Toxic “Friends”

By: Thumper

People say treat others the way you want to be treated, but nowadays people don’t seem to get that message. Friends are supposed to help you and bring your spirits up, so why do some people make others feel unwanted and helpless? In this article you will see that doing these things is unacceptable and how to deal with this.

The Beginning:

At first, you think you guys are best friends but then the first insult happens, then another one, and before you even realize it you are caught up in a toxic friendship. You might be thinking, “Well I’m just trying to help them,” but are you really going to stand there picking off everything wrong about them? Sure, friends can help their other friends by saying opinions in a positive way, but telling someone they are wearing too much make-up or saying their outfit looks bad is rude and annoying. Kids that have toxic friends go to school worrying that their “friends” will make fun of them saying, “You have worn that outfit too many times” or “Your hair is an absolute mess.” If a friend you have does this to you, the best thing to do is to quickly get out of that friendship. People should not have to be bullied by their supposed friend every single day and think that something is wrong with them because of it.

The Drama:

A major part of being in a toxic friendship is drama. You might see your words getting turned on you or an embarrassing thing you did when you were younger that even you forgot about get brought up. This is them trying to get in your head and the best thing to do is not retaliate because if you do they will know that they got to you and they will most likely continue bully you. Friends should not make fun of things you like or constantly try to be better than you at everything. People should not receive judgement from their friends, it hurts the person and no one should have to think they need to change themselves to be friends with another person.

Manipulative:

Eventually, the small insults will manipulate your mind into thinking you have to be them. Their manipulative ways can even turn you into someone your not, and the bad thing about this is that your real friends might see that and might distance themselves from you. If your friend tells you you are acting different you should change your attitude to things because if you don’t you might lose your only real friend and then will be stuck with the people who made you that way in the first place. Toxic friends can even make you fear them. You shouldn’t be scared to open a text from a person, fearing that it will be them saying how you did something wrong a week ago. They manipulate you to stay friends with them just so they can tell you what to do and make you feel bad about yourself. No one wants to have to care for someone who doesn’t care about them at all. It’s not right because friends should have eachothers back, one of them shouldn’t have to feel excluded or worthless because of the other person wrong doings.

Toxic “Friends” will act like they like you but in reality, they will talk behind your back. They will start drama, change you, and point out every insecurity you have. Best thing to do is leave the friendship and try your best to block them from your life. People shouldn’t be bullied everyday by someone they thought they could trust. They should feel welcomed and know that someone has got their back in any given situation. Bullying someone based on their appearance, likings, and the things they wear is unacceptable and should not be considered nice and helpful things.