Q&A for How to Know if Your Friend Is Really a Friend

If she doesn't stand by you in hard times, she is not a good friend. You should make new friends. You can either tell this "friend" that it isn't working out and you don't want to be friends anymore, or just start avoiding her until she gets the message.

Find out exactly what it is about your character that people dislike. While it's never a good idea to try to change yourself solely to please other people, a mature person is willing to hear criticism and learn and grow from it. Perhaps you make fun of others or are rude? If so, work on changing those behaviors.

Maybe it just took them a little while to get over their hurt feelings. Sometimes this happens. If you think they're sincere, that they really forgive you and want to be friends again, you should accept that, believe them, and stay friends.

Try talking to her about this. It's possible she doesn't even know she's doing it. Just say something like, "I feel like when you get mad, you take it out on me, even when I haven't done anything wrong. It hurts my feelings." If she is dismissive of your feelings or unwilling to change, she's not a good friend and you should distance yourself from her.

Making friends can be challenging, especially if people have difficulty understanding you. Consider reaching out to others who are also autistic, as they might share similar experiences. Try initiating conversations by giving genuine compliments or asking people questions about their lives. You could make a list of people you want to connect with and invite them to spend time with you individually. If there's a group you'd like to join, ask them how they met to start a conversation.

Be straightforward, respectful, and assertive, and tell them to stop spreading your secrets. You may feel like sharing that you feel hurt and disrespected, and that this is making you reevaluate your friendship in order to make your point more forcefully and to let them know that their actions have had consequences.

It doesn't necessarily mean she was never your friend, it just means she is angry and acting very immaturely. Don't let the rumors get to you, because that's what she wants. If you do want to try to repair this friendship, I would apologize for your part in the argument, but tell her you'd like an apology as well.

A true friend supports you through tough times and helps you grow. While this person might be considered a friend, they may not be a good or close friend if they dismiss your feelings.

You have already done what you can. Now just give her time to think about it and hopefully come to conclusion that she should forgive you. If she doesn't forgive you, consider bringing another party into the conversation, like a mutual friend, counselor, etc., or just do your best to move on.

A good way is to stop texting, calling or emailing them for a while. If they start to call you, text or email asking if you are okay, then you know that they are true.

He might just not be into texting. Try calling him or using Skype to communicate.

You might be taken advantage of if you feel like a credit card, meaning your friend relies on you financially. If your friend uses your social status to climb the popularity ladder and you feel they are overshadowing you in your group, it could indicate a lack of genuine friendship. Trust your intuition—your gut feelings often provide valuable insights into relationships.

Unless she literally ALWAYS does this, probably not. More than likely she just has other friends and wants to split her time between everyone. Let her spend time with other people, try not to be too clingy or jealous.

To help your friend feel more comfortable, try sharing something personal (but not too personal) with them. Compliment them and be kind. If they still don't open up, it may be best to give them space and let it go.

Talk to him about how this makes you feel. Hopefully he has a good reason for his absences; if not, he simply may not value the friendship as much as you do.

It sounds like he just really likes spending time with you. If you find this to be "too much," just let him know that you really value the friendship, but you can't be with him every Sunday, you have other things to do, other people to see, etc.

Just relax and don't worry. If it's your friend, there is no need to worry.

These people are not real friends. If you told them they're hurting your feelings and they're continuing to act that way, they don't care about you. Find some new friends. It might take a little while, but you'll be better off in the long run. You don't need these people in your life.

That depends. Do you call them? If you call regularly but they don't, decide if you're ok with putting more effort into the relationships.

I think you should just find a new friend. Not only is she not making time for you, she's not respecting you or your feelings. If she really cared, she would not be so dismissive.

In my experience, friends may tease each other, but if their behavior bothers you, it’s important to discuss it with them directly. If talking doesn't help, consider seeking advice from a trusted adult.

If you're feeling bad about the lie, the best thing to do is apologize and tell them the truth. If they're a good friend, they will most likely understand and forgive you.

That's a pretty minor detail, perhaps she just thinks you'd prefer to rest and not be bothered when you're not feeling well. If she treats you well and acts like she cares for you aside from that, I wouldn't worry about it. Of course, you could always tell her how you feel about her not contacting you when you're sick, she probably has no idea that it bothers you.

Have a talk with her about it. Tell her it feels like she doesn't have any time for you, and you miss her and want to hang out. If she's not very receptive to the conversation, and/or things don't change between you, it might be best to just find some new friends.

Maybe, it would be best to ask her. If she says she doesn't want to get involved ask her why. Just remember that some people get very stressed out over confrontation so they try to avoid getting involved in things. She could be one of those people.

Usually you can tell these things by how someone acts around and toward you. Does she call or text you often? Does she want to hang out? Does she share her thoughts and feelings with you? These are all signs.

You should try talking to your friends. If you're uncomfortable addressing them all at once, speak to one or two individually and express how you feel left out. Consider inviting them to a sleepover or another activity to reconnect. If they're not receptive or if nothing changes, you might need to consider finding new friends.

I doubt it. It seems like she's not seeing you as a real friend, but someone to use. Begin to move away from her and see how she responds. Trying to turn you against other friends indicates that this person is manipulative, and do you want that sort of person in your life?

It's possible they just see you as more of an acquaintance than a close friend. You could try talking to them about how this makes you feel, or just go into your interactions with this person with the awareness that they might walk away at any time and start talking to someone else. Of course, you could also just tell them you don't want to be friends anymore.

Sometimes people can just adopt different personalities for different situations. He's probably trying to show off and look cool in front of this other friend. If the change bothers you, talk to him about it in private. Let him know that he's hurt your feelings or that you don't like his cold attitude. If all else fails, try not to hang out with the two of them together.