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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Oregon chapter.

In the past, I’ve dealt with friendships that I didn’t realize were toxic at first. The feeling of being used and not feeling worthy are things that I have felt in some of my past friendships. It takes time to come to these realizations and making your mental health a priority. I am the type of person that holds onto the good memories and doesn’t want things to change. I often find myself dwelling on the past and wondering what would have happened if I had stuck with my old friends, but then I come to the realization that it wasn’t helping my mental health.

It’s definitely hard letting go of someone that was a big part of your life and I went through stages of grief, blaming myself, and having what if scenarios. It breaks my heart when I get notifications on Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook of memories with my old friends that were a year ago and it makes me wish that I could still continue to be close with those friends.

I learned to let go and tell myself that if people wanted to continue being in my life, they would. It’s okay to remove your past friends from social media or deleting their phone number. Whatever helps you move on and let go of the past is beneficial to your mental health. Your mental health is a priority always and you have to learn to put yourself above others because friends come and go, but you will have yourself no matter what. I have also learned overtime that if those people want to continue being in my life, they would make time for me instead of me trying so hard to keep the unhealthy friendships. That being said, be with the people that will make time for you. You deserve to be surrounded by people that care about you and make you feel worthy. 

Hello! My name is Courtney Yamada, I am a junior at the University of Oregon, studying Public Relations and Advertising with a Business Administration minor. I am from Seal Beach, CA and have 2 shih tzus named Cody and Pepper back home. I love going to the beach or go on hikes with friends and family. I am excited to be a part of the HerCampus team to express myself through my writing! Sco Ducks!