RELATIONSHIPS
4 Red Flags To Watch Out For In Your Friendships
By VANESSA ELLE
Friends Who Dismiss You
When you have problems or news to share with your friends, they should listen to you fully and acknowledge that what you're saying is important.
Dismissive friends will trivialize your experiences by saying they have it worse or brush off what you tell them as not being a big deal.
They Don’t Support You
Good friends are supposed to support you when you need them and speak highly of you when you’re not there, so if they do the opposite, it can be a red flag.
Lack of support will be easiest to spot when you go through joyous milestones like getting married, having a baby, or buying your first home.
They Exclude You
A sense of belonging is important when you’re with friends, so it’s not a good sign if your friends start leaving you out and excluding you from plans.
Social media has made it easier to see if you’ve been excluded, and if it’s a constant occurrence, it indicates that your friendship is not valued.
They Drain You
Friends should be making your life better, not harder. If they drain your energy, make you feel sad, or make you feel bad about yourself, then they’re probably not worth it.
Arguments between friends can happen, and that’s okay, but if you realize that you feel negative most of the time, it might be time to find some new friends.