A relationship is toxic if it involves constant criticism, unsupportive behavior, or makes a person feel bad about themselves.

“Number one, you feel bad about yourself after contact. The friend is unsupportive and maybe even becomes demanding. The friend is just a taker. The relationship is draining, unsatisfying, and stifling. There can be unequal footing where you have no voice in the relationship.”

The attempt to contact a former friend after a breakup is motivated by a need to clarify one's side of the story when previous communication contained untruths.

“Well, what happened was the only time that I called her a bunch of times was after she left me that three-page letter because half of it wasn't true, and I felt like I needed to at least say my side of the story.”

It is acceptable for friends to drift apart or end a friendship when they are in different life stages and have different needs.

“It's not that um it's not that I hated you or anything. It's just I felt that I was in a different place. Who knows 5 years down the road it could be different. It's just right now I have different needs and we're not at the same place as we were before”