HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR DYNAMIC IS TOXIC AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

Friends can be great-until they're not.

- ANGELA HAUPT

Psychologists say they hear often about so-called toxic friendships, which veer away from the health benefits we're accustomed to and instead take a hammer to emotional and psychological well-being. "A lot of what I see in these dynamics is that one person is acting in good faith, and the other is being manipulative or controlling," says Brooke Sprowl, a therapist in Santa Monica, Calif. "It really takes a toll on your self-trust, because you're being told that if you set boundaries, you're being selfish, or if you're not giving in to all of their needs, you're letting them down." People with toxic friends might also experience selfdoubt, she adds, as well as anxiety and depression.