Don't want to be friends with a toxic person? Here are 5 tips to end the friendship

Are you feeling that your friend is subtracting more from your life than what they are adding to it? Sometimes, there comes a point when we don’t feel connected to our friend who used to be our confidante. Just like any relationship, you get a feeling that  isn’t working anymore between you and your friend. You are no longer on the same page or share the same thoughts. 

But has it come to a point where you want to break up with your friend? While relationship breakups are notoriously hard, but ending a friendship is even more difficult. When you have been inseparable all this while, but suddenly things have taken a destructive turn, how do you extricate yourself from a toxic friendship? It is difficult, which is why we are sharing with you some tips that can help you break it off the right way. 

Here are 5 tips on how to end a friendship that is doing more damage than good. 

1- The first step is to come to terms with why it is necessary for you to end this friendship. Ask yourself if your friend is showing any of the following signs of a toxic friend. 

- They repeatedly treat you badly even after you tell them how you feel. 

- They belittle you and your accomplishments. 

- They get jealous of your success. 

- They lack empathy and understanding despite knowing everything. 

- You feel exhausted when you spend time together. 

- They tell others what you’ve told them in confidence. 

2- Be it a toxic relationship or a friendship, breakups can be incredibly messy if not approached in a clear way. You should come prepared with the reasons why you’re disappointed and want to end the friendship. Chances are your friend will be caught off guard by your desire to end things. Even if they have done you wrong, they deserve an explanation. You never know they might not have realised their mistake, but learning about the issue may give them a chance to mend things. 

3- Don’t fear confrontation. Be open to having a frank discussion with your friend so that each of you knows how you are feeling. If you were close friends, there has to be some kind of closure. 

4- Don’t play the blame game. While it might seem tempting to tell your friend that they ruined your life, but making such accusations will only make it worse. The thing is that friendships end often, and it isn’t always someone’s fault. 

5- If you don’t want to confront them, try the gradual fade-out method. Reduce social interaction with the other person if you know that they will not listen or accept what you will say. Instead of making it too obvious, you just have to become too busy to get together. It may seem harsh, but that is the best way if you want to avoid hurting or confronting them. 

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