Comedian and radio host Meshel Laurie knows firsthand what it’s like to lose a friend. It’s the break-up that has no movie, no song and no “do this and feel better” handbook.
Laurie opened up to Mia Freedman about her struggle to maintain friendships in this week’s No Filter podcast.
“I would have these really intense friendships with one girl or woman and they were usually just really negative, destructive, bitchy relationships and I consciously decided not to do that anymore,” she said.
Listen to how Meshel Laurie discovered the red flags in her toxic friendships.
The radio host said the final straw came after she caught herself at the end of string of verbal abuse.
“I thought, ‘Why are you talking to me like that – you’re talking to me like you hate me,”” she said.
Laurie explained she finally pulled the plug by cutting all communication and simply ‘ghosting‘ from her friend’s life.
“I just ghosted her. I just fully ghosted her. I stopped phone, stopped answering her calls, unfriended her and her boyfriend on Facebook,” she said.
“It’s not something I’m proud of but at the same time, I did feel helpless.”
Listen to learn more about how both Mia and Meshel have navigated the often awkward friendship breakup.
Top Comments
I was ghosted. It was a pretty awful and hurtful experience and I ended up emailing my 'friend' to ask her what had happened. She told me that I had become increasingly negative after a girl in our group had been nasty to me and I was giving her anxiety.
The thing is, I actually had no idea I was doing it and if I had known, I would have changed immediately. I felt pretty terrible that I made someone feel that way. I like to think that I am not generally a negative person but the experience made me negative. It would have been nice if someone had told me instead of just cutting me off.
I'm not blaming anyone but myself because as an adult I should have known better however, I think sometimes we bounce off the vibes around us. I didn't realise I was being so negative and feel that perhaps I moulded myself to fit in.
If you can't tell a person how they are really making you feel then I think it's safe to say you are most definitely not real friends and it's probably better they let you go or you let them go.
I did the same thing with a friend who was so toxic and would be manipulative and gaslighting i felt anxiety when she would call and when i would speak to her, i felt anxiety at her facebook vaguebooking not aimed at me but clearly talking about me.
After approximately 4 years of not speaking to her and no communication, she turns up at my doorstep 2 hours ago, as if nothing happened, i am so mad. These toxic people hate when you leave, they won't ever let you go.
oooh! What did you say to her?!
I was polite, but it was awkward and we both felt it. It was mostly small talk.