Toxic friendships can take a serious toll on your mental and physical well-being. It’s emotionally draining to be in a relationship with someone you no longer want to see, isn’t it? The same goes for emotionally isolating friendships. That’s why it’s crucial to set clear boundaries in relationships that repeatedly hurt your heart.

To help you recognize when it’s time to walk away, I’ve put together a list of five red flags to look out for in a toxic friendship.

Red Flag 1

They Downplay Your Achievements : Nobody likes to be demeaned all the time, and there is a thin difference between constructive criticism and constant demeaning behaviour received from a set of friends. Achievements are meant to be celebrated in a wholesome setting and if your friends are not your loudest cheerleaders then I am sorry to break it to you, but you have the wrong set of friends. A helpful friend will appreciate the hard work you’ve put in whatever you’ve excelled at. If you have a bad feeling about telling them about your good news then it’s time for you to let them go and focus on your healing.

Red Flag 2

They Can’t Be Happy For Your Success: Jealousy, envy and resentment are the root of evil in all relationships and this applies to friendship as well. Surround yourself with love, peace and people who are emotionally intelligent. If you feel like you are in a persistent competitive race with them, then it’s time for you to find a better set of friends that don’t drain your energy after every interaction.

Red Flag 3

They Gossip With You About Their Other Friends: If they gossip to you about their other friends, the chances are that they are gossiping about you to their other friends as well. Find a group of pals that is non-judgemental in their thoughts, actions and behaviour as well. That gossip is coming from demolition of someone else’s dignity and your best bet would be to stay away from all parts of it. As you may not know it, but with time that gossip mongering will target you and you’ll be accountable for it.

Red Flag 4

They Constantly Compare You With Their Other Friends : If they make condescending remarks and draw parallels between you and their other friends, they are actually seeking validation as a way of controlling every aspect of your life. Invading personal space and boundaries by making you uncomfortable is a sign of insecurity or jealousy. By trying to set you side by side with their other friend, they are indirectly dismissing your thoughts and feelings. Constant comparsion will bring you down on a psychological level, channel all your power into building and safeguarding your intrinsic identity.

Red Flag 5

They Manipulate You Into Taking Decisions: Manipulation works at its finest when people you think care about you, delude you in subtle ways. Some friends don’t even know that what they are doing is called manipulation, since they’ve been in an insecure environment themselves. What that manipulation does to you is that it leads to a perennial cycle of self-doubt and low self-esteem. Take your own decisions on your own and face the consequences head-on. Be bold and courageous, one decision at a time.

Final Thoughts

In case you feel that you’ve faced any of the above signs or red flags in a single friend or a group- then it’s time for you to re- evaluate and surround yourself with people who radiate positivity rather than walking on egg-shells all the time. Continual repetition of any of the mentioned signs can easily upset your mood and you will lose yourself to fearful cautiousness. Finding new friends can be particularly challenging and that is precisely why you can download Datsme to make your friendships easier as it connects you with people who share the same emotional bandwidth as you.

CITATIONS:

Change Your Life Forever. When to Walk Away: The 5 Signs It's Time to Cut Someone Off. https://changeyourlifeforever.co.uk/blog/personal-growth-and-development/emotional-triggers/when-to-walk-away-the-5-signs-its-time-to-cut-someone-off/

Hack Spirit. 9 Signs It's Time to Walk Away from a Friendship, According to Psychology. https://hackspirit.com/9-signs-its-time-to-walk-away-from-a-friendship-according-to-psychology/