This person has toxic friends.

Hello,

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. That is awful, and I certainly hope things go better for you in the near future. Friends are sometimes a difficult thing to manage, but those people are very obviously not your friends. The first thing you need to do in this situation may seem a bit cliche, but you need to tell an adult you can trust, whether that be your parents, another family member, a teacher, counselor, anyone who can back you up and protect you. You need to ask for help, and they can't help you if they don't know about it.

Then you need to start distancing yourself from the group. If you normally eat with them at school, find a new place to eat or go with other friends. Don't participate in group chats, don't initiate conversation with the group or with these people individually, and try not to be around them in person very much. Don't tell them you're leaving them, and just do it on your own. Sometimes in situations like this when you leave quietly they don't notice. That isn't a guarantee, but it is your best solution aside from bringing it to an authority figure, or getting them in trouble which sometimes (the getting them in trouble part) does more harm than good.

These people are not good to be around, hun. They are hurting you both physically and emotionally, and that is not doing your mental any good. I know it's scary, but you need to get out of there. It's not going to get any better if you stay.

I hope this helps, love, and I'm sorry for your loss. I wish you all the best, and feel free to reach out to us again any time!

Stay strong,

The Advice Column Team