I have addressed the topic of toxic friendships here on my blog more than once, but I feel like it is a topic I can revisit since it is, unfortunately, relevant to so many of us.
What comes to mind when you think about a healthy, positive friendship? Arguably support, understanding, fun, entertainment, trust, communication and many other positive attributes. While some of these attributes may exist in toxic, or negative relationships, they do not, for the most part, make up the majority of the friendship. You may have a friend that is supportive or understanding, but perhaps these characteristics only become apparent when they are in need of something, or if they require something you have to offer them. You may have a friend that seems trustworthy, however, after a while, you begin to realize that some of the private information you have told them has circulated back to you from a different source.
It can be tricky to determine whether or not a friendship is becoming or has turned toxic, but a key indicator is when someone starts to use the friendship for their own gain. Rather than being a good friend because the friendship is something they value, they become a good friend only when it benefits them, if that makes sense.
I have had my fair share of fallouts in friendships, and some of them were by my doing.
Do I regret breaking off these friendships? Not in the slightest.
The thing about toxic friendships is that you often fail to realize how destructive they are until you remove them from your life, or until you experience what truly is a genuine, healthy friendship. It may take drastic changes to purge your life of those who are only bringing you down, but I promise it will pay off tremendously in the long run.
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