Friends are supposed to be the people you can rely on for steady love, compassion, and support. One of the most heartbreaking things is when a friendship has turned toxic. In today’s article, we’ll be discussing how to recognize when you’re in an unhealthy relationship with a friend, how to effectively deal with it, and ultimately - how to end it.

Sometimes the hardest part about toxic friendships is simply recognizing it. However, this is the first difficult step that you need to take in order to move forward from the harmful relationship. Someone who puts you down and genuinely treats you badly is not a friend. Sadly it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been friends. If they’re mistreating you - they’re not somebody you should be surrounding yourself with. Friends should uplift and make you feel better about yourself.

Once you’ve reflected and recognized that this friend isn’t really who you thought they were, it’s time to figure out how you’re best going to deal with it. It can be difficult to completely cut off a toxic friend if you see them on a daily basis or they’re part of a mutual friend group. Some suggestions are to:

1. Hide them on your social media accounts
2. Change the way you react to their remark
3. Try to communicate less with them
4. Find effective ways to see them less
5. Finally, forget about them

Most of the time, people are being unnecessarily rude to those they are jealous of. This is in no way condoning their behavior, but it can be easier to let go of these friendships if you can understand why they’re acting the way they are. This really has nothing to do with you, it’s more about their own insecurities and ego getting the best of them. In the end, a true friend should celebrate your achievements and victories, not become jealous and hateful because of them. Most of the time they don’t even realize they’re putting you down or being toxic, it’s just the way they are and learning lessons to move on and find better people. It may feel difficult to cut off a toxic relationship, but just remind yourself that you are your number one priority.

We also let them linger around our lives and not address the issues. We get worried being alone rather than our own well-being. Keep in mind that it's not an overnight process. It can take several months, even years, to let go of that person. Once you finally do, you'll look back and realize how better your life is without them.

What do you appreciate most about the healthy relationships you have with your friends? What do you look for in a good friend? And have you dealt with a toxic friend before?