“Life is too short, or too long, for me to allow myself the luxury of living it so badly.” ― Paulo Coelho

Friendships are very important in every person’s life.

Friends are the family we get to choose, so they are usually the first ones we turn to when we face a problem in life and the ones we want to share our happiness with.

They are our greatest supporters, and the source of love, compassion, respect, and fun. However, sometimes, our friends are more of a toxic than an enjoyable company, and such people can easily suck the happiness out of you.

According to Florence Isaacs, author of Toxic Friends/True Friends, toxic friends are demanding, unreliable, and stress you out. These friendships are unsatisfying, unsupportive, draining, and unrewarding.

Here are 5 types of friends you should drift away from:

1. The FAKE ONE

Stay away from fake people, those that compliment you, but keep saying bad things behind your back. These people are never there when you need them, and appear only when they need something from you.

2. The COMPLAINER

It is harmless if your friend likes to vent once in a while, but chronic complainers bring constant negative energy into your life that can kill you. Complainers are never satisfied with their life, claiming everything bad happens to them only. They are highly toxic and their world of misery can easily absorb you if you are not careful.

3. The CONSTANT DOUBTER

Doubters are jealous of you, always criticize you, and love to see you fail. In this way, they feel powerful and strong.

4. The SHOWOFF

These people are annoying, as they use every chance they get to brag about their perfect job, perfect partners, and perfect life, hinting that you are nowhere close to them.

5. The NAYSAYER

These people are constantly negative, never support you, and do not believe in you. They belittle your goals, destroy your hopes, and discourage your ideas. These people are reservoirs of negative aura, and never support anything you truly love.

Charles Figley Ph.D., professor, and director of the Psychological Stress Research Program at Florida State University says:

“Breaking up with anyone, whether it’s a spouse, love relationship, or a friend is not fun. It’s even more important in this kind of context. In contrast to a love relationship in which you recognize you aren’t compatible, this type of relationship is hurting you.”

Make sure you are always surrounded by the right people, the ones that do not kill your vibe. Friends should be the ones that make you happy and satisfied in life, not the ones that drain your energy and leave you feeling empty, and disappointed.

Julie Ward, a Toronto-based relationship coach explains that we attract the type of people who we share common behaviors with, and they mirror our stage of development.

Therefore, she advises:

“We teach people how to treat us. The people who come into our lives are just mirroring where we are in our own growth as individuals. It’s like magnets. We’re attracting them to us. To change that magnetism, we need to change who we are being.”

Sources:
stylecaster.com
www.greatbigminds.com
www.canadianliving.com