Good relationships are essential to a healthy life. Bad relationships are poison.

It is not hard to see how a bad relationship can ruin someone’s health. A bad relationship is like a rotten apple. It starts rotting everything else around it. A friendship or other relationship gone sour permeates every thought. It causes a lot of stress, anger, and pent-up emotions. It can also make one physically ill with stomach pains, migraines, and back aches from the tension.

Knowing that these relationships must be ended is not the problem. Actually ending them, or at least modifying them, is very difficult, if not impossible. Sometimes the poisoned relationship is with a family member or an in-law. Often, cutting out that person sets off domino effects within the family. Or perhaps a friendship has lived out its purpose. In this case, often much time has been invested in the friendship that it is hard to let go.

Ending a Friendship

A good friendship involves a lot of give and take. When a friendship has gone bad, one person is doing all the giving and the other is doing all the taking. At no time should one friend feel inferior to another friend.

When a friendship has reached a point where one person feels stressed by the relationship, it is time either to have a heart-to-heart talk (if there is a feeling the friendship can be saved) or to end it. Ending it could actually be painless. When a friendship goes south, it is usually felt on both sides, and both people are relieved to have it over.

The easiest way to end this friendship is to let it fade away. Do not initiate contact with e-mails or phone calls. Make plans with other friends. Chances are the friend will not be making the effort to get in touch, either.

It is tough to end a friendship, but sometimes they live out their purpose.

Family Relationships

Letting family relationships fade away is a little tougher. Sometimes one person ruins a relationship with the whole family. The best thing is to put limits on the communication with the toxic relative. When it is impossible to avoid them, smile, say “hello,” and then go in another direction. The less time spent with a toxic relative, the better.