Being stuck in an unhealthy friendship can be sometimes a very destructive thing. A true friendship should allow you to grow and blossom next to that other person and not make you feel uncomfortable, like you should be walking on eggshells all the time, when you’re around them. I often feel the urge to please everyone and I always tend to seek everybody’s approval before making an important decision that usually concerns only me. I recently came to the conclusion that I am only sabotaging my own happiness by thinking about other people’s needs first and by always neglecting my own. Sometimes you just have to let go of an unhealthy friendship that does more harm than good. You shouldn’t tolerate all that negativity or even the emotional abuse that might occur in such a relationship, just because you don’t want to hurt other people’s feelings. Think about yourself first and pay attention to the next few signs of a toxic friendship, so you can always be surrounded by the people who deserve to be near you.
One of the most telling signs that you are stuck in an unhealthy friendship is the fact that your toxic relationship exhausts you and it drains you of all your energy. You should always feel good and energized when you meet with one of your friends and not the opposite. Remember that: a true friend is always there for you, they support you and they would do anything just to see you smile without asking for anything in return.
In every good and healthy relationship, each needs to give and take a little back in order to find the perfect balance Is your relationship balanced? If not, you should definitely consider letting go of that toxic friendship that clearly is doing you more harm to you than good. In every relationship, both parties should make efforts to keep your relationship healthy and if you notice that lately you’ve become the second choice, try to do the same regarding that so-called friend of yours.
A true friend loves you for who you are, no matter how many flaws you have or how many things bother them about your personality. Nobody should ask you to change in any certain way, because this should be your choice, thus your decision. If one of your friends has been pressuring you to change just to better suits their needs, this should make you wonder if your relationship has become unhealthy or if you would be happier without being stuck in a toxic friendship with a person who obviously doesn’t think about your well-being.
When you are with your friend, have you noticed that you often are afraid to assert yourself because you fear their reaction? This should be a big warning sign that you should definitely consider if you are beginning to suspect that your friendship might be unhealthy, especially for you. Never be afraid to stand up for yourself as long as you respect other people’s needs! A true friend should encourage you to do that and not prevent you from reaching your objectives.
Does your friend always make you feel guilty every time something bad happens? Do you always feel the need to apologize for everything, even if it clearly hasn’t been your fault? Ask for someone else’s opinion if you are beginning to feel tired of always getting the blame for everything that doesn’t happen according to your friend’s desires and let go of that toxic friendship. I’m sure you would be better on your own than being stuck in that unhealthy relationship.
You can’t call someone who makes you the subject of their gossip a true friend. No matter what their reasons might be, someone who is your friend will never do something to hurt your feelings, not even out of revenge. If that is your case, you should definitely reconsider that friendship and put an end to it. Surround yourself with people who will help you grow and become a better person and not with the ones who drag you down.
Does your friend always support you or does he (she) encourage you to follow your dreams no matter how crazy they might seem sometimes? Do they offer their help in order to show their support and love they have for you? Have they ever been supportive, thus making it easy for you to reach your goals? If none of these things ever happened and your so-called friend has never supported you in anything, then maybe you weren’t even friends to begin with.
Discovering that one of the people who you always considered your friend is actually not, can be quite painful sometimes. But you need to let go of those toxic relationships in order to grow and become a better person. Have you ever been stuck in an unhealthy friendship? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section!