I went through this about 4 years ago.

Long story short....I ended a 25 year friendship. This person felt more like a family member than a friend. Nobody could make me laugh more. It was painful for me and still is sometimes. That said, I do not regret it one bit. It was the best thing for both of us. I feel pretty confident I'd be dead right now if I wouldn't have walked away when I did. Just like the person above me, my son begged me not to talk to her again. So did my husband and mother. I deleted her number.....I changed my cell phone and my number. I would have preferred to handle this differently, with more closure. In this situation, this wasn't an option.

I don't feel comfortable recommending a person drop a friend as a general rule. But in toxic situations, it's often necessary. It's such a sad, sad thing. I know that in my case, I felt so bad for doing it. I felt like I was abandoning her. It helped me tremendously once I realized that I was doing us both a huge favor.

I like the ideas of making new friends and spending some time getting to know yourself. Best of luck!