I along with many of my close friends have developed a better understanding of who we are and the people we include in our inner circles.
After going to college for one year, with just a little time left before I return, I have been able to reflect on my pre-college relationships and have realized the hard way that some of these relationships (friend or more) are toxic.
Friends are the type of people you can count on in regardless, during the good or bad. Being apart from some of the closest friends I have grown up has helped me learn what (or who) is important to hold on to, and what (or who) it is time to let go.
What are the signs of a “toxic friend?”
Web MD describes toxic friends as individuals “who stress you out, use you, are unreliable, are overly demanding, and don’t give anything back.”
The friends you let into your life become a contributor to all aspects of your life, but toxic friends are not worth the trouble they bring. Instead of providing a balancing force, they drag you down.
Toxic friends demean and distract you from what is really important in life. Rather than act reliable and trustworthy, toxic friends frequently betray your trust and care more about their problems than yours.
These behaviors aren’t just sometimes occurrences; they consistently occur throughout the entire duration of the relationship or friendship, regardless of how long you both have been in each other’s company.
Sometimes the best way to recognize toxicity in your friendship with someone is to talk to your friends who bring positivity into you life. Their objectivity gives them the liberty to discuss what they observe from your interactions with your toxic friend. If they say something like “you are always so relieved once you leave from hanging out with him/her” or “you’re always in a bad mood when you hang out,” that is a bright red flag.
Once you identify these signs of toxic friends in someone, how can remove their negativity and demeaning behavior from your life?
Ending a relationship with someone is not a piece of cake, regardless of how horribly that person treats you.
In this case, it is important to act in the best interest of yourself. That means having a tough conversation with your toxic companion. It’s important to keep in mind that by allowing yourself to associate with his or her negativity, you are hurting yourself just as he or she is hurting you.
Ultimately, your happiness trumps any one else’s, and if someone who is supposed to care about and support you makes you feel inferior and less than happy, they are not worth keeping around in your life.