[Real] (06/14/2025) Last week, a friend said something to me that really resonated:

“I think it’s great to be there for people, and I don’t want you to stop doing that—but I also think it’s okay to distance yourself from people who use friends as a Band-Aid when they know they need professional help.”

I wish someone had said this to me 20 years ago. I can't even begin to describe how many times I've been the crutch for someone who truly needed professional support. I'm such an empath that I end up absorbing everything someone else is feeling—and I carry it with me. These energy vampires would leave me completely drained, with nothing left but hopelessness and despair.

Why does breaking up with a friend feel even harder than breaking up with a partner? I used to stay stuck in those relationships because I didn't know how to end them. I genuinely cared about these people, but it came at the cost of my own mental health.

Now, I can honestly say that I have a solid circle of friends who support and lift each other up. Because of that, I finally have space for my own feelings—and my own happiness—now that I've removed those one-sided friendships from my life.

Everyone should hear this at least once: It’s okay to want to help and to care deeply, but some people need more than a friend—they need professional help to make real progress.