Friendships should enrich our lives and help us navigate challenges - but when they don’t, should we walk away?

A woman told So You Think You’re an Adult this week that she is reconsidering whether to keep a friend of 16 years in her life.

She said her friend’s life is “constant drama” and it’s beginning to affect her.

“Over the years, we worked together, travelled a lot, and for a while, we were practically living in each other's pockets,” she said.

“This girl had a difficult upbringing and a string of bad relationships, which resulted in her getting divorced and then going out with more unsuitable men over the past few years.”

'One-sided' friendship

She now feels the friendship has become “one-sided” and “dreads” meeting her friend.

“For my own sanity, I took a step back from her and started doing things with other friends,” she said.

“Last week, she confronted me, saying I was an awful friend, that I hadn't been there for her throughout the year during her latest breakup, and that I was all for myself.”

Her question to the So You Think You’re an Adult panel was whether her decision to step away was selfish.

Actress Mary McEvoy said it was indeed a selfish decision.

“But congratulations on being selfish because you need to be selfish in a situation like that,” she said.

“There are friendships where power balances are uneven, and this friend seems like a drama queen.

“It’s not the writer’s fault that she had a bad upbringing or that she picks unsuitable men, and I think this friendship has run its course.

“Don’t react to her, and she’ll either realise she’s difficult to deal with or she’ll just go her own sweet way.”

Run its course

TV personality Declan Buckley said it’s normal to feel bad when a relationship runs its course.

“You’ve invested a lot of time in getting to know and care about somebody, and if that suddenly changes in a way that you no longer have that closeness, it’s natural to feel sad,” he said.

“All that’s happening is this person is going through a process of grieving for lost love or lost friendship, whatever it is.”

Broadcaster Stefanie Preissner differed in opinion from the rest of the panel.

“My take on this is that you ghosted your friend; you ghosted her and just started cutting her out,” she said.

“That might be fine, but I would have preferred if you had said, ‘Listen, I'm going to just take a step back from this.’”