A toxic friend. Dealing with a toxic friendship is not a positive experience. These individuals often leave you feeling uneasy, insecure and drained. A friendship is mutually beneficial and balanced, whether you are the giver or the receiver that day, you should always feel uplifted and valued. Unfortunately, this is not the case with all individuals and recognizing a friendship is toxic is in some ways just as difficult as removing that individual from your life. In my experience, making the conscious decision to surround myself with valuable friends and remove negative individuals has allowed me to grow independence and confidence. If you recognize these qualities in someone in your life, I want you to consider that you may be adding more to their life than they are to yours, and removing them removes unnecessary hardship and negativity in your life. Here are a few signs to look out for if you are questioning if the friendship is toxic.
1. Your friend is constantly criticizing you and your choices.
2. Their only topic of conversation is themselves.
3. Your friend is an energy taker. After seeing them, you consistently feel drained.
4. They are possessive over you and your friendship, guilting you when you try to branch out.
5. When you hang out, you only talk about the past and never the future. A toxic friend will try to keep you stagnant and will never push you to achieve your goals.
6. They consistently put you down to the point where you feel negatively about yourself, this can be done “jokingly”, passive-aggressively, or confrontationally.
7. They put other people before your friendship.
