Deciding on No Contact with Toxic Friends and Family

Choosing no contact (going no contact, enacting a no contact rule) with a toxic friend or family member who has been in your life for an extended period of time can be difficult. That being said, it can be even more challenging if you’re in the process of healing and living with mental illness.

I live with dissociative identity disorder (DID), and there can be a lot of confusion among my personalities when I decide to go no contact with a toxic person. Why is the person no longer in our life? What did he or she do to be ousted? Will he or she ever come back? These are just a few questions I hear from my group of personalities when I choose to go no contact with a person.

However, it takes an ample amount of energy, time and patience to exercise a no contact rule, whether it pertains to one individual or a group of people that you deem toxic — so why do it?

Cutting Off Contact with Toxic People

Choosing no contact with a person is not one I take lightly, nor it is one that I make on a regular basis. I opted to go no contact with my primary caregivers, for instance, after decades of emotional abuse that ultimately resulted in my trauma. It was not a split decision that I made on a whim — it took careful thought and consideration.

Given my diagnosis with DID, it also came with a lot of back and forth between my personalities as to whether we even wanted to go forth with the no contact decision. Ultimately, I (as the host and leader of the group) needed to do what was best for my system as a whole. I can honestly say that it has been one of the most impactful choices I’ve ever made in terms of my healing journey, and I have no regrets.

Whether you have already decided to go no contact with a toxic person or you’re considering it, it is critical that you not only weigh the pros and cons, but also think about how you will handle any sense of remorse.

Is No Contact with Toxic People Right for You?

These days, there’s a lot of talk about creating distance from toxic people, but it’s often easier said than done. Going no contact altogether can be a journey in itself — one that may take months or even years to achieve. I do not recommend taking the option lightly, regardless of whether you live with a mental illness such as DID or not. But how do you know if no contact is right for you?

There are definitely questions I ask myself when I’m considering no contact with a toxic person. First, how does the person make my personalities (and system as a whole) feel when we are together? If there is any sense of threat, danger or fear, I know that the person isn’t right for me.

Next, does the individual care about my actual wellbeing, both physically and emotionally? The person should be willing to fulfill the role he or she plays in your life, whether it’s caregiver, friend or family member.

Finally, is the individual causing harm in any way? This question may seem like a no-brainer, but take a moment to really think about the words and actions of the person, specifically when he or she is around you. How does that person make you feel?

Ultimately, you may decide that you simply need a break from a friend or family member, and a no contact rule is not something you are ready to fully consider — this is completely acceptable. The key is to ensure that you’re making the right decision for your mental health and not impeding your healing journey.

How have you achieved no contact with a person in your life? Share your thoughts in the comments.