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Have you ever had a perfect friendship turn sour?
Were you guys the best of friends,
but now you don't even talk at all?
Friendships change over time.
Some friendships strengthen and deepen,
or they can fall apart and become toxic.
If a friendship does become toxic,
it can be because people change,
personalities start to differ
and it can result in you and your friend
not getting along as well as you used to.
With that said,
here are seven signs your friendship has turned toxic.
One, you hesitate to share good news with them.
Are you afraid or hesitant to share good news
with your friend?
Do you find that you'd rather keep the good news
to yourself?
One reason you could be holding back is because you notice
that they seem jealous of you,
instead of being happy for you.
Your friend is envious that the same thing
isn't happening to them, too.
Feelings of jealousy can crop up when they view
your success as their failure,
or your friend could be looking for ways to one up you,
and choose to brag on themselves
when you tell them your good news.
This makes them feel that they look better than you.
Neither of these things are good mindsets
for a healthy friendship.
Two, you aren't comfortable around them.
Do you keep your guard up around them?
Are you uncomfortable speaking your mind?
Your hesitance in fully expressing yourself
is another sign of a toxic friendship.
According to psychologist Susan Heitler
and Sharon Livingston from Psychology Today,
walking on eggshells around your friends
is a sign that your relationship has changed for the worse.
Your friend may be very critical or explode on you
if you say the wrong thing.
They might get defensive when you disagree with them.
And this leads to you being extra cautious with your words
and behaviors around them.
Three, being around them stresses you out.
Did you know that being in a toxic relationship
can physically stress you out?
Toxic friendships can actually do damage to your body,
as well as your mind.
According to Hitler and Livingston from Psychology Today,
one of the many benefits of a good friendship is that it
boosts your immune system,
but a toxic one does the opposite.
The stress and anxiety from dealing with a toxic friendship
can cause headaches, physical weakness,
and stomach aches.
Four, your self-esteem is declining.
Have you been doubting yourself in your abilities
in ways that you hadn't before?
Is your friend's voice in your head
pointing out all of your faults?
In an article from Thrive Global
life coach Kelly Rudolph explains that toxic friends
will start to lower your self confidence.
They attack you with their words and find small ways
to insult you and tear you down.
When you've known someone for a long time
they know which buttons to push
and they make you feel down on yourself
with their repeated insults and rude comments.
Five, you can't get a word in.
Does your friends spend a lot of time talking about
themselves and never really asks about you?
According to an article from the Oprah Magazine
friendships with an imbalance in conversation
can turn toxic because it makes you feel like
you aren't being heard.
It's important to have an equal balance in communication.
Like when giving advice and asking for help.
When there's an imbalance,
you may feel like your needs are constantly downplayed
in favor of your friend's needs,
when the conversation always has to lead back to them.
Six, you feel drained.
Do you have a friend who drains you
more than they energize you?
When you have a friend who's always in the middle of
some drama or going through an emotional crisis,
this can be draining on you.
You may find yourself immediately consoling your friend,
giving them advice and being put in a kind of therapist role
as their friend.
If you find yourself constantly being the shoulder to cry on
this can lead to you feeling overwhelmed
and wiped out due to their high emotional needs.
And seven, you feel used.
Does your friend only call you when they need something
like a ride or for homework help?
Does it sometimes feel like they're taking advantage of you?
If a friend asks for help and you're willing to give it,
that's totally fine.
But if it's the only time your friend
gets in contact with you,
it shows that they're just using you
and they don't truly value your friendship.
Do you think you have any friends like this?
Did we miss any other signs of toxicity between friends?
Let us know in the comments.
Please like and share this video
if it helped you,
and you think it could help someone else, too.
The studies and references used are listed
in the description below.
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We'll see you next time.