How to Trust Friends

Sometimes we have been hurt or betrayed and find it difficult to trust anyone, even our friends. We need to find a way to trust again. Friends should be people with whom we can share our fears and secrets and whom we can trust to be there when we need them. Building trust back depends on quality time spent together, not on mindless quotes we see in a book.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Acknowledge your fear of intimacy and share with your friend how you feel. Sometimes telling about your fear opens you up to a new level of trust that may give unexpected results. You may find empathy from your friend, who will make it easier to get over your fear.

2. Give a little at a time by telling a friend a small secret and see if you are quoted back from another person. If so, then you know that you cannot trust that person. If your secret stays safe, then give a little more. It's all right to test people and let them earn your trust.

3. Watch others whom you admire to learn how they give their trust away. You may have had a bad experience as a child and find yourself unable to give voice to the problem you are having with making and trusting friends. You can learn by emulating others.

4. Count your blessings. Remember the times when a friend came through for you. Focus on the people in your life who did not let you down. You may find that people are more trustworthy than you imagined, making it a little easier to begin trusting your friends again.