Toxic friendships: 8 ways to let them go - AKUA MIND & BODY (2024)

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Friendships and social networks are essential for our well-being. We also get to choose our friends, so we expect friendships to be drama-free, unlike family relationships. That's why we often don't see how deeply toxic friendships can impact our lives, work and well-being.

While a good friendship can make you feel safe, content, wanted, and respected, a toxic friendship can leave you feeling endlessly drained, exhausted, and worried. But when are friendships considered toxic? Toxic is a word we use to describe behavior that poisons or breaks relationships. A friend may have betrayed our trust, refused to do a favor, or become cold or distant.

As a result of holding on to friendships that negatively impact you, you may begin to experience inner conflict that can cause frustration, depression, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

It's not always easy to assess where your relationship stands, but understanding the signs of toxic friendships is essential to your well-being and self-care. Here are some signs to look for in an unhealthy relationship:

• Negative competition:You feel constantly under pressure to compete with each other. Every activity you participate in becomes a competition that reflects a negative rivalry.
• Selfish behavior:A toxic friend may always want you to compromise, adjust or postpone your plans so that your priority becomes theirs. They usually don't care about your agenda and often make plans that ignore it.
• Selfish behavior:A toxic friend may always want you to compromise, adjust or postpone your plans so that your priority becomes theirs. They usually don't care about your agenda and often make plans that ignore it.
• Landscape:They often do not encourage you in all your efforts. Instead of offering support, they criticize.
• Imitation:A bad friend may want to buy or do the exact same thing you do, not as a healthy bond, but to attract the praise and compliments you receive.
• Jealousy :In a toxic friendship, it is not uncommon for your friend to become jealous of you, your achievements, appearance, or clothes.
• Constant criticism:All you can hear from your friend is criticism and judgment. They usually don't give advice, but only criticism of your choices.
• To discredit you:A toxic friend will tend to discredit your progress and milestones, leaving you with low self-esteem and doubt.
• Lay:Revealing secrets you've confided in is a sign that a friend may not have your best interests at heart. They may constantly tell lies, making it difficult to trust your friend.

Effects of toxic friendships on your health.

Furthermore, these types of relationships can even affect your immune system. Constant stress can lead to heart, respiratory and gastrointestinal problems.

Treatment at AKUA

At AKUA Mind & Body, our clinical team understands the importance of maintaining good mental health. We believe that it is important to provide high quality care to clients so that they can heal from various types of mental illness. We provide specialized treatment programs for men and women with trauma, co-occurring mental health disorders, and substance use disorders in Northern and Southern California. For more information about our treatment programs, please call our 24-hour inpatient helpline at 833-AKUA-NU for a confidential assessment.