Cutting off Toxic Friendship for your Mental Health

Cutting out Toxic Relationships or Friendship for your Mental Health

Often times we find ourselves in social situations that seem harmless at first, that over time really takes a toll on your mental health much like an energy vampire. It could be a friendship, a sibling or parent relationship, or even a significant other. It starts out innocently enough, you bond over work, school or a hobby, but eventually you realize there is something about the relationship that weighs you down. There are feelings of not really looking forward to their phone calls or your scheduled dates or hang outs. Often you ignore these red flags and carry on, feeling like this relationship is a dead weight or like the person is too negative or critical of you and your success. Often you’re left feeling drained after your interaction. The person can be overly competitive with you, put you down, or say things about other people you aren’t really comfortable with like back stabbing or gossip.

At times, it can be a parent or sibling who is struggling with their own anxiety and mental health conditions or who lash out at your or others. In which case, it would be better to keep a safe distance but still be there for them and reassure them things will be okay as well as to help them get the psychological first aid they need.

There are times however, when you will need to weigh whether or not certain people are still worth keeping in your life especially when they have already done a lot of damage to your mental health and self worth. There are also instances when you drift apart and your values no longer align. Sometimes the cons will outweigh the pros and you will need to remove these toxic people from your life for your own sense of inner peace. It is drastic and certainly takes a lot of self awareness and strength to do considering you and the person may have a lot personal history together. I learned from my experience however, though there is still grief involved with cutting out toxic friendships or relationships, it also creates a lot of room in your life. It is in this mind space of yours that they used to take up that the most amazing and uplifting growth will take place and you will find happiness unlike ever before.

Cutting out toxic friendships and relationships is not an easy task by any means. There will be a lot of guilt trips, manipulation, coercion and the person will try to reel you back in to their drama or dysfunctional dynamic but trust the process. Love and friendship is never supposed to be one sided. It is always free flowing and you will always feel the love and reciprocation on both ends regardless of time, space or distance. Love and friendship should ultimately support you and elevate you in order for you to help you attain your goals in this life. There are many kind beautiful souls who are willing to raise your frequency on this journey.

“The people you lose in your healing process are only meant to be with the unhealed version of you.”