You want to surround yourself with people who uplift you and make you feel positive, not ones who leave you exhausted enough to sleep for a week. Sadly, many types of people are draining if you don’t have healthy boundaries with them. They’ll bring you down and completely ruin your life if you let them. Limit your time with these 16 types of people — you’ll be much happier for it.
1. The Complainer
Some people have strong negative energy and seem to bring it everywhere they go. Whether you’re shopping, eating at a restaurant, or hanging out with them, they’ll always find something to complain about, which makes everyone around them feel uncomfortable. They can never just be happy and it’s super exhausting.
2. The Drama Lover
Everyone has that friend who seems plagued by drama. Everything’s an emergency they’re always on a rollercoaster of emotions whenever you’re around them because they thrive on chaos. You might feel stressed when you see their name pop up on your phone or wonder what drama they’re trying to pull you into now. Switch your phone off sometimes and save yourself the frustration.
3. The Eternal Victim
Someone who always plays the victim card loves seeking sympathy. They always behave as though the world’s out to get them and nothing is ever their fault, and it becomes tiring very quickly. They don’t seem to realize that they should take some responsibility for their life instead of blaming everyone else. (BTW, if you always end up in relationships with people like the ones on this list, you need to visit our sister site, Sweetn. They use science and the power of your mind to completely change your love life in a matter of weeks!)
4. The Optimism Sucker
You might call this person an energy vampire. They seem to feed off your positive energy so that by the time you leave them, you feel down or drained even though you were psyched before. It’s like they can’t handle seeing anyone who’s upbeat or they’re jealous of your sunny disposition. If you don’t watch out, you’ll end up being just as negative as them.
5. The Chronic Gossiper
Someone who’s always ready to lower their voice and talk about other people will bring you down. While the gossip might be fun at first, you eventually realize that this behavior is only making you look petty, immature, and untrustworthy. You might also worry that they can’t be trusted because they’re likely talking about you behind your back in the same way.
6. The Control Freak
Hanging out with someone who wants to control everything about you is intense. They make you feel like you’re always walking on eggshells, waiting for them to blow up if you say or do something they don’t agree with. You might also feel like you’re never going to be good enough for them, which is toxic. Who are they to tell you how to live?
7. The Unhelpful Friend
You want to surround yourself with people who support you and cheer you on, but some fake friends will pretend to care about you when times are good only to disappear when you actually need them. They’re obviously not interested in doing the real work to maintain your friendship, and you only realize you’ve been wasting your own time and energy when it’s too late.
8. The Selfish Communicator
Some people can make you feel down whenever you’re in their presence because they’re so selfish. Maybe they always want to talk about themselves and totally ignore your needs because it’s all about them, or they’re masters of oneupmanship and always have to outdo you. Conversations with them are exhausting and you feel like you can never keep up. You’re probably better off not even trying.
9. The Taker
Your relationship is unbalanced if the other person is always demanding your time and energy but they never seem to give you anything in return. Maybe they have no shame about crossing your boundaries and guilt-tripping you to get what they want. However, whenever you ask them for anything, they act like it’s a major inconvenience. Talk about exhausting!
10. The Judge
Someone who constantly criticizes you is trying to break you down and destroy your self-esteem. You shouldn’t have to feel like you’re never good enough for them when they’re supposed to be someone who cares about and supports you. If they have more negative things to say than positive ones, they’re not just draining, they’re toxic. Get rid of them!
11. The Competitor
Being around someone who keeps trying to compete with you about everything can make you feel like you can’t keep up with them, not that you should have to. They try to outshine you in every area of life, from your career to your relationships and everything in between. They obviously only feel validated if they think they’re better than everyone else, even the people they supposedly care about.
12. The Jealous Faker
If someone’s secretly jealous of you, they might seem like they care about you, but they just want to bring you down. They’re pretending to be your friend, and if you really pay attention, you can see it in their fake smiles and how they belittle you so you feel like you’re nothing special.
13. Â The Worst-Case Scenario Friend
It’s great if the people in your life care about you enough to make you consider the worst-case scenarios so you can prepare yourself for life’s curveballs. However, it’s not cool if they only focus on the things that can go wrong. Talk about raining on your parade! You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life.
14. The Self-Centered Narcissist
Someone who’s got narcissistic tendencies is likely also extremely self-centered. They only care about themselves and what they want, which often sees your needs being left unmet. You always end up having to cater to what they want, which drains you of your resources.
15. The Therapist Seeker
You should be there for your friends, of course, but it’s not fair if you’re always expected to be their sounding board 24/7. Your friend might call you late at night for advice or spend hours trauma-dumping on you, and it quickly becomes too much for you to handle. They’re really looking for a therapist, not a friend.
16. The Button Pusher
Some people walk around looking for a fight. They know how to push your buttons to elicit a reaction and they do it often. Maybe they dish you backhanded compliments or they’re passive-aggressive. When confronted, they might pretend that they’re not seeking conflict, but you just can’t deny that you feel drained around them. Cut them out of your life ASAP.
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