Member-only story

7 Signs of a Toxic Friendship

Is it time to say goodbye

2 min readDec 20, 2023

We need our friends. Our talks, walks, support, fun, and love. Our hearts crave communication and interaction and without it, life can be lonely.

Unfortunately, we tend to pardon bad behavior, sometimes repeatedly to hold on to a relationship.

With negative consequences for our mental health, happiness, and self-esteem.

Your friend repeatedly dismisses your feelings as unimportant or silly. If you don’t feel validated or respected, chances, are you are involved in a toxic relationship.
Is your friend positive or negative. Do they spread happiness or doom. If you find yourself constantly feeling stressed out from a friendship it may be time to say goodbye.
Good friends are by your side in good times and bad. If you have a fair-weather friend who doesn’t support you through difficult times, don’t ignore the signs.

Are you being used? Are you losing trust in your friend. Do you do all the giving and your friend all the taking. This is a sign that you are being disrespected and you deserve better. You may also get the feeling that your friend is talking behind your back.
Do you sense an undercurrent of competition and envy. If your friend tries to out due you if could be a signal of toxicity. Friends should encourage, support and be happy for each other success.
If you are continually trying to defend your friend’s bad behavior, this is a sure sign of toxicity. If you friend is continually trying to make you feel bad and ashamed, while you are spending your valuable time defending them, this is an important sign.
Boundaries are constantly being crossed despite attempts from you to be assertive, it may be time to end the relationship. A friend doesn’t embarrass, humiliate, or put another person in an awkward position.

It hurts to end a relationship, but it hurts more to stay in a toxic friendship risking damage to your self-esteem, mental health, and joy.

Janice Tovey 2023