7 signs youre being taken advantage of in a friendship

7 signs youre being taken advantage of in a friendship7 signs youre being taken advantage of in a friendshipI had a friend in college who welches always taking advantage of me - but I didnt realize it at first. She would vent to me endlessly about her relationship problems, never letting me get a word in or really asking me about what was going on in my own life.She was my friend, and I wanted to be there for her Whenever wed hang out, the conversation revolves around her venting. Oh, and we always had to hang out at her place for her convenience, shed never come to me.This continued for months and then went to another level. She asked me if I could run to the store to make a return for her because she didnt have time to do it herself. One errand turned into multiple errands. I knew she was busy, but why was she making me run these errands for her? I felt like her intern, except I wasnt getting anything out of it. Was I beingtoogood of a friend? Was she taking advantage of my kindne ss?Once I realized what was going on, I broke off the friendship.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreFriendship is a two-way street. Theres give and take, hopefully in equal amounts. We shouldnt ever feel like were being taken advantage of in a friendship - but of course, nobodys perfect, and unfortunately, not everybody is a good friend.Sometimes it can be hard to tell if a friends taking advantage of you, or it might take you some time to realize that youre being taken advantage of. However, there are some infallible signs to be on the lookout for that will give you answers. Here are 7 signs that youre being taken advantage of in a friendship.1. They dont listen to you, but always expect you to listen to themIf your friend expects you to listen to them vent for 20 minutes straight, then they should let you vent to them, too If you always provide a shoulder to cry on, but they di smiss you or dont give you their full attention when you have a problem or are feeling down, thats straight up selfish.2. They only want to hang out when its convenient for themIf they want your entire schedule to revolve around them, thats not fair Whenmaking plans in healthy friendships, you should both discuss your schedules and compromise to figure out what dates and times work best. If theyre guilt tripping you about making a certain date work, thats a whole other story. The world doesnt revolve around your friends schedule - and your time is valuable3. Theyre constantly asking you to do favors for themIf your friend is sending you out on errands as if youre their intern, its time to reassess the relationship. Sure, friends with healthy relationships will do favors for one another, but if its one sided and the person is constantly asking you to go out of your way for them, theyre taking advantage of you - and wasting your time.4. They only reach out when they need helpThis is one of the surefire easiest ways to spot whether someone is taking advantage of you. Does it seem like your friend only hits you up when they need something? Well, thats probably the case. It may feel like theyre always needing your help, whether its borrowing money,career advice, or brain picking with nothing to offer in return, or a place to crash when theyre in town (but they never talk to you regularly throughout the year) - thatsfishy.5. They are always making you pay for thingsIts pretty common for a friend to offer to foot the bill once in a while, and its expected that the other friend will get the bill the next time, right? If you notice your friend is conveniently missing when the check comes, they never offer to pay for anything, and they dont respond to your Venmo payment requests, theyre just taking your money, and its definitely time to have a serious talk with them.6. Theyre using you to get aheadThe sad truth is that a lot of people will use others just to get ahea d in life, whether that means to gain popularity in a certain social circle or in a work environment. You dont have to be rich and famous for people to try to use you and your friendship to their advantage. Manipulative people will keep friends just so they can step on you to climb on up to the top.Dont let them walk all over you7. They dont show interest in your personal lifeFriends care about their friends. Think about it - you want to know how your friends are doing, right? You care about your friends well being, how theyre doing, and youre curious about their life. If your friend never asks how youre doing, doesnt show interest in your life, and only wants to talk about themselves, well, you probably already know what Im gonna say.Dont let your friends take advantage of you, your kindness, or your time. Your true friends willnever want to take too much from you or be manipulative. Trust your gut. If you feel like somebodys taking advantage of you - they are.If youve noticed th at you have friends who have shown one or more of these signs time and time again, you should consider having a serious talk with them about your relationship and how it makes you feel when they try to take advantage of you. If they dont make changes to their behavior, it might be time to cut ties and break up with your friend. Oh, and remember to never take advantage of people yourself - you get what you give.This article originally appeared on Talkspace.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people