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8 Warning Signs Of A Toxic Friendship So You Know When To Step Away

8 Warning Signs Of A Toxic Friendship So You Know When To Step Away

Friendship
By Wei Yin on 26 Aug 2020
Digital Editor

Friends are the sunshine of life and it's always great to have them by your side through thick and thin. But there are also people who disguise themselves as friends and take advantage of you and your kindness.

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Toxic friendships are more common than you think so here are eight warning signs of a friendship that will do you more harm than good.

Read on to find out more!

#1 They belittle you 

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They make fun of your insecurities, are constantly putting you down, never compliment you and often make you feel stupid when you are excited or talking about something you are passionate about.

Such friends are never truly happy for you when you achieve something and you usually feel drained after hanging out with them.

#2 They only talk about themselves

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They never want to listen to what you have to say or always make things about them especially when you are confiding in them. They go on and on about themselves when you are hanging out together and when it's your turn to talk, they are usually distracted or doesn't show any interest.

You feel even more crappy after talking to them when all you wanted was to have a listening ear.

#3 They often cross the line

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They constantly do things that you are not comfortable with, don't give you space and say things that hurt you even when you have told them about it before.

They also make you feel like you are the one in the wrong when you get angry or express your feelings about the things they have done to you.

#4 They can't keep a secret

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You tell them something in confidence and the next day, other people know all about the secret. They tell you they will never let the cat out of the bag but it turns out they were lying and simply couldn't keep a secret you trusted them with.

This is one of the most obvious signs of a toxic friendship. If they can't keep it a secret, it says a lot about their personality.

#5 They never apologise

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They never apologise even though they are clearly at fault or apologise halfheartedly without any sincerity. They say things like "I'm sorry if you felt that way", making you feel like you were being oversensitive.

They become defensive when you point out the things they have done to hurt you.

#6 They are never there for you

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They always need your help but when you are in need, they are never there. They brush your problems under the rug and don't try to help or be there for you.

They may be dealing with their own set of problems but if you feel that you are the one constantly giving but not getting anything fulfilling in return, it could very much be a toxic friendship.

#7 They make you feel like crap 

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They spread their toxicity to you and make you feel like crap when and after hanging out with them. You may find yourself doing things you don't like or are not comfortable with when you are with them.

If you feel lousy after hanging out with them, it shows that the friendship will definitely do more harm than good.

#8 They make you question the friendship

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You often ask yourself why you are friends with them and this is another obvious sign that you are not happy in that friendship. They probably do things mentioned in the points above that make you question why you are still friends with them.

If your friends are nothing like what we have mentioned above, congrats! But if you feel that you are in a toxic friendship, know that it is okay to step away and to put yourself first.

While you are here, check out our other friendship and love related articles:

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Text by: GirlStyle SG