It’s never easy when a friendship ends. At the end of the day, we need to understand that friends and friendships change over time.
So whatever the reason is, whether it ended out of the blue, or you might have just gradually drifted apart, either way, it’s a tough deal!
Photo via Friendship Lamps
Friendship breakups are not discussed as often as romantic breakups, but they happen to everyone and they can hurt just as bad, or sometimes even worse.
Whichever way it ended, it’s now over and you’re suffering. Here are some things you can do for yourself to move forward, through and past the pain of a lost friendship, according to Evolve Treatment.
#1 Acknowledge your pain
Know that your grief is normal. The pain from a breakup of a deep friendship is real and valid as any other.
You and your friend probably shared almost everything and spent practically all your time together. You talked on the phone for hours on end, and shared endless text messages, but now it’s all gone.
That loss of connection is real. It’s valid and it hurts. Don’t try to tell yourself it’s nothing.
#2 Practice self-care
Though it seems far easier to mope in bed all day, make sure you get out and take care of yourself.
Don’t neglect your personal hygiene and participate in your regular/weekly activities, even if they’re the last thing you want to do. Just going about your regular routine will help you recover from the pain of the breakup.
#3 Talk to someone
It can be anyone you trust, whether it’s your parents, school counselor or even another friend.
Realizing you have a support system, even if they don’t live close to you, can make you feel better about the breakup!
#4 Examine what went wrong in the friendship
Oftentimes, friendships turn sour when one friend behaves insensitively toward the other, or sometimes the toxicity is mutual. The root of toxic behaviour can be tied to mental health issues of an underdeveloped sense of or awareness of boundaries.
#5 Check your emotional health
Platonic breakups can induce an incredible amount of grief. If you feel like life isn’t worth living anymore or have thoughts of suicide, seek mental health assistance immediately!
Feeling an extreme amount of sadness after a traumatic breakup can eventually lead to clinical depression if you don’t work proactively to process your grief, loss and sadness.
Photo via iStock
When you’re in a close friendship, you might think you will always stay this close. But friendships don’t always last forever, despite your expectations.
Friends come and go throughout life. The friends you had in middle school are not always the same ones you have in high school. And your circle of friends will keep on changing as you move on to University and when you join the workforce.
Though this friendship is over, know that as you move on in life, you’ll keep making friends and they’ll keep enriching your life just as you’ll enrich theirs.
Don’t worry, you will be okay!
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
