My thoughts on toxic friendships, or all toxic relationships for that matter (romantic, family), were shared by Trilby Beresford, contributing writer for Zooey Deschanel's online community for teens, Hello Giggles. The following is an excerpt:
To answer the question of whether ghosting a toxic friend is healthy, we enlisted the help of Clinical Psychologist Dr. Amy Kim. Her approach was straight-forward and logical: “I advise clients to first get very clear about the circumstances of the relationship and cultivate as much objectivity as possible. Then, a person should bring as much awareness to the ways in which this friendship is affecting them.” Of course, that might well mean going back in history to evaluate specific incidences that have occurred in said friendship, but the emotional clarity you will achieve at the end will be worth it.
Kim went on to suggest seeking professional support if you find yourself in a particularly toxic friendship. “Therapy can really help a person to develop an objective stance on the matter. Increased awareness will help to guide the next steps: ‘Ghost’ them? Set boundaries? Talk to the friend about the problem with the hope of improvement or a resolution?” Naturally, that’s all easier said than done! However, it does remind us that there are options in every difficult circumstance, and we should feel empowered to make the right choice when we’re ready.