Friendship is one of the most incredible parts of human nature. Humans are social creatures that desire bonds with other humans. While most friendships are wonderful, many fall victim of toxic friendships that are harder to maintain then are actually worth. The following are signs that your friendship might be toxic and what you should watch out for.
1. Your friend is insulting you.
Now I know friends tend to pick on each other in perfectly healthy friendships. The difference between playful picking on and toxicly bullying is the intent of the jokes, and the knowledge and consent of both parties. If you are uncomfortable by a joke or insult your friend makes towards you, you should feel safe to tell your friend to stop. if your friend does not stop or you don't feel like you can tell them to stop, this may be a sign of an unhealthy friendship.
2. Your friend may try to shift blame to you.
If you attempt to discuss something bothering you with your friend, they try to shift blame away from themselves and on to you. For example if your friend is insulting you, they may try to make you feel guilty for complaining about the situation. This is a sign that you may not be in healthy friendship.
3. Your friend may try to isolate you from your other friends.
This could be through creating drama between you and your friends, trying to create distrust between you and your friends, or monopolizing your time. It is important to realize that you are allowed to have more then one friend.
4. Your friend may try to not let you leave the friendship.
Overtime, many friendships fade. You and the friend may start to draw apart. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes friendships draw to a close. It is also not a bad thing to try and hold on to your friendships. however, many people with a toxic friend may find themselves in a cycle with a friend who tries to draw them back into the bad friendship whenever they try to leave. They may try to make you feel guilty for not wanting to be friends or for making other friends. they will continue to try and get back into your life over and over. You have to continue to remind yourself that it was not a friendship you wanted to be part of. There is nothing wrong with not wanting to be friends with someone.
If you start to notice these signs in one of your friendships or are in anyway unhappy being in a friendship with someone, it is perfectly acceptable to leave the friendship. You should never be forced into a friendship you do not want to be a part of.
