Whether you’re a 13 year old male or 63 year old female, friendships are woven into many aspects of our lives. Friendship can have an impact on our careers, marriages, families, health, and sometimes even retirement. Although friendships usually provide positive contributions to our lives, they can also impact us negatively. Pop culture coined the phrase, Toxic Friend is defined as a friend who generally makes you feel drained, unsupported, and/or can be overly demanding of your time and attention. Sometimes healthy friendships evolve into toxic friendship which makes it especially hard to acknowledge the signs that the relationship has gone awry and even more difficult to address this transformation.
Below, I have included an image outlining common characteristics of a toxic friendship. If you think you have a toxic friend in your life, the first step is to recognize the friendship is toxic; acknowledgement is always the start to making a change. Secondly, set boundaries for yourself, practice saying no or standing up for what you need. Third, talk to other nontoxic friends and seek an objective opinion about whether you can salvage the friendship or if you need to let it go. Fourth, talk to your friend about seeking professional help. Your friend may need to talk to a mental health professional to work through life or relationship issues and help him get back on track. Finally if all else fails, ending the friendship may be the best thing to do. Please see the attached article below for additional details on handling toxic friendships.
http://www.webmd.com/…/f…/toxic-friends-less-friend-more-foe
Ending a friendship is painful and can create a feelings of sadness and loss. If you or someone you know in the Denver, CO area is in need of assistance working through a toxic friendship or other areas of your life, contact Chapin Counseling Services at 720-862-4224 or via email at [email protected] to set up a free, initial consultation.