Is Your Best Friend Draining You? How Psychologists Explain the Difference Between Healthy and Toxic Bonds
This might be your sign to finally walk away.
If you ever felt like talking to your bestie makes you feel worse than ever, you’re not alone. It might not be so obvious to everyone, but the relationship with your closest person can actually be the reason why you’re thinking about seeing a therapist.
In fact, as many psychologists have already explained, toxic friendship might even result in horrifying consequences for one’s mental health. The good news is that you can always walk away after seeing some clear signs.
How to Understand Your Friend Is Being Toxic to You?
According to numerous experts, the first signal is your unwillingness or even physical inability to go see that person, talk to them or listen to what they have to say. Unfortunately, this feeling is often suppressed by your desire to help your friend no matter what, even if they make you feel small and insignificant.
Apart from that, a toxic friend will demand from you something you aren’t able to give; it doesn’t only concern material things, but also your comfort zone that they will want you to leave. In the end, it’s you they will blame for everything without getting a full understaffing of the situation, so there’s no point in trying to prove your position.
Cutting Ties Is Still Better Than Ultimatum
In case you still try to find solutions for the conflicts with your friend, here’s your answer for the main question: psychologists suggest all kinds of ultimatum and arrangements just won’t work.
A toxic person’s behavior pattern can derive from a psychological trauma or rather mistakes of their parents who taught their child to see themselves as the one that should be loved and respected unconditionally. If you friend grew up with this thought in mind, there’s nothing you can do here but just cut all ties and stop answering messages or calls.
