How to Deal With Toxic Friendships

Friendships are so important for our mental health. However, some friendships may be more hurtful than good. The definition of toxic is poisonous. When applied to friendships, this means the relationship is very bad, unpleasant, or harmful. Healthy friendships mean that the relationship is mutually beneficial and will help you grow and develop into a better person.

Here are some differences between a toxic friend and a healthy friend:

Toxic Friends:

• Are jealous of your success and happiness

• Make you feel uncomfortable around others

• Create drama through gossip

• Have a lack of empathy for other people’s experiences

Healthy Friends:

• Encourage and celebrate your success

• Make you feel safe and accepted even when you disagree

• Uplift and support others without talking negatively 

• Respect the emotional, physical, and mental boundaries of others

If you feel like you’re in a toxic friendship, here are some tips for handling it:

• Use “I” statements in conversations with them to explain how they are making you feel

• Take conversations and conflicts with a grain of salt. Try not to put too much weight into a relationship that you know is not healthy for you. 

• Set boundaries to gradually distance yourself from the friendship. This does not necessarily mean you cannot be friends with them at all, but that you recognize this is not healthy and you make the decision to limit the contact you have with that person.

Remember that not all friendships need to last for years and it’s normal to outgrow friends as you get older. Friendships should be positive, uplifting, and good for your mental health, so if you sense that you are in a toxic friendship, it’s okay to move on. We hope this blog post helps anyone who might be in this situation!