15 no bullsh*t tips on how to handle a friend who uses you (complete guide)

You’ve obtained a buddy who all the time appears to reap the benefits of you. What must you do?

It’s essential to keep in mind that friendships aren’t all the time meant to final eternally. Some relationships are higher left behind.

However earlier than it will get to that stage, there are many steps you possibly can take to face your floor and carve out a greater friendship.

In spite of everything, friendships ought to all the time really feel mutually useful and supportive.

So right here’s tips on how to deal with a buddy who makes use of you…

How do you inform if a buddy simply makes use of you?

You would possibly discover some purple flags in a specific friendship. Some might be extra delicate indicators a buddy is utilizing you, while in different conditions, it could really feel apparent.

Possibly they’re always asking for favors or anticipating you to pay their method. Or possibly they’re always attempting to get one thing from you.

Should you suppose that is taking place with a buddy, listed below are some indicators you might be getting used:

• They ask you to assist them out on a regular basis. They don’t even have to elucidate why they want your assist; they only count on it.
• Your friendship revolves round them. They solely actually discuss themselves and what’s taking place in their very own lives. It appears like they present little curiosity in what’s going on in your life.
• There may be an expectation so that you can all the time pay everytime you exit collectively.
• You’re all the time getting them out of bother or coming to their rescue. Possibly they run out of gasoline and name you to choose them up or maybe they forgot their pockets at dwelling and also you provide to lend them cash.
• There’s a lack of appreciation. They won’t ask for forgiveness once they allow you to down or upset you. Maybe they’ve an expectation that you’ll do issues for them.
• Different folks inform you that they don’t deal with you proper.
• You are feeling resentful about their conduct towards you.
• They solely name you, get in contact or wish to hang around with you when it fits them, and by no means when it fits you.
• They usually allow you to down, break guarantees, and don’t present up for you.

Learn how to deal with a buddy who makes use of you

1) Establish what’s bothering you

To start out with it may be useful to establish precisely what behaviors and actions your buddy shows which might be making you are feeling used.

This not solely makes issues clearer in your thoughts, however can are available helpful for those who resolve to have a coronary heart to coronary heart together with your buddy about how you are feeling.

Be sincere with your self. Should you’re feeling damage by your buddy’s conduct, then acknowledge that. Don’t conceal these emotions from your self.

Earlier than you make any choices about tips on how to cope with the state of affairs, it additionally helps to be crystal clear about what you need.

Do you wish to finish the connection? Do you wish to keep buddies? Do you wish to attempt to work issues out?

What does a contented decision seem like to you?

2) Grow to be extra comfy with saying no

It’s a quite simple phrase, however one which doesn’t all the time really feel fairly really easy to say.

In truth, lots of us wrestle with saying no to folks. And when somebody is especially pushy, that may make it all of the more difficult.

We don’t wish to really feel as if we’re disappointing others. We frequently fear an excessive amount of about what they might consider us.

Will they see us as egocentric by declining to do one thing? Will they reject us if we don’t agree with them?

However removed from being something destructive, saying no can really be an amazing factor.

It exhibits respect for your self, and it lets you stand agency on what you consider is greatest for you. It additionally lets different folks know the place you draw the road.

So take a while to apply saying no. Begin small if that is one thing you recognize you wrestle with.

If you’re instinctively a “sure” particular person, who finds your self agreeing to issues with out giving it a lot thought, then start by saying sure extra slowly.

Fairly than saying no, apply saying issues like “I’ll want to consider that” or “I’d like a while to resolve”. That method you create house round your determination.

Should you do find yourself saying no, the particular person you might be saying no will admire that you simply no less than gave it consideration earlier than reaching any conclusions.

3) Agency up your boundaries

All wholesome relationships have guidelines, even when they’re unstated.

You’ll want to determine some floor guidelines between you and your buddy. These are the private boundaries you set about what’s and what’s not acceptable.

Our boundaries are important in life. With out them we’d develop into misplaced in chaos. However generally our boundaries aren’t clearly outlined. This will result in confusion and frustration.

When setting boundaries, it’s essential to keep in mind that they’re there on your personal good. Not everybody has to agree with them.

So how do you create boundaries?

Take into consideration what you worth most in life. What do you wish to keep away from? What sort of relationship do you wish to keep?

Then write down your values. In doing this, you might be defining what’s and isn’t okay.

For instance: I would like my friendships to be based mostly on honesty. So I gained’t misinform my buddies and I gained’t tolerate buddies mendacity to me.

When you’ve written down your values, you can begin fascinated with your buddy. How may he/she be appearing in ways in which battle with these values?

4) Inform them how you are feeling

If we wish wholesome relationships with anybody, now we have to be ready to overtly talk.

While we could love chatting about all the great things, the difficult points inside our friendships are all the time going to really feel extra awkward to boost.

It’s completely pure to really feel uncomfortable or nervous about telling a buddy once they have upset, aggravated you, or overstepped the road.

But when they’re an actual buddy, they are going to wish to know so to resolve your points.

Speaking successfully means taking duty on your emotions. Fairly than bottling the whole lot up inside, you must attempt to categorical why you’re feeling offended, unhappy or annoyed.

Simply allow them to know why you’re feeling the best way you might be.

What to say to somebody who makes use of you?

• Use “I” phrases to elucidate how you feel. By saying to somebody “I really feel like”, it could cease them from getting defensive.

For instance, saying “I really feel like I take extra of an curiosity in you than you do in me” isn’t a press release of truth. It’s merely telling them how you are feeling.

Alternatively, proclaiming that “You don’t take an curiosity in me” sounds much more accusatory.

• Keep away from extremes reminiscent of “by no means” and “all the time”.

Equally, whenever you counsel that one thing all the time or by no means occurs, it fails to acknowledge the optimistic elements of your friendship.

It suggests it is a fixed and by no means altering side of your relationship collectively.

• When you clarify how you are feeling, and provides examples of why you are feeling this manner — ask them what they suppose.

This exhibits that you’re keen on listening to their facet, and open to discovering a method ahead collectively.

5) Be much less obtainable

You probably have buddies who solely contact you when it fits them it may be a good suggestion to be much less obtainable.

They might be taking you as a right. Being much less obtainable doesn’t imply being unkind. It merely means placing the identical vitality into the connection as they put in.

If the friendship is feeling one-sided, then chances are you’ll resolve that you must redress the steadiness a bit.

Typically the best and quickest method to try this is to reinvest that vitality you could have been giving to this explicit buddy and put it elsewhere.

You do not want to be at their beck and name.

You do not want to drop issues and are available working each time they want or need you.

You would possibly resolve that it feels more healthy to make much less time for them or to assist them out much less with clarification.

6) Should you want it, give your self some house from the friendship

Maybe you feel a bit confused about what to do subsequent, or whether or not you need this buddy to even stay in your life.

It’s alright to take some house from the friendship while you work issues out.

A little bit of time may help you to judge how you feel and the way essential this friendship is.

You may inform your buddy that you’re engaged on your self to elucidate your absence for those who aren’t prepared to speak about it.

Basically, it’s alright to prioritize your self, and your wellbeing. If meaning quickly placing a little bit of house between you and this buddy, so be it.

7) Give up folks pleasing

Individuals-pleasing is a behavior that loads of us decide up from an early age.

Most of us really feel a need to be standard.

In truth, it’s partly organic. We’ve a genetic programming to really feel accepted by the group, as as soon as upon a time our mere survival would have depended upon it.

Being socially excluded may have been a dying sentence in caveman instances.

However the modern-day hangup from wanting social acceptance is that we begin to consider that our happiness relies on others’ approval.

That may result in lots of stress and anxiousness as we put different folks’s wants and wishes forward of our personal.

We additionally are likely to strive too onerous to please others, which solely makes issues worse. Imagine it or not, people-pleasing solely results in weaker relationships, not stronger ones.

After we’re attempting to be preferred, we frequently find yourself doing issues that we wouldn’t usually do.

All relationships require give and take, however you must acknowledge when you’re normally the one who offers and another person is the one who takes.

If that’s the case, you then is likely to be falling into people-pleasing habits which stem from insecurities or low vanity.

8) Enhance your relationship with your self

After we’re coping with a buddy who makes use of us, we will really feel powerless.

We assume that the decision lies with them. They need to change their conduct towards us to ensure that issues to enhance.

While there may be some reality in that, the truth is that you’ve got simply as a lot affect (if no more) on resolving the issue as does your buddy.

Should you’re coping with a buddy who’s utilizing you, have you ever thought of attending to the foundation of the problem?

You see, most of our relationship issues with others really stem from our personal sophisticated interior relationship with ourselves – how will you repair the exterior with out seeing to the interior first?

I discovered this from the world-renowned shaman Rudá Iandê, in his unbelievable free video on Love and Intimacy.

So, if you wish to enhance the relationships you could have with others and remedy each platonic and romantic conflicts, begin with your self.

Try the free video right here.

You’ll discover sensible options and way more in Rudá’s highly effective video, options that’ll stick with you for all times.

9) Don’t take it personally

This text focuses on loads of sensible suggestions that will help you cope with issues whenever you’re being utilized by somebody.

But it surely doesn’t imply you must take it personally.

You accepting or tolerating getting used would possibly spotlight sure belongings you wish to work on for your self. However their conduct and actions are on them in the end, not you.

Even for those who discover the issues they’re doing fairly surprising, the reality is that they might not even concentrate on it.

Your buddy would possibly be self-absorbed.

When persons are missing in self-awareness they might not discover their preoccupation with themselves.

It really says extra about them than it does you.

10) Be alert to manipulation

There are all the time going to be folks we encounter in life who attempt to manipulate or reap the benefits of us.

The perfect factor you are able to do is to attempt to keep aware and conscious of events when somebody could also be manipulating you.

In addition to the individuals who could attempt to use you for sensible favors or cash, there will even be buddies who use you emotionally.

They might use instruments like guilt journeys or emotional blackmail to attempt to get what they need. They might attempt to make you are feeling responsible about one thing you’ve finished or haven’t finished.

But it surely’s essential to acknowledge these techniques for what they’re — an try and stress and manipulate you into getting their very own method.

11) Refuse to play the sufferer

Bear in mind, you possibly can’t management how others behave however you do have the ability to decide on the way you reply to conditions.

So as a substitute of feeling helpless, know that it’s all the way down to you to take cost of your life.

By refusing to permit anybody to deal with you badly, you’ll be capable of cease taking part in the position of the sufferer. And also you’ll be much less prone to develop into entangled in unhealthy friendships.

As an alternative of letting another person dictate how you reside your life, you can begin dwelling your life in keeping with your values and rules.

Deciding to take self-responsibility isn’t about assigning or accepting blame. It’s extra about being the hero of your individual life.

That method you possibly can say to your self:

“I don’t like this example, what can I do about it?” quite than feeling caught, powerless,  helpless, and on the mercy of what others do.

12) Be as affected person and sort as potential

Standing up for your self doesn’t should be finished in a bullish or aggressive method. In truth, you are able to do it lovingly.

Being utilized by a buddy might be going to make you are feeling offended at instances. You’ll probably expertise frustration and resentment.

It’s essential to keep in mind that these emotions aren’t dangerous. They’re a pure response to the state of affairs.

However the important thing factor to bear in mind although is that you simply don’t should let these feelings management you.

You may select to method issues with understanding, kindness and endurance.

13) Keep in mind that you need to be handled with respect

Nobody deserves to be taken benefit of.

It’s essential to recollect that you’re worthy of respect and love. And if somebody treats you disrespectfully, then it’s as much as you to resolve whether or not you wish to proceed being round her or him.

The choice to stroll away from a friendship ought to by no means be taken frivolously, however don’t let somebody stroll throughout you. You deserve higher than that.

In the event that they:

• At all times flake on you
• Attempt to bully, management or manipulate you
• The steadiness between the way you each contribute to the friendship is method off

…then it is likely to be time to contemplate whether or not this particular person is a optimistic affect in your life.

Typically, one of the best resolution is to maneuver on.

Should you’re always having to place up with somebody who makes your life depressing, it is likely to be time to chop ties.

In spite of everything, you need to stay your life with out the fixed stress and anxiousness of coping with somebody who hurts you.

14) Attempt to maintain your cool

Being utilized by somebody is a worrying state of affairs to be in.

But it surely’s going to assist for those who can maintain your cool and suppose clearly. I do know this may be simpler mentioned than finished. However there’s something you are able to do to really feel higher.

And it’s so simple as taking a breath.

After I was struggling essentially the most in life, I used to be launched to an unbelievable free breathwork video created by the shaman, Rudá Iandê.

With a give attention to dissolving stress and boosting interior peace, it was onerous to withstand giving it a go.

What made this breathwork video so efficient?

Nicely, it comes all the way down to the person behind all of it. Rudá created these distinctive flows utilizing a mix of historic shamanic methods and therapeutic breathwork sequences.

He’s spent years creating them to assist folks discover their interior peace.

So, if the state of affairs together with your buddy is making you are feeling annoyed, unhappy, or anxious in any method, I’d advocate trying out Rudá’s free breathwork video.

He’ll provide the instruments to begin injecting peace and confidence again into your life, from the very first breathwork train.

Right here’s a hyperlink to the free video once more.

 15) Attempt to discover different individuals who will deal with you nicely

Fortunately, there are many good folks on the market who gained’t use you or abuse you.

Discover these folks and encompass your self with optimistic vitality.

You’ll be stunned by how a lot happier you’ll be when you begin on the lookout for new buddies who share your values.

Personally, I’ve began treating friendships nearly in the identical method I deal with dates.

Fairly than feeling an obligation to be buddies with somebody, I’m much more selective.

I take my time to get to know them and genuinely consider whether or not we’re an excellent match for each other and whether or not we convey worth to one another’s lives.

I liken it to relationship as a result of I feel we are sometimes extra selective with regards to folks we date. So why not take the identical method to friendships?

To conclude: Learn how to cope with individuals who use you

If somebody is just utilizing you for their very own profit, they’re not likely being a buddy in any respect.

They might be attempting to control or management you. Or they might simply be typically out for themselves.

If you end up on this state of affairs, don’t allow them to get away with it. Inform them what you concentrate on the best way they’ve been treating you.

You probably have an excellent relationship with the particular person, then you must speak to them about their conduct if you wish to save the friendship.

Don’t maintain again in your emotions, however attempt to categorical your self in a transparent and cheap method.

You would possibly resolve to maintain your distance from them till issues enhance.

Finally in the event that they gained’t hearken to what it’s a must to say, then you’ll in all probability want to chop ties with them for the sake of your individual wellbeing.