Can you respect a friend who doesn't respect herself?

Friendship can be tricky if your friend isn't allowing herself happiness. It's hard to watch as your friend gets stepped on by an emotionally abusive lover but how much can you take before you feel emotionally abused?

Unfortunately everyone needs to learn from their mistakes. It doesn't matter how much advice you are able to give, a person will do what they want, when they want, until they learn for themselves. This doesn't mean back off though. A good friend should be there through thick and thin, happiness and emotional distress. If a friend is going through a hard time in a relationship, try not to turn your back. Continue to give them the necessary support no matter how frustrating it may get. That friend will eventually learn from their mistakes no matter how many times they have to make them first.

Every now and then it's beneficial to put yourself in the shoes of a needy friend, or maybe flash back to a time when they were there for your emotional temper tantrums. Remain a good friend and remain empathetic, but also remember that sometimes it's ok to remind them that if they chose the dirt road, they can't complain about the bumps.