Ever broken up with a close friend?

I wouldn't say broken up, but someone that I was friends with since high school and I kind of drifted away from each other at a certain point. I think it's for the best though. Over time I kind of realized that we didn't have much in common as we first thought.

One was a guy who became a total preachy Ayn Rand wacko.

The other was a personal ad friend. That was a case where what limited value in knowing her had worn out its welcome and I realized we had nothing in common. But she was the one who cut off contact with me. She was known to cut people off like that if they did something that offended her, and I feared I would be subjected to the same, which in itself suggested there was something amiss.

In both cases though I wouldn't have seen much of them in the future so it would have got distant anyway.

hell yeah and each time my life really improved.

3 times so far.

1. this was a long term friendship, about 7 years or so and I am still a bit upset that I let it drag on so long, since I realized this person was an emotional vampire quite early on. But she did have some good qualities and was very fond of me and that made it hard for me to cut the friendship. Finally last year she gave me a real eye opening reason (lying to me about something that was important to me) and that was the last straw. I wrote her a letter explaining the situation and telling her why we are "breaking up" since I would hate to just walk away without her knowin why.  I mean I had mentioned her negativity and constant emotional support neediness before, and she tried to improve but it seemed like whenever she improved somethign another major flaw became bigger. I think she is a good person, just not a good fit  for a friendship with me.

2. this was a horrible person that became friends with me for the wrong reasons and it was fairly quick for me to find out and cut her off after those were recognized. easy.

3. this was again a very needy and negative person and on top of all of it we had NO common interest other than mutual (very good and dear) friends, so breaking up with her was  not the first thing my mind would go to but became fairly easy once she gave me a reason and made it clear for me that she really is just giant hole where energy goes to and negativity comes back out from. victim personality combined with extreme bitternes.

all of these times my life became easier afterwards and included less negativity. I am now learning how not to attract these personalities and how not to give into their requirements/needs masking as friendship. Since apparently, its about me, I cause it that they feel invited to my life, not them.  

So if you are wondering if breaking up with a friend is possible and could lead to something good in your life: absolutely. 

A number of times for different reasons. Drifting apart, long distance; one of my closest ones was over a woman. Fate had the last laugh and she wasn't worth it. That's life.

Because I brought Petey around, I was his best friend, and there was a good chance that there would been a fight if Sally confronted him.

I got into a fight and they didn't back me up. I didn't talk much to them after that.

Yep. He was increasingly getting weirder, on multiple levels. It was time. And I never turned back. I do wonder if he's alright and has a family. But if I was being completely honest I wouldn't want to be friends with him again. There was increasing weirdness there that I don't think I'll ever really know the depths of. Better off this way I think. Too bad.