Friendships are like marriages. Some evolve to become mutually supportive and life-giving bonds while others grow more and more unhealthy, or even toxic. When a friendship ends — abruptly or subtly; via e-mail, phone conversation, or personal confrontation; with words or silence — I believe it needs to be mourned and processed in the same way as a terminated marriage. Because, even if a split was inevitable or right, it still hurts, just as much, or sometimes even more, than breaking up with a beau. Here, then, are eight ways to make sure you get closure and peace, especially if there was no good-bye.
1. Compose a good-bye letter.
Of course, no one is going to read it. But that’s not the point. The exercise of writing it is astonishingly therapeutic. I’ve written many old boyfriends letters that I never sent, some family members, and my father after he died. I needed a way to communicate that was for purely selfish reasons. So that I could hear myself say good-bye to this person that I really liked, or loved, or enjoyed having as a Facebook friend.
2. Pluck out the feeling.
Sometimes feelings need a little nudging in order for us to acknowledge and process them. It’s like they are seeds stuck in a shell, and we need to scoop them out in order to free them. Some helpful exercises for scooping out the seeds of rejection and sadness from a terminated friendship: looking through pictures of trips together or graduation from high school or college, listening to songs that trigger memories, or frequenting the coffee shop where you used to meet. They all help you to mourn an ending.
3. Plan a ritual.
I know this sounds voodoo-ish, actually that’s a step I’m getting to. But seriously, it’s not like you have a funeral to go to, or any way of moving through this in a symbolic way that can help you process your emotions. So you’re going have to create one … a ceremony of sorts.
After it was clear to me that an old boyfriend in college was simply not into me, I took the beautiful poem that he wrote me to a cemetery on the campus of Saint Mary’s College. I knelt there, ripped up the poem, and threw the pieces of paper into the air, crying (really hard). The most amazing thing happened. It started snowing. Right at that very second. It was like the heavens heard my cry, and the angels were tearing up sheets of paper right along with me. You don’t need the snow to feel better, though. Just the ripping should do the job.
4. Fill the space with something new.
This is true for any loss. When I stopped drinking I had to come up with some sober activities ASAP. Ditto when I stopped smoking. And on down the addiction list … It always feels uncomfortable at first. That’s a good sign. It means you are processing emotions, which is part of closure. If it felt cozy, then I’d say you weren’t doing it right. But change can be fun and challenging at the same time. And you’re allowed to use four lettered words if you don’t like it at first, unless you’ve given those up too.
5. Get even.
Here’s where the voodoo comes in handy. Only kidding, of course, but I did tell Fresh Living blogger Holly Rossi (for her story, click here) that if that bridesmaid/friend who dissed her (Holly) after the wedding comes begging for friendship later, when the chick is on husband number two, Holly has every right to dis her right back. But revenge doesn’t need to be mean to be effective. In fact, the best revenge is sweet, like arriving at a great spot in your life, finding peace with yourself without that person who dumped you.
6. Make a plan.
You might think about what you would do if the friend comes begging back. Because it happens. Or you run into her at the bank or the grocery, and your mouth opens but no noise comes out. Best to have a script, to think it through: if this person wants into my life again, should I let her? That’s a hard one. Go back and view my video in order to answer that question. I ask myself this: Does the relationship empower me, or deflate me? Does this person build me up or tear me down? And can I be sincere–truly sincere–when I’m with her? This goes for new friends too. Start a new friend policy now. What are the requirements from now on for a person to be your friend? You deserve some, you know.
7. Stay with the pain.
You knew I was going here, because I always do. Back to Henri Nouwen’s words, about staying with the loneliness, about feeling it, not rushing into activity to skip over it … about going through it, not around it. He writes:
It is not easy to stay with your loneliness. …. But when you can acknowledge your loneliness in a safe, contained place, you make your pain available for God’s healing. God does not want your loneliness; God wants to touch you in a way that permanently fulfills your deepest need. It is important that you dare to stay with your pain and allow it to be there. You have to own your loneliness and trust that it will not always be there. The pain you suffer now is meant to put you in touch with the place where you most need healing, your very heart….Dare to stay with your pain, and trust in God’s promise to you.
8. Don’t take it personally.
I know, I know … yeah, right! But if you can do this on any level, you save yourself so much suffering. In his classic, “The Four Agreements,” don Miguel Ruiz writes, “Even when a situation seems so personal, even if others insult you directly, it has nothing to do with you. What they say, what they do, and the opinions they give are according to the agreements they have in their own minds. …If you do not take it personally, you are immune in the middle of hell.” Man, I like that.
141 comments
I am so happy I found this site. I to am a person who had a one way friend ship with this person. In the beginning we did so much stuff together and mostly once a week, then she got a DUI and everything fell, I personally tried to help her over the DUI and spent hours away from my own family helping her. Did she never say thanks NO!
So she is once again on that road of self destruct, drinking driving, and wants to grow the Sacred Weed at her home, in a town that its totally illegal! She is 66 going on 16 yrs of age, she is never there for me, and Tuesday when I called she was to busy with her live some where friend to even talk with me.
Yet there has been time I talked went over to her house to be hundreds of times.
I finally realized that I am done with this friendship, I have a new business and family and I cannot be involved in illegal actions of this so called friend.
I am so glad this is here for people to voice there cries, and reading all the post I know I am not alone.
I feel sad, hurt and upset, but I know by letting her go I will be a different person, as I will not have to worry about her illegal actions anymore.
I was going to write her a letter but this is a fine letting the world know about her sick, and selfeish ways about herself.
I helped with issues all last year and this year and today I am done.
Should I send her a birthday card? NO, did she call me on my birthday? NO
I just have to let it go!
Hard because I feel bad for her and want to help, but I am leaving it to the Universe, saying to myself.
I am letting “S” go she has to clean up her own messes know!
I lost who I considered a close friend 2-3 yrs ago. There are still days when I wonder what the hell happened. We used to do so much together. I felt I had insulted her or done something wrong. It must be my fault somehow. But then I found out that she had ditched a bunch of other friends. She went back to work fulltime, and pulled out of all her clubs. Now I get the day ones, but there we
re a couple she could still attend at night. I waited a few months and built up my courage and called to ask her to lunch. Her response was in a cold voice “not at this time”, WTF? None of us can figure her out except that maybe she needed to make a change in her life, and we were casualties. I am not a person who has many people I consider true friends, so this left a big gap. I feel that now I have only 1 good friend, the type you can call, is interested in your life, cares. Through counseling (for many other things) I have decided I may never know what happened, and I need to stop wondering and move on. What else can you do?
H,
Just thought of something else about my alcoholic mother. My sis and I were discussing our childhood – her preceptions and mine. And she suggested that I could have confronted her on some of the stuff she did to me. But I countered that she would do one of 2 things : denial outright or “I don’t remember” which would made me even madder. By this time she was dead anyway. I have never shed a tear except at the funeral. And I don’t miss her – big surprise there.
And about writing the letter you never send, my therapist recommended that regarding a doctor whom I considered arrogant and unprofessional. When I told her what he said, she was floored. Anyway, I did feel better, and found another much better and more courteous doc.
This too has helped me. I was blind sided by a friend who abruptly terminated a many year friendship, and I still am not sure why. I only have sketchy info from mutual friends. Her behavior was 100% different from anything I’d ever remember seeing…but actually it hadn’t in hindsight (it just never happened to me). I was hurt, upset at not having a chance to sit down and make it right, and then of course angry that she was holding this dangling carrot and wouldn’t talk to me.
But I read this, and realized I need to set better critiria for friends, first off. This was confirmed when I tried to write the letter suggested in #1, and there wasn’t much to the relationship that I could thank her for or cherish, for that fact – that action was extremely therapeutic and a pleasant, side result! I feel that true friends both give and take, each getting something positive from the relationship. They get to know each other certainly. And they don’t take their toys and go home, at a minor miscommunication.
I am sad because I know I was a good friend, and that if things were not so devicive with her, she could be a good friend too. But I am very glad to learn some things about myself and what I need, and to just be …myself.
My friend of 14 years just stopped talking to me for no apparent reason at the beginning of this year. I had invited her to my party she said she could make it then like a week before the party her mother called and said she couldn’t come now. I tried getting in touch with her numerous times. I tried calling her, emailing her, texting and facebook. Never heard from her. I don’t know why and I doubt I ever will. She didn’t even have the guts to tell me herself that she could no longer come to my party.
Hi
I have a close friend of 8 years.We have been through alot.I’ve always loved talking to him and we laugh so much.However, I’ve always been the one doing all the ‘chasing’.Also, he only really calls me when he has an issue.I’ve let this carry on because i thought he would change.I confronted him 4 times on this issue.He doesn’t see it.I’m older now and he;s still doing the same thing.It really hurts me deep to know that i have to distance myself and let the friendship fade.It hurts me to be his friend and it hurts me to break up.but i love myself more.
It’s beginning to look as if I’ve lost my best and only friend. I sort of feel like laughing because it’s such an ironic thing to say. Don’t they always say, “You look like you’ve lost your best friend,”? Well, it’s looking like I have. We’ve been best friends for 43 years. By friends, I mean very, very, very good friends. I don’t think there is anything we haven’t told each other. In the days before computers were common we’d write back and forth (when physically separated). Since we’ve had computers we’ve emailed every day.
We both believed this friendship would never end, not before death at least. I would look ahead and dread those days when one of us became ill, suddenly died, or one of us lost their significant other and had to help the other one through it. Now it’s looking like that will not be necessary.
What’s the issue? Well my friend, who had a very abusive childhood, is starting to deal with an issue from the past; and projecting unresolved feelings of anger on me is a lot safer than confronting the person really responsible. I understand what’s happening, but nevertheless, I don’t deserve it; and if I were to just put up with it I would be disrespecting my friend by assuming a patronizing attitude. A friendship is between equals, and can’t survive without certain things like trust, respect, and integrity.
So today I am :'(
Thank you. I needed that. Letter written, ritual in planning stages.
I’ll never know why the friendship failed, only that it did.
/(v_v,)\
This isn’t a helpful way to end a friendship. Looking at the past and thinking or viewing photo’s only makes you cling to your past.
Well I seem to have lost a friend after incredibly 45 years! We were so close, lots happened over the years-I did one major thing wrong fooling around with his girl back 9in 1981 or so-anyway he reunited with her after 30 years about a year ago but told me after they were dating again for 9 months-anyway I got into business in 1983 he followed same business at times he seemed very competitive anyway after my parents died who really were like his and after we lost our vacation house the rift started and he got divorced and my marriage crumbled although still in it, he just won’t retrun phone calls and I tried to help him get a job very much and felt I was alwaays there for him-anyway I sent a couple texts since he won’t call like can’t beleieve you won’t call after 44 years and the other day Christmas-nice to hear from you- and he sent back don’t send these anymore i am in a good place and want to stay there..It’s really incredible never thought this could happen but clearly he has written me off-what can I say?
I was friends with someone for white some time, roughly 3-4 years. We had a lot of fun when we hung out. I could talk to her about anything, we did almost everything together for a while, and I was even in her wedding. However as time went on, I realized that she was changing into someone I didn’t like and she was making some decisions that probably weren’t the best. They weren’t terrible decisions, but they weren’t good for her in the long run. On top of that I realised that I realized that she was driving me nuts because of those decisions and because of the person she had turned into. She also seemed Luke she didn’t care about anything going on in my life, and she never talked to m-online or through the phone. Not very long ago my gramps died, he was very close to me, and it made me realize that life is too short to deal with people who make you unhappy. Rather than dealing with people who create drama, and drive you crazy and irritate you, you should surround yourself with people who make you laugh and make you happy. So I deleted her from fb and from my life. It hasbeenhard moving on though. I miss having the friend I used to have and the person she used to be. But I can’t so anything about it I guess. This posting has helped a lot though. They are great tips and they do help. So I thank you for posting this 🙂
One of my friends for about the past 5 years just told me that she decided not to be friends with me anymore. This last Dec. I went to her house for dinner and to exchange gifts with her and her hubby. She got drunk (not the first time) started getting angry, I asked what was wrong she said nothing, but it went on then I started to ignore it, but she got worse her hubby didnt say a word to her about her behavior she got so bad I got up in middle of dinner and told them I think I should leave. Well the next morning she txt’d me with a sort of a apology, I didnt respond I thought I deserved at least a phone call so I could hear it…well I did later than night after all the things that I had been there for her death of her father, help her and hubby get their house ready for a hurricane, helped with cat and list goes on. She told me that I wasn’t good enough to be her friend and that we are from two different classes. She went out of town for couple of weeks this bothered me alot and wonder where all of this anger came from..well today she said nothing other than we are no longer friends..I decided I am ok with it because her drinking has cause her a list of problems now she’s lost a dear friends who will never forgive her for the terrible things she said.
Me and my buddy used to hangout, call each others all the time. But the relationship is always one sided, where he complains about his dating dramas, work, career, etc etc and me being a good friend listening to all his issues. While he dating someone, he completely ignore all my calls, text and when the relationship ended he made as it was all my fault. Its amazing how much you see the other ugly sides of your friend when you are no longer friend with them. In the end, Im glad I nolonger have to deals with the sinking ship and the constant narcisistic remarks. Its unfortunate but i guess some friendship are not meant to be forever.
I had been subconsciously trying to detach from a friend whose son and my son had been friends. But their friendship was becoming unhealthy in which her boy was bullying my son. Long story short, my son defended himself one day and punched her son. She took flight with me and accused my son of being the problem. I was calm in her face, never raised my voice and just let her go off. I really liked this friend and we had some fun times and had a lot in common. Now I see her at our school and I can’t even mumble a “hello.” I am just so disgusted and disappointed in myself that I let this friendship continue when it should have been ended sooner. There is no graceful way to back out or end a friendship and in this case, my son did it for us. And himself. I can only deal with this situation by not even acknowledging her because I have such disdain for her and I am not a phony and cannot pretend or make small talk with someone that I loathe. So, I choose to ignore and dismiss. Perhaps not the best way, but it is the only way I know how at this point. But it is something that I encounter nearly ever week at this point and I am trying to find a place for the disappointment I feel.
Just ended a toxic friendship. Had to do this afew times in the last 5 years. Now understand what standards mean. We have to have standards to safe guard ourselves from toxic people. You can’t always be easy going and please others before yourself. You have to be the star of your own life and when you are you will not get taken advantage of. Just try to stay calm and one day you wake up and the pain is gone. Meanwhile, try to enjoy something every day no matter how small it may be. Everyone is struggling in their own way. You are not alone.
My heart is literally broken from a narcisstic woman who came into my life three years ago and lifted me higher than I’ve ever been lifted before!! I fell into her web of dependency and when she had used all my strengths to fill her she dumped me with no remorse and no looking back. She is sick, yet she accused me of needing professional help. I got it, but I’m the normal one….loyal, loving, giving, empathetic. If this sounds familiar to anyone do some research on Narcisstic Personality Disorder. This was a revelation to me. Although my friend’s personality has a name, it hasn’t made it any easier to heal from the devastation she has caused me. I continually think about our good times and what I thought was a soul to soul friendship. I will never get over it….ever!!!! I am just trying to cope right now. It’s been over a year and a half. I loved her like I love my own children. She will not speak to me or respond to me in any way. I do not understand how another human being can be so cruel.
Your comment sounds like a situation I have been suffering with. 8 years of friendship, I bent over backwards, helped with medical crisis, loaned money, you name it I was there. When my world crashed the friend was gone.
My mom died, I got sick, everything went wrong. Now she is all big into attending church but can’t find it in her christian heart, to forgive or respond to messages. How does a christian do that? I’m going to look up NPD.
A few months ago, I moved in together with one of my closest friends. We weren’t much more than a year out of college and it was the first lease for both of us. I thought everything was going just fine, and I was totally open and honest about everything. When she confronted me about things that bothered her, I changed my behavior. I made concessions. I tried to be the best, most accommodating roommate I could think to be. Then, six weeks in, she just up and tells me she can’t live with me and she’s leaving the next day. I can’t afford the place alone, so I got financially and emotionally thrown overboard at the same time.
I find out through Facebook that, two weeks later, when I’m still an emotional wreck and crying every day about our broken friendship, she’s feeling happy and relieved.
I’ll admit I don’t know how to deal with that kind of rejection. Maybe, hopefully, the letter and ritual things will help me separate myself from this enough to stop taking it personally. I know I did everything I could, and she refused to talk to me about what went wrong, but I still keep blaming myself and then getting angry at her in turns.
Christ, it hurts. And it hurts even more to know it didn’t hurt her at all. I guess I’m just relieved to know it’s not weird to be going through what I can only describe as grieving from the loss of a platonic friendship. Sounds horrible but I’m genuinely glad I’m not alone in this.
There are so many comments on here i can relate to. Its good to know one is not crazy because the mourn the loss of a friendship. Many just do not understand what a loss it can be. I have lost my BF of 20 years and BF of 8 years all in a matter of months. It sucks!
I am having difficulties getting past a broken friendship that I place the majority of the blame on myself. My downfall is that my mind primarily works off emperical and tangible evidence. To make a long story short, I need closure, but at this time it I have been advised to not not wise to seek it due to the nature of the termination. How do I tell my mind what my heart already knows, that it is time to move on and in the words of Henry Nouwen “You have to own your loneliness and trust that it will not always be there. The pain you suffer now is meant to put you in touch with the place where you most need healing, your very heart….Dare to stay with your pain, and trust in God’s promise to you.” It’s been 3 1/2 months since my friend and I have parted ways. How long is too long to be sad, even just a little bit?
Thank you for sharing what’s worked for you in this situation; it’s a difficult one that we all go through, and one of the few life experiences that doesn’t get easier to deal with regardless of the number of times we face it. I guess maybe that’s because no two friendships, rejections, betrayals or abandonments are the same. In fact, no single individual is in the same frame of mind, and often isn’t viewing them self or their life from a single fixed perspective from day to day and is therefor not, them self, entirely the same person from one day to the next. Thats also why I think it may do more harm than help to think about what I’ll say if I run into someone – not only is it wasted time since it never ever happens, i have no idea how I’d feel if it did and any planned statement I may have come up with may be wildly inappropriate and incongruent.
I just wanted to comment here too. I’m in my mid 30s, and just this year my “best friend” and I stopped talking after being friends since third grade. She was at my wedding and the birth of my child. For years, we’ve had a rocky relationship. She is the kind of person who loves you one day and then the next week she isn’t speaking to you because of some perceived slight. She is always going through some kind of drama with somebody in her life, whether it be her mom or one of her friends. We’ve gone lengths of time without talking before, and we always end up somehow becoming friends again. The friendship is always unhealthy though. She has specific expectations of everyone to be a certain way. She is obsessive-compulsive and has insane beliefs about how everyone should act and what friendships should be. I’ve never said anything mean to her in all these years but she has been really hurtful many times. This last time I don’t even know what it was that happened. I got a new career and she just quit talking to me. Wouldn’t return my calls, and deleted me from facebook. I have had anxiety over it for about 6 months now when I think about it. I know I’m better off without her to constantly be fighting with or explaining myself to. It was so draining and unpleasant to be around her most of the time. I always felt she was judging me and never knew what might set her off. So I haven’t gone to any trouble trying to rekindle her friendship but for some reason it still really saddens me and makes me uncomfortable when I think about it. Gonna try some of the suggestions here to help with it.
Thank you for this article. I’ve been experiencing loss of friendships this past year and it’s taken an emotional toll. I’m def going to practice all of these steps and hope to find peace. Thank you for providing this great article. Feeling better already. 🙂
I took the advice in this article to write a good-bye letter and I had an epiphany while doing so. I realized that every time that I thought about my former friend and the ways she cut me out of her life, I would try to understand why she did it and end up beating myself up with a list of my own flaws and mistakes. I realized that I was putting words in her mouth in order to blame myself for everything, when in this case, we both share the blame to some degree. Now when i start to think about the friendship, I try to remind myself why I liked her in the first place, and what she liked about me. We may not be friends any more, and I may never fully understand what happened, but I can try to remember that I have a lot of positive qualities and many potential new friends out there for the making.
I am currently going thru this with my bf of 6 years she was always there for me always supported me even when I nearly died would ring me for hours on end send me beautiful and encouraging texts would be protective and angry if someone upset me let me into her family who really seemed to like me then 3 months ago she cut contact wouldn’t answer my texts etc, she briefly messaged me 3 weeks ago to say she loved me very much and felt so bad but over Xmas and new year she never contact me at all, I am grieving badly I miss her but I guess she has a reason and realize I probably will never find out and for my sanity I have to move on.
I guess it is therapeutic just to share… I met up with my first love a month after my marriage ended for good. I had been married to an abusive man for 10 years. He was a crack addict, drinker, porn addict and adulterer. He abused me on every level. I stayed because of the kids and because I was co-dependant. He finally made another woman pregnant and left to live in another city. I found out about this all just after giving birth alone to our third child. So there I was, single Mother of 3, with no one to lean on and in walks my first love…who had ironically just left a very volitile relationship himself. Oh how I latched onto him and he to me. I overlooked that he was struggling with addiction, was very…unsettled and emotionally unstable…The bond was sudden and intense but caused me immediate anxiety and stress. Physically we just couldnt seem to relax around each other. Neither of us was ready for a relationship…so we opted to just be friends. Though for me that didnt work out too well. We chatted everyday, shared everything but something niggled at the back of my soul, got along so well. It felt like we were meant to be together although…we werent actually together. After 2 years of playing games I moved 3 hours away back in with my parents. I think it was all just too much.Somehow we ended up chatting again and were soon back in the same pattern. I kept breaking it off because I knew that it wasnt healthy. He would message me every day but as soon as I mentioned the possibility of a relationship he put me back in the friendship box. It was so frustrating because he was relating to me as if we were more than friends but in reality we werent. I didnt realise at the time what this was doing to me on an emotional and psychological level. I focused on the bond of friendship, I cared deeply for him and helped him with everything. I now realise that I was emotionally addicted to him. He had encouraged this to use me to fix his life. I gave everything (as I had done in my previous marriage) and just like my ex, he lapped it all up. The stronger he got(yes I am an excellent fixer) the weaker I got. He recently announced he is moving to another country. My heart and soul shattered. Oh…but he still wants to be “my friend”…why lead me on by saying the things he did (complimentary, flirtatious, hinting of possibility, sharing so much of himself to me) only to disgaurd me like a used up nothing. Sadly it seems he only seems to want to stay friends because I motivate, encourage, inspire and focus on him. So he wants me to carry on doing this and lable it friendship. I cant do it anymore. It hurts so much to walk away because yes, like the good little codependent I am I am actually worrying about hurting him! I feel so confused but I know that after 5 years of intense emotional closeness, if the canary is still singing the same lame tune then I have to shoot it (well not literally but walk away yes). I cant make somebody commit to me. I cant force him to love me. Crazy thing is I am attractive (not being vain) and I am pretty damn awesome! Patient, kind, creative, funny. He said I am all that and beautiful and awesome and a whole lot of other things…yet he’s leaving. Just like that. He too has not had another relationship in all this time. Yet he says he is sorry I fell in love with him…so he obviously doesnt love me…yet he wants to be my friend…but friends dont talk that often and share that deeply. I am confused, angry, hurt. I know he has done this to other woman. Is he a psycho? What is wrong with him? Now I want to walk away but can you believe how hard it is? Its like tearing yourself apart in an attempt to let go. I guess we both have major emotional wounds and we need to stay away from each other and all sembences of romantic interests. Its crazy really. On the surface we seem so good together but theres too much going on under the surface and I feel like I have been taken for a major ride. He is so kind, polite and friendly though… it doesnt compute in my brain? Does he care, doesnt he care? Even after all this time I dont actually know. I am actually going to end the friendship and walk away if for no other reason than its hurting me and driving me crazy. Pray that I will have the strength not to get sucked in again. I will focus on myself, my kids and God and go through this step by step. I think I have a lot of work to do on me…to stop myself from repeating these patterns! To stop the cycle. To grieve BOTH entanglements and learn to love myself! Rambling, sorry but these other comments inspired me to let it all out. Doesnt really feel better yet but maybe its a start in the right direction. God bless. L
I suppose nobody reads this blog anymore. I am hurting and desperately seeking advice. 3.5 years ago I rekindled a once painful friendship of over 20 years with a woman. The last falling out was 10 years ago where I actually needed therapy to get me through the obsessive thoughts and the endless emotional roller coaster going on in my head.
This time around I set boundaries. It was basically a phone friendship for the first two years where I felt safe. Eventually those boundaries were broken as I’ve seen her 6 times in the past 1.5 years. Three times with a mutual friend, three times just her and I.
My feelings were in check. I no longer had any physical attraction to her, but something about her tears at my heart. Always has. Two months ago she was diagnosed with stage 3 to borderline 4 liver disease. She has been drinking heavy since her late teens (40 years). Sadly she won’t seek help and continues to drink, perhaps not as much but…
Since the diagnosis I have been consumed by her situation. My feelings from the past have risen again although I keep them to myself. She calls me her best friend and her rock, saying I know her more than her own family. Now I’m getting pings of jealousy because there may be another man in her life, meanwhile I’ve been her ear to vent and shoulder to cry on over the phone.
I don’t understand what I am now feeling. I feel helpless, brokenhearted, confused, sad, angry. It didn’t bother me before when she was spending time with another guy, why does it now? A part of me wants to walk away but I’m afraid of the pain I will feel once again, but I also don’t want to abandon her during this dark time of her life even though she is killing herself. I don’t know what to do. Should I avoid her phone calls. Should I stop being her “rock” knowing that is just a word and she will find someone else to vent and cry to? HELP ME, PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!!
Friend, you are between the proverbial rock and a hard place.
I see you wrote this two years ago. I hope that things have clarified in your mind since then.
It must seem selfish to leave a friend with a terrible disease. But it sounds as though you were/are in a place of fear: fear of abandonment, fear of rejection, fear of being rejected. I hope you’ve sought out some professional help, because those issues need to be sorted out. I can understand your not wanting to bail on a dying person, and that’s what’s killing you. Please find someone – if you have not already – who can help you. It is impossible for anyone to suggest to you what you should do.
Hi Therese – Just wanted to thank you for this supportive article. I was particularly helped by the Henri Nouwen quote you included. Thanks again!
I have a ex who I have stayed friends with for 7 years who is an alcoholic and has been an alcoholic for 20 years. He moved away from the town I live in as he was about to become homeless. His brother took him in. He is 54 years old.
After another binge he texted me and because I told him I as frustrated with his lifestyle, he completely stopped all communication with me. As I was very worried about him and I still care greatly for him, I flew down to see him. He was so mean to me and told me he doesn’t care about me at all. He hasn’t spoken to me since, How can someone be so ungrateful! I would be so happy and appreciative if someone spent all that money and time to come and see me.
How do I let go of this relationship?
I guess I didn’t need closure because I’m the one that ended the friendship with Dominic and I know the reasons they were because he never made time for me because he was always with his girlfriend and the friendship was one sided and I don’t have time for that kind of friendship at all he put his girlfriend first all the time like not just sometimes but all the time I wasn’t really happy in that friendship anymore because it had changed so much yes I still have the memories but they fade after time has passed me I’m still trying to get through this even though I’m the one that cut the ties
Hi…So I’m not sure anyone reads these comments anymore, as it appears most all are from some time ago. I am consumed with needing to read and learn about others in the same friendship ending situation as myself…I don’t know….I suppose to feel like I’m not alone….to feel like I’m not a bad person, or unvalued person…to know that I WILL get past this tremendous pain. It’s most difficult because when I say I am alone…I mean I am alone! I have no friends, no husband, no children, and basically no family…it has all been so crushing to deal with at 59 years of age. I was married to an alcoholic (there goes the marriage and no kids), and for 9 years I have been taking care of my elderly parents (my Dad passed away 4 years ago from Alzheimers) and for the past 5 years my Mom has been living with me just off of hospice (was on hospice for 2 yrs) about a year ago. All situations have proven to be emotionally, mentally, and physically straining…and very much isolating! Okay so the friendship….since I was 13 years old (the past 45 years) I have had a BFF. Her family (husband I’ve know since they were dating), and 2 kids are my family. Her daughter is my Goddaughter, which I have always thought so very special. We take trips together, celebrate holidays together, attend special occasions together….you get the picture…they are my family! Fast forward to a few months ago…my friend ended our friendship. She was smiling as I walked out her door crying and devastated (to say the least). I honestly had no reason to believe we wouldn’t grow old together and laugh about the whole process of aging . The main theme to ending the friendship is that she feels it has been “lopsided” for a very long time. She says she is always having to try to get together with me, etc…. I have always been there for her…I have dropped everything and anything to help her when she’s asked….I have seen her through some very difficult times….heck, at her Mom’s funeral I read the eulogy. She actually was not aware I was divorced (that’s right she was not around), but I gave her slack because she has seen me through dealing with my alcoholic husband (which I know was not easy). She used to say being with me was like “being forced to watch a really bad movie over and over again”. Mind you she is super unhappy in her marriage (also have been there for her regarding situations with her husband), but she would never divorce (what? deal with money stuff and be alone…no way). Also, other than asking me over, here and there, for dinner…she has never been around as a support system while dealing with caring for my parents. No asking “how are you and your parents doing”…no coming by with wine to talk and laugh…nothing! I took 13 weeks family medical leave to care for my Dad in the hospital and I never heard a thing from her. So here I am…losing a friend, a family, a Goddaughter… I am lost. I also am so very saddened to not see the same sadness on their end…life moves on ya know. Did I really not mean anything to them? She has tons of friends…most she met as all Mom’s raising their kids. They are married, children, and are certainly not hurting for money. I was definitely being bullied by her when I look back…but I thought of her like a sister…and that just kinda happens sometimes. I don’t think she has ever been the one to say I’m sorry either. So…here I am…crying everyday…how did I not have an impact on people’s lives after 45 years??! I am very much an empathetic and sincere person….so it’s not like she could claim I was not there for her…I was always there for her, but just very preoccupied in the past several years. My Goddaughter is having her first child in another couple weeks and I am just saddened that I will not be a part of the joy! It has been 4 months now and I am still as hurt as I was in January…..I am so sad to think that in another few years this will just be a thing of the past, distant memories…brings tears to my eyes!!