5 Ways to Let Go of a Friendship

When a marriage dissolves, there is legal process that involves steps of grieving the end of the relationship. Signing papers, although painful, acknowledges the end of years together and also signifies freedom to move on to a new life. Broken friendships, however, have no process in place. Oftentimes the ending is muddled, with confusion over what went wrong and whether or not there is any chance of reconciliation. The broken bond can be just as traumatic as a divorce, especially if you have years invested into the relationship. It can be difficult to work through the blurry blend of emotions including regret, sadness, and anger. Over the years I’ve grieved a handful of very meaningful friendships. Some of fallouts were devastating and took significant time to heal. Here are some perspectives and actions that helped me through the process. 1. Don’t take it personally. Because it’s not about you. Easier said than done, of course. But if a person abruptly ends a relationship, it has more to do with their own limitations than anything you said or did. You may perceive a friend’s lack of communication as rejection, but they are simply acting in accordance to what they are capable of. There’s no need to obsess endlessly over the things that you should have done differently because no “right” behavior of yours can change their limitations or their humanness, now or later. You are who you are — a wonderful human being! — including the words and actions you...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Friends General Grief and Loss Relationships Self-Help Abandonment Betrayal Coping Skills Friendship irreconcilable differences Rejection Vulnerability Source Type: blogs