7 types of people that are absolutely toxic to be around

Have you ever dealt with someone who always makes you feel overwhelmed?

Or maybe a friend who constantly makes everything revolve around them?

We’ve all come across “difficult” people, but what if those personalities are more than just challenging—they’re toxic?

There’s a whole world of toxic personalities out there, and you’d be surprised to learn that some of them may be closer to home than you think.

Get ready to identify familiar faces in your life who aren’t just difficult to deal with, they’re detrimental to your well-being. Here are seven types of people who are downright toxic to deal with:

1) The Selfish Communicator

Here’s what a conversation with a selfish comrade looks like:

You: “I just had a terrible day at work, and I feel like my boss hates me.”

Selfish Interviewer: “Poor you! I know exactly how you feel. Work has been really tough lately. My boss treats me badly. Even though he recently promoted me and I make more money, the responsibilities are just too much, you know? I’m exhausted.

I thought it would be easier to give you an example of SAC than to try to explain it because you’ve probably met someone like that before!

Simply put, no matter what you’re going through, they’re going through something worse.

They’ll interrupt conversations, hog the limelight, and make you feel unheard and inadequate. I think they just love hearing their voice!

2) The Constrained Manipulator

Another type of person who is toxic to deal with is the Constrained Manipulator. In other words, people who have a nervous breakdown every time they can’t control themselves!

You’ve probably met someone like this; a colleague, parent, partner, or friend who always wants things to happen their way.

Any other way is simply wrong in their eyes.

To add insult to injury, they don’t stop at This is the limit. They don’t just want to control how you do things, they also want to control your opinions, your desires, and more.

I remember an aunt who would argue to the death until everyone agreed with her. She would go so far as to censor your opinions or hound you about your actions.

In other words, a controlling manipulator will make you feel suffocated until you completely conform to their views.

3) Emotional Hook

Also known as an energy vampire!

Emotional hooks are incredibly toxic because they leave you feeling drained and exhausted.

So what does a typical encounter with someone like this look like?

Imagine this:

You meet a friend. You’re excited to share some good news with them. But from the moment you sit down with your coffee, it’s all about them and their misfortune.

For three hours, you listen to them relay their feelings to you. Every time you try to redirect the conversation to neutral territory, they redirect it back to themselves.

You get home and relax on the couch, completely drained of energy and unsure of what just happened.

With emotional attachments in your life, you probably keep them around because you feel sorry for them. But at the same time, you dread their company. They don’t offer the same support that you do in return.

Does anyone come to mind?

4) The Perpetual Chaos Center

Or the drama kings and queens of life. If you seek conflict, entertainment, and general noise, these are the ones for you.

Just like emotional attachments, these people will drain your energy with their endless problems.

They will constantly come to you for sympathy and support, but your advice?

You can offer it until you turn blue in the face. They won’t accept it. Instead, they will continue to repeat the same mistakes and come back to you for help picking up the pieces.

I’ve concluded that people like these thrive on drama and chaos.

They don’t want solutions. They don’t want a peaceful life. Conflict is like a seductive drug to them.

This would be fine if they kept it to themselves, but unfortunately, they tend to drag everyone else into the mix as well!

5) Habitual Liar

Have you noticed how some people can’t tell the truth?

If they’re not outright lying, they embellish, exaggerate, or minimize situations.

RELATED:12 signs someone is addicted to drama in their relationship

Over time, you feel like you can’t trust a word that comes out of your mouth.

It’s incredibly frustrating, which is why being around them is toxic.

But that’s not all – dealing with a habitual liar (HL) can leave you feeling confused – sometimes they lie about things that aren’t even worth lying about!

A few years ago, a cousin of mine had major surgery. It took months to recover. Another family member (HL since birth, pretty much) decided to tell everyone that the cousin in question was in prison.

How did they figure this out? Who knows.

Did the habitual liar capitalize on this rumor? No!

It was completely pointless, even funny. But jokes aside, their lies can have damaging and harmful consequences.

6) The Arrogant Bulldozer

Ah, the arrogant bulldozer. This is the kind of person who will knock you down and keep moving forward without looking back – they love being right and they love being heard.

So much so that they don’t care who stands in their way.

When they want something, they’ll get it. Even if it hurts those around them.

The arrogant bulldozer uses tactics like:

• Intimidation
• Threats
• Ultimatums
• Belittling

This is how they dominate. If you have an opinion, the arrogant bulldozer will fight you until the last word to get their point across.

They tend to see others as inferior to them… so chances are the arrogant bulldozer in your life treats you with very little respect.

7) The Envious Critic

Finally, we move on to the envious critic. Think insecurity + jealousy. It’s a bad combination!

These people love to gossip about others. They love to judge. And worse, they project their insecurities onto everyone else.

You know how you can watch a cute video of a cat playing with a toy, living her best life online… and there’s always that one person who has something negative and nasty to say?

There’s the envious critic.

They’re the type who will say that your new car isn’t cool enough. Or they’ll congratulate you on your new job while simultaneously commenting that it’s a shame you don’t get paid more.

In other words, they can’t be happy for anyone else.

How to Deal with Toxic People

You probably know people who fit into at least 3 of the categories listed above.

So, how do you deal with people who are too toxic to deal with?

Set Boundaries

Boundaries will be your best friend. When dealing with emotional hangers-on, for example, you might limit the amount of time you spend with them so you don’t get overwhelmed.

With a drama llama in your life, you might set boundaries on what you will tolerate from them and what you won’t be drawn into.

Limit Contact

Some people, especially if they are extremely toxic, will cross your boundaries no matter how assertive you are. In this case, it’s best to limit the amount of time you spend with them.

For example, I have a friend who, although I care a lot about her, won’t get more than an hour of my time. She’s classic SAC—everything revolves around her.

Practice Emotional Detachment

My favorite saying when dealing with toxic people in my life is, “Not my circus, not my monkey.”

I know there are some people I can’t help, no matter how much advice I give them. So, I’ve learned to stop. I stand by them to the fullest, but I don’t lose sleep at night over their problems!

Use Assertive Communication

I’m not saying this will work for everyone, but it’s always worth a try. Tell the toxic people you encounter daily clearly, calmly, and firmly how you feel. Some may not be aware of their behavior, and if they value you enough, they may try to change.

Finally, if nothing improves, it’s time to consider cutting them out of your life for good!

Now, I know this may not always be possible, especially if it’s a colleague, boss, or family member.

In that case, limit your contacts and stay away from them and their drama!