shades fills you in

Breaking up with a friend is insanely painful, says WHYY. We rely on our friends for so much, and when our relationships are strained, we feel extra awful

Friend breakups might be worse than romantic ones, says Time Magazine. Romantic breakups usually warrant a convo. In friend breakups, we almost never get one

Elle agrees. Unlike romantic breakups, we don’t have an emotional roadmap. So the loss of a friend can feel like a death

But Ted.com says it’s high time we normalize ending toxic friendships -- it’s natural, and really healthy!

Sociologists agree, it’s pretty normal to drop friends -- a 2008 Utrecht University study found that people lose and replace half their friends every 7 years

And many are good with the breakup. Just ask these 11 people who broke up with flaking, neglecting, hateful friends

Psychology Today has advice about the friendship that needs to end: Be sure your mind is made up, then communicate with your friend clearly

Vox is same: please don’t ghost

The Atlantic does a deep dive into broken friendships. Many fade for good reason. Maybe we should use the grief to enjoy the ones we have

If you’re not ready to break up, an NYT Op has a suggestion -- try “aggressive friendship”, also known as constantly reaching out