Deal with Toxic Friends | Free AI Prompt

Deal with Toxic Friends (Who Drain Your Energy and Test Your Patience)

That friend who only calls when they need something? Who makes everything about them? Who leaves you feeling exhausted after every interaction? Yeah, them. This prompt helps you identify toxic patterns, set boundaries, and decide whether to fix the friendship or end it.

The Prompt:

I need help dealing with a toxic friend. Here's the situation:

THEIR TOXIC BEHAVIOR: [only calls when they need something/constant drama/puts me down/competes with me/lies/gossips/never listens/jealous/manipulative]
HOW LONG WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS: [months/years/since childhood]
WHAT KEEPS ME STUCK: [history/guilt/mutual friends/work together/they have dirt on me/kids are friends]
HOW I FEEL AFTER SEEING THEM: [drained/anxious/angry/bad about myself/relieved when they leave]
PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS: [have I tried talking to them? what happened?]
THEIR RESPONSE TO BOUNDARIES: [gets defensive/plays victim/threatens/ignores]
MUTUAL CONNECTIONS: [friend group/work/family/kids' school]
THE GOOD PARTS: [are there any? be honest]

Help me figure out:

1. Is this actually toxic or just difficult?
   - Red flags I'm seeing
   - Patterns to recognize
   - Gaslighting signs

2. Can this friendship be saved?
   - What would need to change
   - Is it worth the effort
   - Signs it's beyond repair

3. Scripts for different approaches:
   - Having an honest conversation
   - Setting specific boundaries
   - Slow fade vs direct ending
   - Dealing with mutual friends

4. How to handle their tactics:
   - Guilt trips ("after all I've done")
   - Playing victim to others
   - Spreading rumors
   - Love bombing to pull you back
   - Using your secrets against you

5. Practical steps for:
   - Reducing contact gradually
   - Grey rocking (being boring)
   - Information diet
   - Protecting mutual friendships
   - Social media boundaries

Give me exact phrases for:
- Declining invitations
- Ending phone calls
- Not engaging with drama
- Responding to manipulation
- Explaining to mutual friends

For my specific situation:
- Whether confrontation is safe/worth it
- Exit strategy if we're entangled
- Self-care during/after
- How to not feel guilty
- Warning signs I'm being hoovered back

Why This Prompt Works:

Toxic friendships are tricky because they usually didn't start toxic - there's history, good memories, and often genuine care mixed with harmful behavior. This prompt helps you see patterns clearly and gives you options beyond "just cut them off" (which isn't always possible).

It also prepares you for the manipulation tactics toxic people use when they feel you pulling away.

Example Input:

BEHAVIOR: Everything's a crisis, calls at 2am, never asks about my life, gets mad if I'm unavailable

LENGTH: Friends for 6 years, gotten worse last 2 years

STUCK: She's in my main friend group, knows all my friends

FEELING: Exhausted, anxious when phone rings, dread hanging out

ATTEMPTS: Mentioned I need space, she cried and said I'm abandoning her

RESPONSE: Tells everyone I'm mean, then love bombs me

MUTUAL: 5 close mutual friends who don't see this side of her

GOOD: Used to be fun, was there during my divorce

Toxic Friend Red Flags:

Energy vampire: You're exhausted after every interaction
One-sided: Their problems always bigger than yours
Boundary pushing: "No" is never accepted first time
Crisis mode: Everything is always an emergency
Put-down artist: Jokes that aren't really jokes
Competition: Can't celebrate your wins
Gossip central: Tells you everyone's business (including yours to others)
Gaslighting: "That never happened" "You're too sensitive"

Their Manipulation Tactics:

Love bombing: Sudden excessive attention when you pull away
Triangulation: Using mutual friends against you
Guilt trips: "I guess I'm just a terrible person"
Victim mode: You're another person abandoning them
Threats: Suicide threats, revealing secrets, ending friend group
Hoovering: Sucking you back in with fake apologies
Smear campaign: Telling everyone you're the bad guy

Boundary Scripts That Work:

"I need to go" - Don't explain why
"That doesn't work for me" - For any request
"I'm not available for this conversation" - For drama
"I can't be your support for this" - For constant crisis
"Let's talk about something else" - Topic change
"I need space to process" - Buying time
"I wish you the best" - Ending it kindly

Exit Strategy Options:

Slow fade: Gradually become less available
Direct conversation: "This friendship isn't working"
Grey rock: Be so boring they lose interest
Block and delete: For extreme toxicity
Downgrade: From friend to acquaintance
Group only: Only see them in group settings

Your Peace > Their Drama

You're not obligated to keep toxic people in your life just because they've been there a long time. Use this prompt to figure out if this friendship is worth saving, and if not, how to end it with minimal damage. Your mental health matters more than their feelings.