Breaking Up with a Friend

Some people think that a romantic break up is difficult but breaking up with friends can be even harder. What do you do when years of sharing, partying and memories are slowly going down the drain? It's a situation that we never consider until we are in it. Unfortunately, friendships can become toxic as people grow and change. When two people who were once so close begin to drift apart, it can be extremely painful and confusing.

It's important to know the signs of a toxic friendship. Selfishness and jealousy tend to reign as the obvious ones. In most cases, you may never have seen it coming and suddenly your best friend is forgetting your birthday and faking happiness over your engagement. It does come as a shock, that moment you realize everything is falling apart. Sometimes growing means growing apart rather than together. Accepting this can be tough and you will most likely make several useless attempts at recreating the good old days before giving up.

Toxic friends are often very insecure people who seek a partner to share that with. This is something we seek in our friends, the ability to share those feelings that we would never dare to share with another. So what happens when one of you changes over time and the other does not? It's not uncommon to see the single friend consumed with jealousy when her best friend gets married or has her first child. In extreme cases this may lead to deceit on a great level. Some people are not able to accept change. Sadly, this will always lead to some form of destruction. A toxic friend cares little for the well being of others, focussing instead on internal wants and needs. Those who challenge your happiness are not friends at all.