Cutting off a toxic friend is a big step. Going through a friendship breakup (especially with someone toxic) can be just as hard as going through a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend. But sometimes ending a friendship is the only way to save your sanity and mental health. Like with romantic relationships, it’s important to make sure you’re getting what you deserve from your friends and that you’re never settling for anything less.

But there are so many elements involved. What are the signs of a toxic friend or how do you know for sure your friend is toxic? How do you cut off a toxic friend that you’ve known forever? Should you ghost them? Have a heart to heart talk? Or should you try and salvage the friendship?

We’ll touch on all of those questions in this ultimate guide. Also! I created a free printable to help you measure how healthy or unhealthy your friendship is. Click here to download it. Now without further ado—let’s go over the definition of a toxic friend.