Some options include telling the person directly that you are ending the friendship. Or, you might allow the friendship to fade away by communicating less over time. If someone is violating your boundaries or if you feel unsafe, you might choose to discontinue all communication with them immediately.
But don't feel guilty about cutting ties when a friendship isn't worth it, Degges-White adds: “If you've given the relationship a fair chance and you are just not getting what you need from the relationship, it is absolutely okay to move on.”
How do you tell someone you no longer want to be friends?
Tell them politely that you're sorry, but you don't want to be best friends. It is up to you whether you want to tell them the reason why - you could outright say that you find them annoying, or just that you don't think you're compatible.
How do you end a toxic friendship gracefully example?
"I need to apologize to you for not being honest with you. I have not felt free/easy/joyous/seen/heard in this friendship for some time and I should have said something earlier." Then share exactly how you feel when you're with them these days. "These days, when we're together, I don't feel able to be myself.
Well, in short, just three days. While every relationship is different, three days is enough time to consider yourself ghosted. Sure, everyone has emergencies or can come up with a valid excuse for not responding, but letting things linger for three days or longer is enough to categorise it as a ghosted situation.
Ghosting hurts; it's a cruel rejection. It is particularly painful because you are left with no rationale, no guidelines for how to proceed, and often a heap of emotions to sort through on your own. If you suffer from any abandonment or self-esteem issues, being ghosted may bring them to the forefront.
Convey some positive regard. To smooth out the explicit and clear rejection, if possible, convey it in a way that is positive and respectful too. This could be something as simple as "Thank you for asking," or "I appreciate the thought" at the start of a response.
If you feel emotionally drained, abused, manipulated, devalued, deceived, like you are hard to love and respect or, like you need to lower your standards to be in a relationship with someone… You should consider cutting them off.
“Toxic friendships happen when one person is being emotionally harmed or used by another, making the relationship more of a burden than support,” says Suzanne Degges-White, author of Toxic Friendships. A bad friendship can increase your blood pressure, lower your immunity, and affect your mental health.
“Ghosting” – simply ceasing to communicate with a person without explaining why – allows people to avoid difficult conversations and simply phase a friend out of their life. “I think it's a lot to do with how we communicate now,” says Marianne, 46. “Face-to-face screaming rows don't tend to happen.