 Honestly, losing the thread of connection with a friend sometimes feels more heartbreaking than the end of any romantic relationship. Nobody enjoys the feeling of having to end friendships that they have invested their time and resources into. However, most times the break of a company may be for your sanity and the greater good. Several signs may also accompany the need to break up. In this video, I will share with you 9 signs that you should change your friends. 1. When they are not accountable Professional matchmaker and founder of the dating lounge dating app, Samantha Daniels, once said, One sign of an unhealthy relationship is when you are always taking the fall for your friend. Do you feel like you're always taking the fall for your friends? Or get frustrated that your friend never takes responsibility for their actions? If you feel any of those ways, then you need to pay close attention to it, because it is a classic sign of a toxic friendship. Indeed, standing in for a friend is expected in a friendship, but when it continually becomes a constant behavior for your friends not to admit to their faults, you need to walk away. If your friend does something wrong, they should take the blame and be accountable for their actions. Sincerely, it's draining for only one person to take on all the blames in a relationship, all in the name of protecting your friend. 2. When they don't support you or show up Do you have a group of friends who are never available to share in your joys and pains? How would you feel if you competed yet none of your friends came around? How would you feel when you win the contest and there is no one to even celebrate with you? How would your opponents have people who are consoling them? Of a truth, it hurts when those we trust fail to show up or support our endeavors. German-American actress and singer Marlin Dietrich once asserted that it is the friends you can call up by 4 am that matter. If the group of people around you was not those you can call up at any time to support you either morally, financially, spiritually and otherwise, then you need to change your friends. 3. They are jealous of you One thing you must bear in mind when you get close to people is that just because you spend a lot of time with them doesn't necessarily mean they are happy with your progress. Through their attitudes, you will be able to tell those who wish you well and others who are jealous. A jealous friend will always try to downplay your efforts. If you tell them about an achievement, rather than encourage you, they will make you feel like your attainment is little, reminding you of their past accomplishments. These set of people always want to copy you. They don't copy you because they admire you, but they do it because in their minds they compete with you. If you notice your friends exhibiting such character, then you need to change friends. 4. When they drag you down Dana Kerford, friendship expert and founder of Girl Power Incorporated, compares healthy friendships to healthy food with the words, healthy food gives you energy and helps you grow and be strong. Healthy friendships are the same. They give us what we need, they help us become stronger, they help us grow, they lift us up. She also uses a junk food analogy saying, but friends can be like junk food too, offering little in the way of nourishment and sapping your energy. Unhealthy friendships drag us down. They don't make us feel so good. They don't give us what we need. Any friend who never makes you feel good but continuously tries to degrade you through words or actions is not worth being called a friend. If your friend is willing to listen to your needs and change his or her ways, the relationship might be worth saving. If not, skip the drive-thru and opt for nourishment elsewhere. 5. They laugh at your dreams How do your friends react when you tell them about your big goals? When you speak to them about your life plans, many individuals are always so quick to give you a hundred reasons why it will not work. Some others will make fun of you for even thinking that you can achieve such a huge feat. All that criticism, ingesting without any empathy, is bound to make you feel small and friendship is supposed to be about making your life better. Psychologist Nikki Martinez described an unhealthy company as one that makes you feel bad about yourself. She further said that an ill friend is a person that builds himself or herself up by putting you down and is always pointing out things about you to make you feel bad about yourself. Of course, a friend is allowed to say their concerns and worries, but they can do it with comparison and understanding. If this person likes to tear you down and makes you feel like you are not worth having the best, that's not a real friendship at all and you need to cut them off. 6. They talk too much. Have you ever had friends talk always about her life and her problems and you can't seem to get a word in edgewise? Or is it always gossiping and passing out other people's sensitive information? Well, such people are not suitable for you. Even when you have an essential topic to discuss, your friend won't stop long enough to listen to you. Licensed social worker and therapist F. Diane Barth, in an article in psychologytoday.com, said that people who talk too much may do so because they find it difficult to deal with emotions that arise when listening to another person. Barth recommends putting a time limit on listening to them and being more aggressive about being heard. Besides that, you can never be safe having someone who talks too much as a friend. They might talk about things you confidentially shared with them to other people. 7. They have an unhealthy lifestyle. Have you ever been friends for years but lately you have been trying to pay more attention to your health while your friend seems to be stuck in his unhealthy habits? He always wants to eat out at fast food restaurants but you gravitate towards salad bars. You'd rather spend your time at the gym but your friend is a couch potato. Sometimes a little encouragement can help your friend changes unhealthy ways. If not, be careful about his bad habits because they might rob off on you. A 2007 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that obesity can spread through social ties. In the 32-year study, the researchers discovered that people whose friends became obese were 57% more likely to become obese. That's a hefty price to pay for friendship. Quitting is a better idea. 8. They have nothing to offer. What do you call a kind of friendship where 9 out of 10 times you are the one to call your friend or suggesting spending time together? You're always buying tickets to a concert or play. You've cooked dinner for you guys several times but he has never even invited you over. According to friendship expert Dana Kerford, it's not about counting the number of times a person asks you to hang out that's just how many times you ask them. It just feels like there's fairness in the friendship and you both are given the same amount. Friendship is about sharing. When there isn't that equilibrium, you're likely to feel hurt and resentful. That isn't healthy. If your friend doesn't make more effort after you're voiced your concern, it may be best to save your energy for friendship with more reciprocity. 9. You are in different seasons of life. The most bittersweet type of outgrowing of friendship occurs when two people adjust in totally different seasons of life. You are travelling across the country and your friend loves her life in a small town. You're becoming politically active and your friend feels more comfortable keeping quiet. You've got a freelance gig and a little child at home but your friend is climbing the corporate ladder. And so on. It's nice to feel like you're on the same page as your friends and when one or both of you start to drift away it can be disorienting and confusing. As the quote goes, people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. Friendship may fade but they've likely served their purpose, which means you can take what you've learned and apply it to the rest of the relationships in your life. However, if you understand yourself, you can still keep up with the friendship even though the connection will not be as close. We all deal with friendships that take a different turn than expected and it can be hard to deal with. But you must always put into consideration your sanity and mental state.