow unnecessary drama into your life, you’re taking away from the time that you could be spending bettering yourself and focusing on your goals.
If your friend is bringing drama into your life, let them know that you will always be there when they need you, however, you’re trying to focus on the positive and you would rather not spend so much time discussing drama.
They’re Argumentative
Do you find that no matter how much effort you put into resolving an argument with your friend, all efforts seem to end up at a dead end? That’s a good sign that your friendship is toxic.
If your friend continues to bring up old arguments or purposely turns every conversation into an argument, it can be harmful to your happiness, self-esteem, and overall well-being.
They Take Advantage of You
If your friend is constantly asking for favors from you but doesn’t seem like they want to return any type of favor when you ask for something, then you’ve got an issue on your hands.
Before cutting off your friendship for good, I recommend talking to your friend openly about this. Sometimes people genuinely don’t realize that they’re doing this. Or perhaps they could be going through something in their personal life that causes them to be unable to return the favor.
They Don’t Respect Your Boundaries
This is a big one and something that many people experience in toxic friendships. You’ve heard time and time again that if someone cares for you, they will respect your boundaries.
If your friend doesn’t respect certain boundaries you’ve set, it’s a sure sign that the friendship is toxic. It could be as simple as not showing up to an event on time or at all. Or maybe they’re constantly trying to get you to do something that you don’t want to do.
If you’re experiencing this to the point where it’s changed the way you feel about your friend, it may be time to rethink the friendship.
You Ignore Their Phone Calls
If you find yourself ignoring calls and texts from your friend, this is a clear sign that something’s gone wrong in the friendship. Remember, being friends doesn’t mean you have to put up with unacceptable behavior.
If this toxic friendship has escalated to the point where you feel the need to ignore their phone calls, this may not be the friendship for you.
You Don’t Enjoy Spending Time with Them Anymore
Have you noticed that spending time with your friend isn’t enjoyable anymore? Maybe you’re tired of all the negativity and drama.
You may have noticed that you get a headache or an upset stomach when you have plans to meet up. These are all signs that it might be time to end your toxic friendship.
Consider Counseling
If your friendship is important to you and you want to keep this person in your life, consider asking your friend to go to counseling with you. This can be a great way to save your friendship.
If they’re not willing to go to counseling, it may be time to re-evaluate your relationship. You deserve better than a toxic friend who is dragging you down.
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