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It will make you feel upset and you will fall out.

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'I have a group of old friends I love but there's one woman I've always clashed with, and it's now got to the point where she has been so unkind to me, that I don't want to socialise with her any more. It's a long story... but she is not my friend and I would rather meet the others when she isn't there. A couple of other women don't like her either, and they are supportive, but I can tell others in the group think we should just deal with it and get along, and I don't want to alienate them. How do we handle this?' THE ADVICE
This can be a touchy situation in a group environment, says Levine, and when you feel one group member is being difficult, it's easy to try to get other members 'on your side'. But you should try to avoid this. 'Even though you don't like this woman, resist the impulse to badmouth her to anyone else in the group,' advises Professor Irene Levine. 'If asked, simply say that you don't get along that well.'

It can be difficult to take the higher ground when you know someone dislikes you but, as Psychologies' agony aunt Mary Fenwick points out, the danger of not doing so is that you could begin to behave in the same way as the person you're dealing with.

'I don't like the sound of secretly seeking support from others in the group, without directly discussing the relationship with the woman who is no longer your friend,' she says. 'The words we speak about other people can poison our own mouths.'

Also, remember to try not to demonise others and examine the dynamic between the two of you, says Packtypes' Will Murray. 'As Carl Jung said, "everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves".

In this context, that means looking behind this woman's actions. Why does she do the things she does? It is easier to leave a damaged relationship behind and move on than get to the heart of the issue, but if a deeper understanding can solve the problem, that has to be the best solution.'

Ultimately, in a situation such as this, you can only change your own behaviour. So, offers Fenwick, 'choose kindness'. If you opt not to respond in a negative way to negative actions, you have taken the first step to freeing yourself from the situation.
THE EXPERTS

Carole Jahme, evolutionary psychologist and author of Beauty and the Beasts: Woman, Ape and Evolution (Virago, £10.61); jahme.com

Irene S Levine, psychologist and professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine; thefriendshipblog.com

Mary Fenwick, Psychologies' resident agony aunt, coach and journalist; maryfenwick.com

Will Murray, founder of Packtypes self-awareness cards and author of Understand Everyone (Friendly Publishing), packtypes.com

Photograph: iStock

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Being part of a circle of friends is one of life's great joys, but the dynamics of a group are not always easy. Psychologies asked a panel of experts for advice on how to navigate some of the thorniest issues

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Falling out with friends is bad behaviour 

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Falling out with friends is bad behaviour 

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The risks you can get are .

Heart Disease.

Stroke.

Digestive Problems.

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Ty Thomas

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Alcohol abuse doesn’t just cause problems for your physical health. Learn more about the ways alcoholism affects your life with this guide.

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What Impact Does Alcohol Addiction Have on Our Lives - Addiction Helpline

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What Impact Does Alcohol Addiction Have on Our Lives - Addiction Helpline

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Are you afraid alcohol may be taking over your or your loved one’s life? We can help you find a good treatment centre and detox facilities within the UK and beyond.

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Liver problems
Cancer
High blood pressure

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Alcohol effects your body by drinking too much 

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Alcohol effects your body by drinking too much 

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Organs known to be damaged by long-term alcohol misuse include the brain and nervous system, heart, liver and pancreas. Heavy drinking can also increase your blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels, both of which are major risk factors for heart attacks and strokes.

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Liver problems
Cancer
High blood pressure

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Drinking too much - on a single occasion or over time - can take a serious toll on your health. Here's how alcohol can affect your body:

Brain:
Alcohol interferes with the brain's communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain looks and works. These disruptions can change mood and behavior, and make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination.

Heart:
Drinking a lot over a long time or too much on a single occasion can damage the heart, causing problems including:

Cardiomyopathy - Stretching and drooping of heart muscle

Arrhythmias - Irregular heart beat

Stroke

High blood pressure

Liver:
Heavy drinking takes a toll on the liver, and can lead to a variety of problems and liver inflammations including:

Steatosis, or fatty liver

Alcoholic hepatitis

Fibrosis

Cirrhosis

Pancreas:
Alcohol causes the pancreas to produce toxic substances that can eventually lead to pancreatitis, a dangerous inflammation in the pancreas that causes its swelling and pain (which may spread) and impairs its ability to make enzymes and hormones for proper digestion .

Cancer:
According to the National Cancer Institute: "There is a strong scientific consensus that alcohol drinking can cause several types of cancer. In its Report on Carcinogens, the National Toxicology Program of the US Department of Health and Human Services lists consumption of alcoholic beverages as a known human carcinogen.

"The evidence indicates that the more alcohol a person drinks-particularly the more alcohol a person drinks regularly over time-the higher his or her risk of developing an alcohol-associated cancer. Even those who have no more than one drink per day and people who binge drink (those who consume 4 or more drinks for women and 5 or more drinks for men in one sitting) have a modestly increased risk of some cancers. Based on data from 2009, an estimated 3.5% of cancer deaths in the United States (about 19,500 deaths were alcohol related."

Clear patterns have emerged between alcohol consumption and increased risks of certain types of cancer:

Head and neck cancer, including oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx cancers.

Esophageal cancer, particularly esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, people who inherit a deficiency in an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol have been found to have substantially increased risks of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma if they consume alcohol.

Breast cancer: Studies have consistently found an increased risk of breast cancer in women with increasing alcohol intake. Women who consume about 1 drink per day have a 5 to 9 percent higher chance of developing breast cancer than women who do not drink at all.

For more information about alcohol and cancer, please visit the National Cancer Institute's webpage " Alcohol and Cancer Risk" (last accessed October 21, 2021).

Immune System:
Drinking too much can weaken your immune system, making your body a much easier target for disease. Chronic drinkers are more liable to contract diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis than people who do not drink too much. Drinking a lot on a single occasion slows your body's ability to ward off infections - even up to 24 hours after getting drunk.
For more information about alcohol's effects on the body, please visit the Interactive Body feature on NIAAA's College Drinking Prevention website.

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Drinking too much - on a single occasion or over time - can take a serious toll on your health. Here's how alcohol can affect your body:

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High blood pressure
Cancer
Liver problems

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Long term drinking can damage organs such as heart, liver and nervous system

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How can alcohol misuse effect our personal lives?

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How can alcohol misuse effect our personal lives?

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How can we prevent the risks from happening and limit our alcohol consumption?

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How can we prevent the risks from happening and limit our alcohol consumption?

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What are the risks from drinking too much?

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What are the risks from drinking too much?