ALBAWABA - Letting go of a friend is something no one enjoys, but sadly sometimes it is the right decision to do to improve your mental health.
It is important to cherish your friend, as they will be the people to stick by you in your dark hour. You are supposed to care for them, and they should do the same in return. In a perfect world, that would be all we need to say about friendship, but unfortunately, we don't live in that perfect kind of world.
We as humans are very complex, and sometimes we end up either hurting each other or being hurt by someone else, without their meaning too. It's normal for friends to argue, and the chance to makeup soon after their argument could mean a strong relationship. However, not all friendships are like that, and it is important to recognize that, as you don't want yourself to be part of a bad friendship.
A bad friendship
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What is a bad friendship? It can take be represented in many forms and has different levels. Maybe there is someone who takes his friend for granted and never thanks them after they helped them out with something, or it can be something more serious where someone befriends another just to gain or use them for something, or maybe they don't care about their friend's well being and treats them badly. There are many different looks that a bad friendship could take, but what they all have in common is that they usually don't lead someone towards a healthy, bright path.
Letting go
While it may seem like letting go is the first step to leaving a bad friendship, the actual first step would be to recognize that you are in a bad one to begin with, which isn't always easy as it isn't always obvious to someone they are in a bad friendship. Realizing you are in one, admitting it to yourself, and letting go of it are all hard steps, especially if that friendship wasn't always bad, had a good healthy start, and possibly is a couple of years old. It's important for someone to know that letting go of someone you care for would hurt, keeping them in your life sometimes would only hurt you more in the end, so don't be afraid and hesitate. Make sure you choose the right way for you to end it.
Give yourself time
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Once you're out of that bad friendship, then what? You might think you'll need to feel fine and great again the minute you let go, and while it's great if you feel that way, those who don't should know it's totally okay. It's okay not to always feel okay, and hopefully, your other friends will be there for you. Don't feel like you need to move on quickly. Give yourself to heal and feel like you could be the best version of yourself again.
