How to Deal With a Friend Ending Your Friendship

Try to stay positive when dealing with a friendship breakup.

If you've ever had a romantic relationship that ended, you've probably turned to your friends to give you the emotional support you needed. Friends are often thought of as the "rocks" that will always be there when we need them, but this is not always the case. Just like any other relationship, a friendship can end if one person sees the friendship as negative or destructive. This can be a painful event, but there are ways to deal with it.

Instructions

1. Speak with the friend who ended the relationship. Ask her why the friendship ended, if you don't already know. Ask her if there is anything you can do to mend the friendship. Apologize if you did something wrong.

2. Devote some time to contemplating the friendship that ended after you speak to your former friend. Consider what he told you, what you did wrong and how you might do things differently with other friends. But don't dwell on the situation for too long; you want to have closure so you can move forward with your life.

3. Speak with a trusted family member or a professional, such as a psychologist, if you are having trouble moving on from the friendship. Express the details of your former friendship, how it ended and how you're feeling about it. Ask the person if she can give you any advice for the future. Simply speaking with another person about this difficult situation may help you feel better.

4. Spend time with your other friends. Knowing that you have other friends will raise your spirits, but remember what you've learned from the broken friendship; don't repeat the mistakes you've made.

5. Stay active and try to meet new people. Sometimes the reasons for a friendship ending are inexplicable, so don't waste your time being alone, and thinking or worrying about the situation. Move on by participating in activities that you enjoy and trying new activities, such as joining a sports team, that will help you meet new people.

References

• When Friendship Hurts; When Friendship Turns Unfriendly; Jan Yager, Ph.D.
• Ladies' Home Journal: Friendship Breakups
• Kids Health: Helping Kids Cope With Cliques
• Good Housekeeping; Friendship Problems: When Your Child is Fighting with Her BFF; Charlotte Latvala