9 Friendship Related Red Flags You Need To Watch Out For
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Let’s be real—toxic friendships happen to the best of us. Sometimes, two individuals are simply incompatible, and the only way to work around it is to distance yourself away from someone who might be a bad influence in your life. Sometimes, even friendships that last decades can turn out to be toxic as you grow older, and misunderstandings enter the picture. However, the good thing is that there are plenty of ways you can notice it when your friendship might be taking a turn for the worse. Just like relationships have red flags, so do toxic friendships. If you find yourself stuck in a super controlling or even abusive relationship, you will need to get out of it for the better. So, here are a few signs that your friendship with someone could be taking a turn for the worse:
1. There’s Too Much Drama
If your friend seems to consistently attract drama wherever they go, then it might be a sign that they are toxic. Toxic friends seem to attract drama and other negative people and will always end up dragging you in the middle of it. Chaos always seems to surround toxic friends, and they often tend to get on the wrong side of other people.
2. They Constantly Put You Down
If you notice that your friend is always putting you down in front of others and doing the same to other people, then that is a major red flag. Even if they feel the need to criticize you, they should do it behind closed doors and not in a public space. Even if they do compliment you occasionally, you’ll notice that they put you down more than they praise you and seem to revel when a specific part of your life might not be functioning well.
3. They Never Own Up To Their Mistakes
If you notice that you find yourself continually being the bigger person and apologizing even for the smallest of things, that’s a major red flag too. Positive and kind people will be ready to accept their mistakes and have a sense of accountability. Clearly, your friend needs to have a personality overhaul before deciding whether you want to continue with this friendship or not.
4. They Cannot Respect Your Boundaries
Toxic people refuse to respect people’s boundaries. If you’re someone who has certain boundaries set in place and you notice that your friend is continuously overstepping them and refusing to respect your space despite informing them earlier, they are a sign of trouble. Friends are supposed to respect when you’re having issues and not keep crossing over and purposely trying to hurt you.
5. They Try To One Up You
There’s nothing wrong with some friendly competition, but if you notice that your friend is constantly trying to one-up you and compete, then it’s another red flag. You need to accept that they might be super toxic if they are competing with you, especially when it comes to your career, personal life, and even talents, for that matter.
6. They Copy Aspects Of Your Personality
There’s nothing worse than having a copycat friend. If you notice that your friend is trying to copy aspects of your personality or the way you dress, this is another sign that they may be toxic. There are certain aspects of each other’s personalities that fuse and blend with every friendship, but if you notice that the copying has gone too far, you need to re-evaluate your friendship.
7. They’re Extremely Needy
Another sign of a toxic friend is that they are super needy and always possessive of you. If you notice that your friend is still fighting with you over you spending time with other friends, or they continuously expect you to take time out of your busy schedule and spend time with them, it’s a massively toxic trait.
8. You Always Have To Be The Responsible One
Sure, there’s nothing wrong with being the mom/dad friend now and then, but if you notice that you’re frequently being made to be the mom friend, that’s a bad sign. How can you have fun and enjoy yourself when you have to keep a constant eye on your friend and make sure they don’t do anything impulsive or crazy?
9. They Lie To Gain Sympathy
Toxic friends are highly skilled at playing the victim card. They have no issues walking over others to get what they want. They will also try to gain others’ sympathy by lying and trying to turn them against you when you choose to walk away from the friendship. If you notice that you always find your friend being a compulsive liar, it might be a sign that they are a super toxic friend.
If you notice any of these signs during your friendship with someone, you should try walking away as soon as possible. Rather than letting a toxic relationship fester and move forward, you should be open to letting things go. Sure, it might feel scary to let go, especially if you’ve driven a lot of your other friendships to take a backseat because of this toxic person. Do let us know if you agree with the points we’ve mentioned in this article.
