Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Ekateryna Zubal

Toxic Friend? 21 Red Flags That They’re Not In Your Corner

Ever had that moment when you’re halfway through replying to a mate’s message and suddenly think, “Hold on, why am I stressing over this?” You might just be entangled in the not-so-cosy embrace of a toxic friendship. These red flags are as clear as the need for an umbrella on a cloudy day in Manchester.

1. The Ghoster

Image Credit: Shutterstock / fizkes

Vanishes more often than your resolve to give up crisps. Getting a reply is as rare as a quiet moment in Piccadilly Circus.

2. The Drama Magnet

Image Credit: Shutterstock / fizkes

Attracts chaos like a seagull to a chip. Suddenly, you’re less of a friend and more of an unpaid therapist.

3. The Competition

Image Credit: Shutterstock / fizkes

Every story you have, they’ve got one to top it. It’s like being in a never-ending game where the only prize is frustration.

4. The Social Media Hawk

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley

They’re all over your online life, liking and commenting. Yet, face-to-face, you get less interaction than from a brick wall.

5. The Last-Minute Bail

Image Credit: Shutterstock / KOTOIMAGES

Plans with them are about as solid as a chocolate teapot. You’re better off making plans with a mirage.

6. The Gossip Spread

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Andrii Iemelianenko

Trust them with a secret at your peril. Your business becomes community property faster than you can say “I shouldn’t have told you that.”

7. The Wallet Forget

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Nicoleta Ionescu

Somehow, when it’s time to pay, they’re more elusive than a sunny bank holiday. Rounds with them are a myth, a legend.

8. The Underminer

Image Credit: Shutterstock / fizkes

Their “jokes” cut a little too deep, leaving you feeling about as good as a rainy summer holiday in Skegness.

9. The Empty Promiser

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Arturs Budkevics

They promise the moon but deliver not even a glowworm. Expecting them to follow through is like waiting for a heatwave in February.

10. The Downer

Image Credit: Shutterstock / fizkes

Spending time with them leaves you more deflated than England’s hopes in a penalty shootout. They have a knack for turning a good mood sour.

11. The Green Monster

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Ground Picture

They view your wins with the same enthusiasm as a cat does a bath. Supportive? Only when it suits them.

12. The Guilt-Tripper

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Antonio Guillem

They’ve got making you feel guilty down to an art. Suddenly, you’re apologising for their mistakes.

13. The Parasite

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Prostock-studio

You give, they take. It’s a one-sided exchange that leaves you as drained as a bank account in January.

14. The Puppeteer

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Antonio Guillem

Skilled in manipulation, they twist situations to their advantage. You’re left feeling like you’re in a maze without a map.

15. The Professional Victim

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Studio Romantic

Somehow, they’re always the aggrieved party. Responsibility is an alien concept to them.

16. The Sneaky Critic

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Antonio Guillem

Compliments are laced with subtle digs. You’re left feeling puzzled rather than pleased.

17. The Measurer

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Prostock-studio

Your achievements are always compared to theirs, and somehow you always seem to come up short. It’s like being in a perpetual game of “Who’s Better?”

18. The Time Hoarder

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Denis OREA

Demands all your time and then some. Your personal space is invaded more aggressively than tourists hitting Oxford Street on Boxing Day.

19. The Boundary Crosser

Image Credit: Shutterstock / New Africa

Respect for your limits is non-existent. They overstep more than an eager contestant on a game show.

20. The Mood Mimic

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Ekateryna Zubal

Their mood dictates yours. If they’re down, they expect you to be right there with them, in the dumps.

21. The Loyalty Tester

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Pheelings media

They set up scenarios to test your loyalty, making trust a game rather than a given. You find yourself proving your friendship more often than you’d like.

Time to Tidy the Friend List?

Image Credit: Shutterstock / pathdoc

Spotting these red flags in your friendships is like finding out there’s been a hole in your pint glass all evening – it explains a lot. It might be time for a spring clean in your social circle, making room for more genuine connections. After all, life’s too short for friendships that feel like an uphill cycle… on a Boris bike.

The post Toxic Friend? 21 Red Flags That They’re Not In Your Corner first appeared on Pulse of Pride.

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Ekateryna Zubal.

For transparency, this content was partly developed with AI assistance and carefully curated by an experienced editor to be informative and ensure accuracy.

+ posts