[Bit]

Originally Posted by SassyLeo

I had a few friends who did really fucked up stuff and I chose to separate from the friendship. Was I then withholding the unconditional love?

Do you still love them? If you do, then I would say, no you weren't withholding love, even if you withdrew from the relationships.

For me, there is a difference between "loving someone unconditionally" and "accepting all their behaviors without question"... I believe it's certainly possible to love someone unconditionally, even if I have to tell them, "for the sake of my own mental health, I cannot be around your dysfunctional behaviors right now."

I think it's also possible to say, "I love you unconditionally, and for the sake of that love, I cannot allow you to behave badly without consequences." I believe this is the concept that Tough Love is built on--as well as the concept good parenting is built on.