Young people

Leaving Friends and Getting New Ones

Friendships can be very special, having somebody you can trust and share things with is great, but sometimes things can go wrong.

It is very common for friends to fall out or outgrow each other. You may begin to have different interests or feel that your friend has changed.

Leaving your friendship behind can be difficult. OK, so you may actually want to move away from this person, but it will still be tough for both of you. Firstly you will be used to having them around and secondly, you will have to go out and find new people to befriend.

If you truly decide that the friendship is over, you may want a nice clean break, but chances are things will get a bit sticky. You might end up disliking, even hating your old best mate. Such feelings might get you angry, annoyed or even a bit miffed that something so good can turn sour. These things sometimes happen, so try not to let it get you down. Remind yourself that the friendship obviously wasn’t meant to be and get on with your life, there’s always a new friend waiting around the corner.

The end of a friendship isn't always like a celebrity divorce. You may find you just drift apart but are still quite happy to see one another. If this is the case, then why not try to keep in touch? There may be a time when you want to catch up and see what turns each other's lives have taken.

If you find yourself all alone now that your friendship is over, do not despair. There are many ways to gain new friends – go back to the Friends page and read the Where do I Find Friends? section.