3 ways to end a toxic friendship

Friends are the best... until they're the worst, which is when things can get really problematic. Friends are the worst when they make things worse. It's possible that you're dealing with a toxic friendship if you've been feeling put down, belittled, uncomfortable, or pressured in any way.

It can be a great pain to be in a toxic friendship, and it can be difficult to figure out how to handle the situation. Check out our guide to coping with toxic friendships for some pointers if you're serious about making this relationship work. If you've made an effort but your buddy isn't willing to meet you halfway, it may be time to consider gently ending the friendship, despite the fact that it will be difficult to do so.

When you are experiencing a lot of strong feelings, it is a difficult decision to make to cut ties with a friend because they have wronged you in some way. It's possible that you and your friend will be able to sort things out once you've had some time to collect your thoughts; the decision of whether or not you want to maintain the friendship is entirely up to you. After getting through challenging times together, many people discover that their friendships may become deeper and more meaningful with only a little bit of time and perseverance invested in them.

If you feel as though there is no escape from a poisonous friendship, the following are some options to explore for terminating the relationship.

Put them out of mind.

The slow fade is only successful if both of you are working toward the same goal and are investing equal amounts of effort into maintaining your friendship. This technique avoids conflict and is frequently successful as a result.

Try your hand at some of these things:

• Reduce the number of times that you call or message them. If you were texting three times a week, try cutting back to twice a week, and then once a week if that doesn't feel like enough.

• If the fact that you are all part of the same group makes it difficult, you could find it helpful to restrict your catch-ups to topics related to the group itself, since this will make your interactions with one another less intimate.

No matter how you decide to do it, breaking off a friendship is never an easy task. Keep in mind that a healthy fade-out may only occur if both of you are moving in separate directions. If it isn't mutual, this could give your friend the impression that you are ignoring them or that you are passing judgment on them. For instance, if they ask you why you're not hanging out with them, this indicates that the fade-out isn't mutual. Another indicator is if you continue to talk to them.

If this is the case, or if you simply want to be forthright about terminating the friendship, having a straightforward conversation to clear the air may be the most effective course of action for you to take.

Put an end to the friendship in a formal way.

This approach entails having a conversation with the individual in question, during which you break the news to them that your friendship is finished. This is a fairly challenging choice that demands a lot of bravery on your behalf, much like ending a relationship with a partner would require a lot of fortitude. The best part is that it provides you and the other person with the chance to bring everything into the open and find resolution.

By reading this, you will find out how to carry on a conversation with your friend.

Get rid of them completely.

This is not acceptable behavior on the part of your friend if they behave abusively against you in any way, be it physically, emotionally, or psychologically; for example, if they put you down by calling you names, physically hurt you, threaten you, or manipulate you. You are under no obligation to them, and you have every right to remove yourself from the predicament if you so choose.

Delete or block someone on social media or anywhere else that they might be able to contact you in order to terminate your friendship with them. If you attend the same high school or university as they do, do what you can to avoid being enrolled in any classes at the same time.

But keep in mind that severing ties with a buddy might have significant repercussions. Your friend could start acting hostile or cruel toward you, and as a result, you might lose some of the pals you share in common. Raising awareness among your friends about what's going on and asking them to be there for you as support It is in your best interest to let them know that you do not expect them to take a side in the conflict.

You owe it to yourself to end a poisonous friendship in order to improve your own mental health. If you cut ties with a buddy who is harmful to your mental health, you will relieve yourself of a great deal of negativity and be able to focus on being true to who you are.