8 Types of Friends You Should Avoid Keeping

There is a difference between friends who lift you and those who pull you down. The disparity here lies in the impact these friends make in your life. Some friends, despite being in your life for ages may be causing more harm than good without you knowing. According to psychology, there are specifically 8 types of friends that are not worth keeping around you and the earlier you identify them the quicker you can return to a healthy state of mind and wellbeing.

1. The Energy Drain Friend

Friendship should offer joy and support, but some friends can become more of a burden than a blessing. The energy drains are those friends who constantly make you feel exhausted and overwhelmed. Psychologists have made it clear that our emotional state is continuously influenced by the company we keep hence if you continually feel drained after seeing a friend, it is a sure sign they are energy drain. They are characterized by always complaining and playing the victim hence they rely on your emotional support but won’t reciprocate when you need them.

2. The Fair-weathers

These friends are always around when the times are good and mysteriously disappear when times are bad. These are friends that only care about the fun and celebration times, hence they come up with exciting plans. But when you need their help in the challenging times, they wouldn’t be there to assist.

Fair-weather friends are particularly bad for your mental well-being because they create some sense of false security. Remember, a true friend must always stick by your side through thick and thin.

3. The One-Upper Friends

The one-upper is that friend who always has a better story or a worse sickness than yours. These are friends who will always want to make their stories better than yours, for instance, if you tell them about your achievement, they certainly want to tell you about a bigger one they had.

These are friends that are not interested in your feelings, instead, they want to prove to you always that life is more exciting for them or more difficult for them than you. This kind of attitude can damage a relationship, and we all should have mutual respect and understanding for each other.

4. The Unrelenting Critic

Friendship should elevate you and not bring you down. But sometimes, you may end up in a relationship with a constant critic, and that is a friend who never misses an opportunity to spot your flaws or criticize your choices.

Constructive criticism can be helpful in a healthy relationship but negative negatively can be highly damaging. Destructive criticism will erode self-esteem and can make you question your worth.

These are the friends who often disguise criticism as concern or helpful advice. Remember a true friend will celebrate your achievements and lift you while criticizing you constructively when necessary.

5. The Gossip Monger Friend

We do have those friends who can’t resist a juicy piece of gossip, hence they tend to have the latest scoop on everyone else. If they talk about others behind their back, there are chances they talk about you too.

Gossip mongers thrive on drama and can even create one within their friends’ circles. They can share secrets of others or spread rumors that can harm relationships and reputations. They often do these things to feel better about themselves or to fit in a group but in the long run, this attitude often leads to distrust and fractured relationships.

If you have a gossipmonger in your life, then you should take a step back and check if their actions align with the kind of friendship or relationship you want to cultivate.

6. The Self-centered friend

Friendships should be a two-way thing but sometimes you may end up with friends who think everything is all about them. Self-centered friends tend to turn every conversation back to themselves. This behavior can make you feel unheard and unimportant, it may seem as if your feelings don’t matter to them.

Friendships should always be about mutual give-and-take, and both parties should have an equal opportunity to listen, share, and support each other.

7. The Flaky Friend

This is the type of friend that gets you stood up or constantly reschedule and this is one attitude that sucks. They are the types of friends that send in a last-minute cancellation.

Flaky friends make plans but rarely follow through hence they can make you feel less important and overlooked because your feelings are not important to them. Their inconsistencies can lead to mistrust and insecurity.

Friendships must be based on mutual trust and respect which means one must value the plans and schedule agreed with others. Constantly letting others down might force them to rethink their place in your life.

8. The Toxic Friend

A toxic friend is the most damaging type of friend you should avoid. These are the ones who can do anything to belittle you and manipulate your feelings, thus creating a negative environment around you. These friends can make a huge impact on your mental health, thus creating stress anxiety, and even depression.

They can make you feel small and unworthy by constantly pushing your boundaries and disregarding your values. You should know that nobody deserves to be treated poorly hence you must pay attention to the signs of toxic friendship as early as you can, to protect your mental health and overall wellbeing.

Final Thoughts: You Have the Power of Choice

This piece has given us a reason to understand the kind of friends that are not worth keeping in a relationship. It should empower us to make more informed decisions, especially within our social circles. Remember, the quality of your friendships will significantly influence your happiness and mental health, and that is why it can be somehow more beneficial to have a smaller circle of supportive and uplifting friends than a large network filled with negativity and toxicity. To this end, you need to constantly reflect on your relationships and make choices that will prioritize your well-being. Your relationships should bring joy and positivity into your life.