One of the hardest things you will ever have to do is let go of a friend that you’ve had for a while. When people change, friendships change, and sometimes the person you became friends with isn’t really the same person anymore. In college, everyone goes that transitional period where they are trying to figure out what kind of person they want to become. It’s totally normal for friends to fall apart, especially friends from your childhood or high school. When you’re changing, but one of your friends isn’t necessarily changing in the same direction then that’s when your friendship tends to shift to something more negative.

I have learned, through a lot of trial and error, that having a negative or toxic friendship is probably the worst thing to be involved with, and the hardest thing to let go. I was best friends with a girl for nine years, and then last year I realized that I wasn’t getting what I needed from her as a best friend. I was always there for her no matter what, and she was more concerned about partying and boys. I was always being left in the dust, but it was so hard for me to cut her out of my life because she had been in it for so long.

At the end of the day, you have to put yourself first. You have to make sure that you surround yourself with the absolute best people that will stand by you, motivate you, and pick you up when you’re down. It’s really hard to put yourself first sometimes because it might seem a little selfish, but trust me it’s not. Sacrificing your happiness to stay friends with someone who doesn’t have your best interest at heart can be detrimental to your mental health. Before you let go of a toxic friendship you have to decide to put yourself first, and once you do that you will realize that you deserve better.