Hello Everyone!
Another aspect of my story deals with friendships, specifically friendship break-ups.
Friends, defined as people attached to one another by affection or esteem, (1) are import figures in our lives. Friends offer each other emotional support, which includes listening without judging, validating your feelings, offering words of comfort or reassurance, or just be physically present with you when you. (2) Having strong social ties can decrease feelings of loneliness and positively influence mood. (2) Friendships also come with physical benefits, such as decreased risk of health problems like diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. (2)
So why do friendship break ups happen?
For a variety of reasons. Life changes such as moving, changing jobs, or personal goals can affect the amount of time and energy a person has for friendships. (3) Stress, anxiety, or depression can cause someone to withdraw to not seem like a burden. Additionally, conflicts or misunderstandings within the friendship can lead to distancing. Unresolved issues, no matter how small, can cause a rift. (3) Most of the time, though, friendship break-ups involve the parties drifting apart as their interests and priorities change and their paths diverge. (3)
Some signs of a friendship break-up are prolonged periods of no contact, or it feels incredibly awkward or cumbersome to hang out, or when two people don’t know what’s going on in each others’ lives, or the dynamic and “vibe” isn’t there anymore. (4) This may bring out feelings of rejection, confusion, and self-doubt. (5) Additionally, if the friend was a significant part of your social circle, social life may also be affected. (5)
To reconnect with a friend, one can send a message saying they missed the friend, acknowledge that the friendship fell apart, and ask to reconnect. (6) A brief summary about what happened in one’s life would also be helpful for the other person to ask about, if they are also interested in rebuilding the friendship.
Alternatively, to heal from a friendship breakup, one should take time to grieve the relationship. (7) Reflect and analyze the sources of conflict (if any) and how you can make an effort to get along better with others as you make new friends in the future. (7) Talking about it with family or other friends or even a therapist also helps, because no matter how self-aware one is, having conversations with another person can still provide helpful insight and advice. (7) With time, one can even consider making friends with new people.
- Definition of FRIEND. (2019). Merriam-Webster.com. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/friend
- Arlin Cuncic. (2024, April 24). 6 friendship benefits: Why it’s important to stay close to your friends. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/the-importance-of-friendship-3024371
- Jones, E. W. (2024, March 6). Why There Are Friends Who Distance Themselves for No Reason and What to Do | 2024. Psychology For. https://psychologyfor.com/why-there-are-friends-who-distance-themselves-for-no-reason-and-what-to-do/
- foy, kenya. (2019, November 14). 10 signs you and your best friend are drifting apart, and how to manage it. HelloGiggles. https://hellogiggles.com/signs-best-friend-drifting-apart/
- Jones, E. W. (2024, March 6). Why There Are Friends Who Distance Themselves for No Reason and What to Do | 2024. Psychology For. https://psychologyfor.com/why-there-are-friends-who-distance-themselves-for-no-reason-and-what-to-do/
- https://www.facebook.com/Viksa. (2021, August 3). How To Reconnect With A Friend (With Message Examples). SocialSelf. https://socialself.com/blog/reconnect-friend/
- Stetzler, S. (2024). 12 verbal communication skills for everyday life. Betterup.com. https://doi.org/106005526/1733955028048/module_84106005526_blog-breadcrumbs