On Friendship ~ Chapter Five

BEWARE!! Entering into a friendship sometimes opens the door for hurt and harm; a toxic friendship can be one of life's hardest relationship tribulations. Toxic friends often come back to haunt you for a long time. There are nine main types of toxic friends--those people whose friendship hurts you eventually. Knowing the categories of toxic friends helps you avoid them.

The User -This person only has friends as long as he/she can use them for some purpose or goal of his/her own.
The Betrayer-Nothing hurts more than a friend who betrays you.
The Control Freak- The control freak is a friend as long as she/he is in control. The control freak often seems to be helping you. Refuse that help or break that control and find out what toxic friendship really means.
The Judge-Ever judgmental, ever critical, this friend can erode your self-esteem. The judge is a fault finder. You can rarely do anything completely right with this toxic friend.
The Promise Breaker-This person rarely does what he says he will do. If you have a date, your toxic friend is often a no-show. A general lack of dependability makes this person a toxic friend.
The Gossip-The gossip will eventually betray your trust and become a toxic friend. Gossips are easy to spot so beware your friendships with them.
The Self-Centered Person-Self-centered people can't think of you as they are too busy thinking of themselves.
The Competitor-The competitor is always looking to be "one up." Although some competitiveness is normal in friendships, too much competition makes a toxic friend.
The Leaner-The leaner is a very needy friend who clings and may be at your doorstep every day. He/she usually wants all of your time and jealousy often enters the picture in this friendship. By Joy Stevens

We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson