You might think it’s easy to spot toxic friends, but you could be letting people into your life without realizing that they’re bad news. There are lots of toxic friends that walk into your life and seem awesome, but then they transform into people who manipulate you or treat you badly. Here are 11 toxic friends you need to lose by the time you’re 30 so you don’t waste your life on bad people.
1. The Energy Vampire
This is the type of friend who’s all too common. They make you feel drained of energy when you’re around them. Maybe they love complaining or they always have a list of problems that they expect you to solve. It’s a 24-hour job! If you always need a day of sleep after seeing them, that’s a red flag they’re sucking your energy.
2. The Competitor
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Some people think they have to be better than everyone around them. The competitive friend thinks everything’s a competition, such as when it comes to having the better career/side hustle/relationship. You always feel like your friend wants to one-up on you on everything, instead of being supportive. While they come across as confident, they’re actually low on self-esteem.
3. The Drama Magnet
Having a friend who loves drama can be entertaining at times, like when they’re the life of the party, but it can also be stressful. They might attract drama everywhere they go, such as by getting into fights or causing drama in your life. It’s toxic behavior that you don’t need in your life – your friend’s holding you back from peace and happiness! (P.S. You can also cut bad romantic matches out of your life by checking out our sister site, Sweetn. The use science and the power of your own mind to do it in just a few weeks.)
4. The Party Pal
Some friends are only around when you’re going through happy times. When you hit an obstacle, they disappear into thin air. They only want to be there for the good times, when you can laugh and party together. They’re not a friend you can rely on when you need emotional support, so you should seriously consider if they’re worth having around at all.
5. The Manipulator
If your friend’s always trying to get their way, they could be using or manipulating you. Maybe they’re always around when they need something from you and they guilt-trip you when you’re unable to assist them. Or, they might belittle you for the other friends you have in your circle, as a way to isolate you from them. It’s so toxic!
6. The Green-Eyed Friend
Your friend could be jealous of you while trying not to show it. But, there are ways to spot a green-eyed pal. They might become silent when you achieve your dreams or make you feel bad for getting into a relationship because they’re single. Or, they try to outshine you whenever they can, which makes you wonder what their intentions really are. You don’t need the negativity.
7. The Harsh Critic
Being friends with someone who keeps criticizing you is not fun. They might pretend to be looking out for you, but in reality they’re bringing you down because it makes them feel better about themselves. So messed up. Seriously, they should deal with their issues instead of letting them spill into your life, because they’re a friendship wrecking ball.
8. The Betrayer
Your friend’s truly toxic if they break your trust. They might do this by flirting with your partner, not keeping your secrets, or gossiping about you behind your back. Yikes. Although you might want to set some boundaries with this friend to protect yourself (too much emotional closeness is a no-no), it might be better to completely cut them out of your life.
9. The Dream Killer
When you share your dreams with your friend, do they support you? If not, they’re toxic. They might try to rain on your parade by making you doubt yourself or making you feel like you’re not good enough to achieve success. If you feel drained or nervous as soon as you express your dreams or goals, you shouldn’t share them with your friend. They’re intimidated by you and threatened by your success. Huh, so much for being a friend.
10. The Ghoster
A friend who ghosts you from time to time isn’t a genuine friend. Their behavior is hurtful, because they can’t be consistent with you and you never know if they really care about you. A ghoster is selfish and only cares about what they need, which is why they’ll rock up when it’s convenient for them to be around. You wouldn’t put up with this toxic behavior from a partner, so why should you accept it in your friendships?
11. The Wannabe Life Coach
If your friend keeps trying to change you, such as when it comes to your appearance, life choices, or beliefs, you’re not being accepted for who you are. It sucks. Your friend’s insecure and has their own issues, but they turn their attention onto trying to make you something you’re not. Enough is enough! Block your ears to their crazy ideas, or cut them out so you can prevent them from getting to you.
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