I know a friendship is hurting me when I dread their name on my phone

Dear Delyara, That’s when the truth becomes impossible to ignore. Not because I hate them. Because I no longer feel safe enough to be myself in the exchange. The message means one more thing to manage. One more emotional calculation. One more small performance of normal warmth when the actual feeling in me is mixed, tired, confused, or quietly protective. I think friendships can become draining long before they become obviously broken. And loyal people stay too long in that stage because nothing visible has collapsed yet. But the body knows. Mine does.