Your Friend Does Not Support Your Growth:
As people, we are in a constant state of evolution. With every new experience, we have the opportunity to grow stronger and wiser to prepare ourselves for the next experience. With these new changes, we may find that we’ve outgrown old habits, places or even people. Sometimes that isn’t received well from our friends — especially our friends of habit. If you’ve outgrown partying every weekend, going to bars or spending all of your paycheck the week you get paid — that is okay! What is not okay is having a friend that sees you are trying to make changes and makes you feel guilty. “You’re staying home all weekend again? You’re so boring!” “Come on, can’t you take one night off? Let’s go out for drinks!” “I don’t want to go to this restaurant alone! Why can’t you save money next week?” When you set boundaries for yourself, they should be met with support, not exasperation. A friend who does not support you is not a friend.
They Only Talk About Themselves:
Do you ever check your phone and have a feeling of dread when you see a text from that one friend? You find that every time you talk, it’s about the horrible guy that she is seeing. The fact of the matter is: she is draining you! Catching up is nice, but being called or texted at any hour to sort out someone’s drama is a job you are not getting paid for! It is okay for a friend to come to you for advice, but make sure that friend is someone who at least asks how you are doing. A friend that relies on you so heavily should also value your mental health.
They Make You Feel Bad About Yourself:
Who is the first person you want to share good or bad news with? There is nothing better than coming to someone when you’re excited or just having someone to vent to when you’re hurt. There’s nothing worse than the person that you go to trivializing your feelings. It’s one thing to not know how to comfort a friend, but “it’s not that big of a deal” isn’t even an attempt. If this has happened to you, it can make you feel like your feelings do not matter. If a glass shatters on the ground and you burst into tears, it’s okay! If you made it to 100 subscribers on Youtube, that is an accomplishment! If there’s anything you deserve from a person who loves you in this moment, it’s their support.