toxic friend look-out....

Great friends are like amazing jeans: They offer incredible support and cover your rear when you need it the most. But also like denim, it's easy to get used to a pal who doesn't fit you like she should. Here are some subtle tip-offs that you ought to make yourself less available as your friend's personal therapist or ego-booster...or even move on altogether.

1. Looking back a few months, you realize you let all her calls go to voice mail, even if you were in a chatty mood, because you couldn't muster the energy for small talk.

2. Your boyfriend labels you a "hazmat area" after seeing her because you're so bitter.

3. Upon noticing her new purse, you obsess over the fact that she blew $200 you lent her years ago.

4. After a long talk with her, you eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's to take your mind off her neuroses.
5. If you have a differing opinion, you reply, "You're probably right." It's easier just to get her off the topic since she hates losing a debate.

6. She acts accessible but always says "superbusy...but totes wanna hang out soon!"

7. She tweaks her successes into digs, like "It's funny — you were the one guys used to hit on, but since I lost 10 pounds, they love me!"

8. After you tell her about a life change (e.g., a new job or apartment), you notice her "support" is tethered to concern or doubt ("It's just that I'm so worried about you").

9. When she's single, you detect she seems a bit pleased when you tell her about a bad date.

10. You sometimes walk away from a conversation with her feeling like a stripped car.

11. When you see her, you never quite get around to talking about you. But you could write a novel about the crappy boss and hellish landlord she yapped about for 90 minutes straight.

12. Her e-mail that asks "Wanna meet up?" means one thing: She must've split with her latest guy.

13. A friend in common mentions something personal you had told your pal in confidence — the third time this year alone!

14. You avoid talking about a life crisis because her reply is inevitably "You think that's bad...."

15. She rattles off a list of former pals who are "dead to her" for some betrayal and adds "But you'd never do that to me."