Elite Daily includes Dr. Danielle Forshee, Psy.D., ’s expertise on how to tell your friends in relationships that you miss them
Since graduation, one of the most startling realizations I’ve faced is how difficult it is to maintain adult friendships. Even as a student, I got a taste of this when everyone in my friend group was off doing their own thing — serial-dating every girl or guy on campus, drowning in six classes a semester so they could graduate a year early, or working three part-time jobs off campus to cover tuition and living expenses. Maybe you can’t work around those last two things but you can figure out how to tell your friends in relationships you feel left out.
It’s unreasonable to expect your friends to prioritize your friendship for the rest of their lives. Circumstances change and people grow up. Sometimes, they even grow apart. Before you let that happen though, you should at least make an effort to salvage your friendship, even if it looks a bit differently now than it used to.
What you need now is not a plan of attack but a mediation strategy — a way to show your friends that, although you’re thrilled about their newfound romantic fulfillment, you still miss their company from time to time. I spoke with Dr. Danielle Forshee, Psy.D., doctor of psychology and a licensed clinical social worker, about how to navigate this difficult transition without pushing your friends away.
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