If you have not met drugs, let me tell you what they are like and what to expect should you run into them at your favorite restaurant or sit beside them on the train.

They are gentle and kind in the beginning, leaving you with a warm and welcoming first impression. They are friendly and you have not met anyone like them before. They are likely to say kind things and fill you with hope and comfort, telling you that the disappointment you have felt is unacceptable. They assure you that they will never leave or disappoint you, and repeatedly, their actions match their words. They are consistent and dependable. You can lean on them.

At first, they ask for small things in return. This is a relationship, after all. They need a bit of money for overdue bills and expenses. They require you to tell a couple of lies to those close to you because they want to be in your life. Others will not understand them the way that you do, nor will they see how important they have become to you. They can be misunderstood.

You will find yourself growing closer to them quickly and thinking about them often. You have a crush, and you know it’s too soon for that. They do not have a good reputation, but you have seen the best in them. You know better.

You will start to crave moments with them in ways that fill your mind and body with a desperation that feels unhealthy, but that you know is best for now. You can always ask for distance if you feel you are becoming too close, too quickly. Right?

They are generous in taking away your pains, the aches in your back and neck, and the fears and lonely feelings you have been carrying around for some time. They will stand by you, consistent and steady, even rocking you to sleep when you are restless or feeling uneasy. Waking up next to them, you feel optimism you have not felt in years and an energy you don’t recognize in yourself. Sometimes they will say something so kind and hold you so tight that you feel you may be falling in love. They are comforting and dependable, and you are sleeping through the night without bad dreams.

As your relationship deepens, you start to feel more dependent on them, and this concerns you as you have always been independent. Suddenly, their words are not as meaningful, and you feel as though you need more from them, and more of them. They start to require more of you; more of your time and more of your money, and you start to feel as though perhaps their love for you is not as sincere as you once thought it to be. You are feeling doubt.

They start to speak to you with impatience. The kindness dwindles. They have become demanding, and yet you are willing to sacrifice for them. A cloud is forming over your relationship. You feel as though you need them more than they need you.

They have started to spend time in dark places, and to see them, you need to go to places that make you feel uncomfortable, places you never imagined going. Their other friends make you fearful as their eyes are vacant, and they walk differently. You see that they spend time around others who feel weak. There is desperation in the air, and you look in the mirror one day and see someone else looking back at you. Have they changed you?

Yes, your friend has changed you, and you do not like what you see.

You realize you are not the only one close to them, and as the affair deepens, you are disappearing and they are becoming bigger, bolder, and more powerful.

Then, they turn on you. You did not expect this. It hurts, but you are having trouble letting them go.

They have started to say unkind words and demand things that you don’t want to give, but they have a hold on you. You have fallen in love with a monster.

You no longer feel peace and comfort, but you need to see them often, or you cannot seem to put one foot in front of the other. This is an unhealthy relationship, and those close to you start to notice and they warn you.

You try to leave your former friend, but they beat you physically and attack you emotionally when you try to walk away from the relationship. You stay. You have become desperate and confused. They have become possessive and have alienated you from those you love. They want you alone in the dark, only with them.

Every time you speak of leaving, they remind you of your worst qualities and that only they will see you as you truly are. They provide you with what you need. What you need is unclear.

In the toxic relationship you have developed, with who you considered a friend, they bring pain so unbearable, and walking away, even for a day or two, fills your body and mind with a torture you have never felt before.

Their manipulation is perplexing, and you thought you had good intuition. You feel unable to abandon this friend.

When you make a bold move to escape, you are overtaken by a violent illness of mind and body. You crawl back as they remind you that you need them. Without them, you may not make it.

Your lies have become bigger, and you are losing more of what you have and who you are. The integrity that defines how you want to show up in the world has started to disappear. You are a shadow of who you were. How has your friend turned into such a wicked presence in your life?

Soon, you start to investigate who your friend is by researching their past. You find that they have been befriending people worldwide for years and leaving them for dead. You find that they are responsible for over 8,000 Canadian toxicity deaths per year, approximately 22 per day. This explains why you sometimes feel dead inside or like dying may be the only way out.

You learn about stigmas associated with those who develop relationships with your friend, and that you will be criminalized, judged, and blamed for befriending them. They have a terrible reputation, and you may be judged simply by becoming close to them, by falling for their lies.

You will see that there are ways to sever ties with your friend, but the data is against you. Do not let the data cause you to lose hope. Cling to those who love you, take the path that is best for you, and know that there is a way to leave this manipulative friend.

I did. I failed many times in my efforts, was brought to my knees with discouragement, but eventually, I told my friend that we were no longer friends, that I was moving on, and that they were not coming with me.

Beware of this friend, should you encounter them in your life. They are convincing and not what they seem. They are not a good and loyal friend. You don’t need them. You have everything that you need. Just hang on.

Beware of the company you keep. This is a friend who almost killed me, and I feel compelled to warn you that this friend wants you dead. This friend is your worst enemy.

I hope that this story of me and my former friend is one you remember. I know, I will never forget.

I will be your friend. There are those who will provide you with meaningful friendship. No friendship is perfect, but this old friend of mine is not a friend but a fool, an enemy we must remember. Healing does not come from this short-lived relief.

My old friend betrayed me. Remember their name and who they are. Remember your name and who you are.

This is the end of the story of my former friend and me.