Eight Types of “Toxic” Friends And How to Respond
We all have different types of friends that we will meet in our lifetime. But sometimes those friendships can be or turn toxic and we need to know how to approach them. So today, I am going to be talking about the types of friends you will meet in your life and how to handle each on if you're relationship turn toxic.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a professional and if you need professional help, you should get it from someone who’s been to college and has studies these things. I just want to help with the little things and give some advice based on what works for me. I’m not saying this works fro everybody.
- The Social Butterfly
The Social Butterfly is the friend who is friends with everybody. They are not always toxic, but can turn toxic over time. If you don’t want to be a part of a big friend group, it can be hard to talk to this person in public places. If you have to talk with this friend, the best thing to do is to try and set a date to hang out just the two of you, and if they invite another friend over tpp, it might be time to tell them how you feel.
The One-upper
The One-Upper is the friend who always has to have a better or worse life than you. If you get a good grade on the test, they always have to have a better grade. Or if you were in a scary situation, they always have to be in a scarier one. Sometimes this can make you feel boring, or like you don’t matter. It’s best to tell them in a calm way, and if that doesn’t work, if they can’t understand, then that might not be a real friend.
The Adventurer
While at first it may seem like you are having the time of your life with this person, The Adventurer can start to pressure you to do things you don’t want to. Something you know is wrong or will get you in trouble. Whether they are trying to get you to watch a movie that is too scary for you, or pressuring you to do something dangerous, you have to feel comfortable doing what they are trying to get you to do. The best thing to do when they start pressuring you to do something dangerous is to know how to say “no”.
The Gossip
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You know that friend who is always sharing stories about other people? At first it might be fun to hear all the rumors, but these may not even be true. And when they start sharing their friend’s secrets, how do you know they’re not sharing yours too. The best thing to do here is to not share anything too personal with them, or just stop being friends with them
The Slacker
The friend that never reaches out to you or cancels plans. This friend doesn’t make an effort to reach out to you or schedule plans to hang out. And when you do finally schedule a time to hang out, they always bail on you. The best thing to do here is to stop trying to make an effort. It’s not fair on you, and it drains your energy and makes you feel like a bad person.
The Gaslighter
The friend that always has to make you seem like you’re wrong. Even if you aren’t wrong or did nothing wrong, The Gaslighter can make you feel like you are. This can lead to lower self-esteem and unnecessary stress. The best thing to do is to realize when you really did do something wrong, and when you didn’t, or just remove yourself from those situations entirely.
The Drama Magnet
That friend who always has a problem and make your their personal therapist, but when you try to tell them something, they always go back to themselves. This can lead to stress and anxiety, and can make you not want to be around this person. You probably shouldn’t.
The Energy Vampire
When just hanging out becomes too much stress and take to much energy. Either they only talk about themselves, or they make you do everything. The best thing to do is just to not hang out with this person.
I hope this was helpful to you. And again, I can’t stress the fact enough, that this is not professional help, and might not help everyone. If you need professional help, you should not come to these. I just want to give my personal experiences and try to help if I can.
