Am I In A Toxic Friendship?

Does your friend put you down?

Does your friend make you feel nervous?

Does your friend gossip?

Does your friend leave you unsettled?

Does your friend try to change you?

Does your friend apologize without sincerity?

Does your friend compare you to other people?

Does your friend put him/herself front and center — always?

Based on your answers, you are not in a toxic friendship. That is how it should be! Friends help us make life more meaningful. They can provide support when we need, they will make us laugh, and they will help us feel more satisfied with life. Maintaining good friendships can even make you live longer, and it will lower your risk of physical and mental health problems. Healthy friendships are, therefore, very important.

Based on your answers, you are displaying some signs of being in a toxic friendship. Friends make us feel happy, less lonely, and provide emotional and social support. However, some friendship may not have such positive effects. In worst cases, friendships can be toxic. Everyone has their good and bad days. On a bad day, people may react irritated and unkind. But the difference between a toxic friend and a friend who is just having a bad day, is that a good friend will apologize once things settle down, whereas a toxic friend is likely to have a pattern that never realty settles down. You may want to talk with your friend about your feelings, and maybe even reconsider your friendship if things don’t change.

Unfortunately, you are displaying various signs typically seen among individuals who are involved in a toxic friendship. Toxic friendships will bring you down instead of building you up. They will drain you mentally. They have a huge, negative impact on overall well-being. If you are spending time with people who show they don’t care about your feelings, your emotional and physical health will be affected. If your friend mostly brings you down instead of building you up, you may talk with him or her about your feelings, and maybe even reconsider your friendship if things don’t change.