What a blessing friendship can be. Studies have suggested that those with really solid friends live longer and achieve their goals quickly. But if those tiffs, or lingering feelings that you're not getting out as much as you're putting in, happen more often than not, your friendship could be unhealthy, or even toxic. This could affect you in many fields of life. Fake friends are the toxic friends who demotivate you to achieve your goals and even criticize you in regular basis.


“Friendships can be protective and rewarding, nurturing and uplifting. If a friend has the opposite impact, we may want to reconsider our relationship and reconfigure that person’s role in our lives. It doesn’t mean you need to end the friendship altogether—maybe you still see them for social gatherings—but they shouldn't be who you turn to for emotional support," explains Dr. Jessica Nicolosi, New York-based clinical psychologist and owner of Prana Wellness.

You can tell someone is a fake friend when they "cause stress and sadness or anxiety, and doesn't help you be who you want to be." And if all that weren't enough, a toxic friendship can also drain you and make you doubt yourself.

Recognizing that you’re in the midst of a toxic friendship by evaluating the signs is the first step toward extricating yourself—a painful but necessary process. “As you get older, it’s important to evaluate your friendships. Your Peer group affects your personality.

So, Here are the 13 Signs someone is a fake friend;


1.

THEY'RE JEALOUS.

Healthy Competition between friends is normal, and can even be positive to be your best self while examining where you can improve. But when it crosses a line into jealousy - including aggressive competition, putting you down for no reason at all and excessive attempts at leveling the playing field by diminishing your accomplishments - things become less genuine.


2.

THEY TRY TO TAKE UP A LOT OF YOUR TIME.

A good friend knows the value of time. They respect your time and know the importance of alone time. But a Toxic Friend, tries to take up a lot of your time. They are the ones who bring you nothing good.

3.

THEY ONLY FIND YOU WHEN THEY NEED YOUR HELP.

A good friend is always cheerful, fun and lovingly. They try to help you in every situation and try to be good for you. A good friend calls you simply because they miss you. But a fake friend only finds you when they need your self. They focus more what what they can get from you but a good friend tries to give more to you.

4. 

THEY TRY TO CHANGE YOU.

It’s a common scenario: that friend who just…won’t…stop offering feedback about everything from your looks to personality, leaving you feeling as if you’re not good enough. 

“Keep an eye out for friends like this, because sometimes they are putting you down so they can be the ones to lift you back up—and it turns into a never ending cycle of you feeling inadequate,”

“Tell them how bad their comments make you feel and one of two things will happen. Either they’ll apologize to you and change, or they’ll act like they have no idea what you're talking about—and you have to let the friendship go. No one needs anyone in their life who isn't supportive of them."


5. 

THEY DON'T LIKE YOUR OTHER FRIENDS.

A good friend knows everyone  has different types of friends and won't judge you by that. But a Toxic friend doesn't like your other friends and discourage your friendship. 


6. 

THEY WON'T STOP CRITICIZING YOU.

When a friend is always judging you, it can do a number on your self-esteem. Somebody who constantly belittles you and points out your flaws—might not have your best interests. It’s important to draw boundaries and, as difficult as it can be, either stand up for yourself or back away. For Example; You played well in basketball today a good friend would appreciate your skills and would encourage you more but a toxic friend would say maybe, You did well but not better than other boys.

7.

 THEY ARE GENERALLY NEGATIVE.

Everyone likes to be in a positive, encouraging environment. A good friend would motivate you to do better things and even give you hope to do something better. But a toxic friend demotivates you to accomplish your goals. Remember, Your environment plays a vital role in your self-improvement. 


8. 

THEY DON'T INSPIRE YOU.

Same as the 7th Sign, a toxic friend wouldn't inspire you to do better things. This is because they are jealous of your achievements, or they want themselves to be better than you. A good friend would encourage you to do better things and to a certain extinct give you hope when you fail to accomplish something.


9. 

THEY MAKE YOU FEEL INSECURE.

“If you're always walking away from them feeling down on yourself, or having to talk yourself into why that person is your friend, that person might not be right for you at this time,” 

“Listen to your gut and start taking small steps back, away from any scenarios that might connect you two."



10.

YOU DON'T TRUST THEM.

Friendships are built on trust. 
If you don't trust that they have your best interests in mind... that's often a sign that something's not working. For example, a toxic friend might say "they’ll pick you up at the airport and then back out at the last minute," according to clinical psychologist Jill Squyres, Ph.D. Granted, sometimes people have to break promises for a legit reason, and that’s totally fair. But if "you constantly feel let down by them… it's going to be hard for you to have the level of affection for them that could truly keep a good friendship going." 

In any close relationship, trust is essential—this goes double for an established friendship. “If you find yourself not being able to trust a friend—their intentions, their word, their confidentiality—you're in a toxic friendship.”


11. 

YOU DREAD CHECKING YOUR PHONE.

Technology has made it so easy to keep up with your friends—for better or, uh, worse. You’ll know it’s the second option "when the person calls or texts you [and] you feel a dread in the pit of your stomach instead of happiness," A good friend shouldn’t make you freak out whenever your phone buzzes, so it’s 
probably time to hit that "Do Not Disturb" button.

12.

 YOU DON'T ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH THEM.

If you did a happy dance the last time they cancelled plans, it’s probably because you’re tired of putting in more work than the friendship is worth. "It feels more draining; it feels like a chore," You also might notice "an increase in anxiety, headaches, or stomach disturbance when you’re with them."

13. 

YOU FEEL USED.

One sign of a fake friend, is "manipulation or making you do things you don’t want to do." Often, a friend can manipulate you into making an agreement that seems fair but really isn’t. 

According to Squyres, a fake friend is "always insisting on splitting the check… when they spend a lot more" on food and drinks. You know it isn’t fair, but you go along with it to preserve the relationship.


RECAP;


1. They're Jealous
2. They Try To Take Up A Lot Of Your Time
3. They Only Find You When They Need Your Help
4. They Try To Change You
5. They Don't Like Your Other Friends
6. They Won't Stop Criticizing You
7. They're Generally Negative
8. They Don't Inspire You
9. They Make You Feel Insecure
10. You Don't Trust Them
11. You Dread Checking Your Phone
12. You Don't Enjoy Spending Time With Them
13. You Feel Used