Think about how your friend behaves in relation to the aforementioned traits but also about the type of things that he or she says that relate to those traits, also. Ask yourself whether you would have helped your friend if she or he did not try to make you feel guilty or feel bad about the situation. Meanwhile, a fake friend will either be a quiet bystander to the bullying or may even take part in the bullying. “If your partner's actions start changing, then it might be a sign of infidelity.” It could also be that their friends are having a tough time, or they're wrapped up in work. In the good and bad times, your friend should be there, no matter what. If you’re having these thoughts, it’s a clear sign you need to end the friendship. "You don't hear from this friend until her boyfriend ditches her or she's out of a job." This article was co-authored by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS. Trudi Griffin is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Wisconsin specializing in Addictions and Mental Health. Turns out healthy (or unhealthy) habits can circulate within a smaller friend group, too. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Check for their call. People can still be bad friends even if they aren't "bad people." Though I’m a believer that humans are good by nature, there are definitely some bad eggs in the batch. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. You'd be better off with no friends if your only other option is to spend time with people who treat your horribly. What's more, true friends are present and when they are with their friends, they are there. What should I do, stop being friend with her or something else? It may feel like they want to make you look bad—even if they play it off as a joke. This is your intuition telling you to cut the toxic friendship. If you see these signs a friend is using you, it’s time to get new friends. What should I do if my friend's mood always changes, and when they are not in the mood, they are mean to me? ", is not the first time this has happened. ", "It helped me because I think one of my friends is using me. A true friend will not only earn your trust but not break it. Sometimes it happens and that’s fine, but if it’s consistent then it obviously shows that your friend is unreliable and much less invested in the friendship than you are. New friends may emerge—ones who may show the physical signs of heroin abuse (including track marks) as well as a tendency to use street slang associated with heroin use. What’s the point of a friendship if you can’t count on them when it really matters? As Jessica Padykula noted in Canadian Living, "One of the biggest red flags indicating that you're being used is having a friend suddenly do an about-face after getting what she wants." This is the person who will be your best friend until one of you dies. If you make it about specific actions, your friend will be less likely to get upset; if you call your friend a user, he or she may get upset and the conversation will quickly dissolve. And these were people in my closest circle. Your friend may try to isolate you so that you have less outside social support and are more likely to give in and do as demanded. She received her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marquette University in 2011. But around your friends, you need to be yourself. Remember that you are just as much a part of the friendship as she is, and you can end it if it is not working for you. A list of 7 signs you’re being used by a friend and its time to re-evaluate or dump this friendship: 1. via GIPHY. ", "This article helped me, I have been used for years.". If your friend doesn’t pay attention to you, it’s safe to say, they aren’t a friend. But the idea of being a good friend should occur all the time. Assessing Your Friend's Behavior Patterns, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/c9\/Stop-Liking-Someone-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Stop-Liking-Someone-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c9\/Stop-Liking-Someone-Step-1.jpg\/aid39962-v4-728px-Stop-Liking-Someone-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"