How To Cope With Having Fake Friends

Are fake friends draining your energy more than you realize? Keeping toxic friendships around—even when you know they’re not good for you—can take a serious toll on your mental health. In this video, we’re not here to tell you what to do, but to give you that little push to put yourself first. Because you deserve real connections, not ones that leave you feeling worse.

If this video resonates with you, share it with someone who might need the reminder too.

*If you need any online professional help, you can also try our partner BetterHelp too. They are always working to improve their services to be the leading online therapy platform. Use our link here 18+:

Writer: Rida Batool
Editor: Isadora Ho & Kelly Soong
Script Manager: Kelly Soong
Animator: Alex Mendizabal
YouTube Manager Cindy Cheong

References to do your own readings:

- **Bellucci, G.** (2020). *Positive attitudes and negative expectations in lonely individuals.* Scientific Reports, 10, 18595.
- **BetterHelp.** *Posers, Hypocrites, and Conmen: How to Deal with Fake People.*
- **Lu, P., Oh, J., Leahy, K. E., & Chopik, W. J.** (2021). *Friendship importance around the world: Links to cultural factors, health, and well-being.* Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 570839.
- **Pennington, N., Hall, J. A., & Holmstrom, A. J.** (2024). *The American Friendship Project: A report on the status and health of friendship in America.* PLoS One, 19(7), e0305834.
- **Ho, C. Y.** (2016). *Better health with more friends: The role of social capital in producing health.* Health Economics, 25(1), 91-100.

[Psychgo]

We have a new animator. Do you like Alex's art style? And also we've added subtitles as was voted by many of you. Hopefully they are helpful. Any feedback are appreciated.

[chuahpingisobsessedwithme]

I would rather have enemies than fake friends

[ChrisZoomER]

I’ve heard it said that fake friends are like shadows. They’re there for you during your brightest moments, but aren’t anywhere to be seen during your darkest moments.

[chuahpingisobsessedwithme]

As a native English speaker, I dealt with too many fake friends in South Korea. At first I thought people really liked me and accepted me, But over time, I realized most of them were only talking to me to practice their English and once they learned what they needed, they stopped reaching out, and I felt tossed aside. It made me feel lonely and isolated, like I was never really part of their circle, and treated like a tool just for their needs.

[ejmabrothers]

Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.

[sandiletwala]

I've never had a friend or friends at all because I don't want to let my guard down for anyone at all and I don't trust anyone with my life. Hence why I prefer to be a lone wolf and just rely on myself and be my own friend

[Zajce]

It is tough, when you feel something is wrong, and the "friend" gaslights it is your insanity.

[grace_the_raptor]

I had a lot of fake friends, and they made me feel so selfish and they told me that i cant change and "the world doesn't revolve around you!" And they told me that i was trying to control them to get what I want, now watching this video made me realize, its the other way around, they were trying to blame me for they're problems and controlling me to feel sad so they felt better about themselves, thank you for this video, and god bless you ❤

[readyrex]

Once had 8 "friends" all at once not want to talk to me because I wasn't funny. I didn't know why they weren't talking to me until my best friend told me. The loneliest summer break I had.

[My.sleepy.berries]

We need one on fake family. As a chronically ill person, my family makes my pain worse because they tell people and believe that I'm faking, lazy etc. Every day I spent with them is hell

[ocumy]

This episode came in the very perfect time

[randomperson]

I constantly find myself oscillating between "am I a fake friend" and "am I burning out talking to this person". I swear I'm like the therapost of every friend circle I have, and I'm constantly worrying if me taking time to focus on myself is me not being there for them, if drifting away from a friendship means I'm being shallow...

[jojoojo]

Quality >>> Quantity is so true

[isabellamolinari]

The worst thing is being abandoned in your most vulnerable moments when you're hurting and desperate for support, and no one showed up. Then your 'friends' have the audacity to pop back in and judge you for not having it all together. That is betrayal on a soul level.

[Whoeverwhateverwhenever]

It's totally fine not to have friends, remember that ❤

[Aan]

Timestamps
1). If you find yourself surrounded by friends who are either taking advantage of you are trying to bring you down 0:55
1.1). Validate your feelings 1:24
1.2). You recognize your self worth 2:11
1.3). Embrace your own company 2:52
1.4). Set healthy boundaries 3:25
2). After you've removed toxic friends what's next 3:57
2.1). Recognize that this disconnected 4:21
2.2). Making healthy decisions in friendships 4:47
2.3). Building new, genuine friendships 5:27
3). Addressing the traps of external validation and loneliness 6:13
3.1). Recognize the need for external validation 7:09
3.2). Building healthy, mutually enriching relationships 8:09
3.3). Reframing loneliness 8:37

Hope this helps you out. Hope you have a nice day. 💙💙💙💙💙💙

[arthurpenfield]

Now we're talking. All but 1 friend was a negative influence on my life. It took 7.5 years to cut them off. Nobody respects my boundaries, feelings, and or time.

[yugoslavman]

My least favorite type of fake friends are the ones who just avoid talking to you altogether
Which is most of my social circle

[StireyMain]

I dont think i have ever had a fake friend, And if i do then i am too dumb to realise, but i can understand what a fake friend is, anyways. If you have fake friends, drop them or get rid of them, and if you can't or cant bring yourself to do so. This is your motivation to finally do it and save yourself from dealing with them for any longer

[kichithewolfie]

I was lied to and used for 4 years. I've been here. Where was this?