Friends should be here to help, but not to take over all your life admin.

Most of us have, at some point or another, experienced the disappointment that is a friend who is not willing to give us the support that we need from them. Some people just do not have the capacity to do the occasionally inconvenient stuff that being a friend entails. However, there is a difference between being kind and being a doormat. You can also be a bad friend when you expect far too much from somebody, or use them for your benefit.

A friendship where you are the person who is being given an unfair amount of responsibility can be difficult to navigate. You may feel that you have no choice but to grin and bear it, as a friend like this will often justify their actions by saying that they are going through a hard time. Still, boundaries are important, and the situation is only likely to get worse if you do not execute some. There can come a point where being used goes from a minor inconvenience to something that completely takes over your life in the worst way. It’s no way to live.