Florence Isaacs, author of Toxic Friends/True Friends, explains to WebMD that a toxic friendship is unsupportive, draining, unrewarding, stifling, unsatisfying, and often unequal. Isaacs goes on to say that toxic friends stress you out, use you, are unreliable, are overly demanding, and don't give anything back.
Psychologist Şirin Atçeken says: “An unhealthy friend is someone who is never supportive and is maliciously competitive, or uses your success to get ahead themselves. Toxic individuals can also often lie to make themselves look better than others.
But remember, cutting off a friendship can have major consequences. Your friend could become aggressive or cruel towards you, and you might lose some of your mutual friends. Make your friends aware of the situation and have them there for you as support.
At times, one person may need more than the other. But if a friend is constantly a taker and rarely a giver, it's not a balanced friendship. If you're always there for them but they don't do the same for you, it may be a sign to move on.
Toxic friends will make you feel bad, small, stressed, or uncared for in one way or another, whether it's through talking about you behind your back, subtle manipulation, codependence, or disregarding your feelings and experiences.
So, being too busy, citing excuses, or flaking out on you every time you need help or support is one of the unmistakable signs your friend doesn't truly care about you.
If you share something positive from your life, a friend dealing with jealousy might respond by sharing something similar, only bigger or better. In other words, you may notice a pattern of behavior where they not only imitate you, but also try to go one step farther.
The Leech. This type of friend always needs you and expects you to drop everything when they call. While it is important to be a supportive friend, with this type of friend, you have to set boundaries. If you do not, after a while, this type of friend will drain your energy and your time.
The four behaviours are Blaming, Contempt, Defensiveness and Stonewalling. Relationship expert Dr John Gottman termed these "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" as they spell disaster for any personal or professional relationship.
Friend poaching (sometimes called social poaching) is the phenomenon of introducing two of your friends to each other and as a result, the two friends form a connection, independent of you, leaving you behind in the proverbial dust.
The negative behaviour of a toxic friend can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and stress. According to a study by the Mental Health Foundation, 68% of people who experienced a toxic friendship reported that it affected their mental health.
Which of the Big 5 personality traits most negatively impacts friendships?
Neuroticism, because of its links to negative affect and reactivity (Lahey, 2009), often contributes to higher levels of interpersonal conflict (Harris & Vazire, 2016) . ...
Things You Should Know. Friendship red flags include: When a friend insults you, belittles you, or downplays your achievements. A friend making everything all about themself and only coming to you when they need a favor.
Even if you've been friends with someone for a long time, people can grow apart or no longer put equal effort and care into the relationship. If you can't count on them, or feel like you're doing all the work to maintain the friendship, it's okay to go with your gut and cut it off.
