If you feel emptier every time you leave their place, that’s data, not drama.

Your body keeps a more honest record than the story you tell about a friendship. Leaving somewhere consistently flatter than you arrived is a measurement rather than a mood, and it usually builds for months before you let yourself notice. Wanting to like someone does not change the reading. Calling it dramatic is how people stay far longer than they meant to.

Track how you feel leaving four or five times instead of judging one evening. If the pattern holds, reduce the exposure before deciding anything final. You do not owe anyone an explanation for seeing them less.