Seven Friendship Recovery Affirmations

Most friendships don't last forever. If you are reeling from a failed friendship or one that seemed to drift apart, here are some thoughts to help you get over the hurt. It may even be more helpful to substitute your own.

Repeat these affirmations as many times as it takes to actually feel them and believe them!

• Lost friendships are a part of life.

• The sudden loss of a friendship doesn't invalidate the meaningfulness of the relationship that once was.

• Grief and mourning are normal after the loss of a good friend.

• The more important the relationship was, the longer it will take to heal.

• Every broken friendship offers lessons to inspire better ones in the future.

• Blame isn't the answer since it impedes forgiveness and provokes anger.

• Closure doesn't take two; it's something I can work on independently.

Are there other affirmations that have worked for you?

Irene S. Levine, PhD is a freelance journalist and author. She holds an appointment as a professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine and is working on a book about female friendships, Best Friends Forever: Surviving A Break-up With Your Best Friend, that will be published by Overlook Press in September, 2009. She recently co-authored Schizophrenia for Dummies (Wiley, 2008). She also blogs about female friendships at The Friendship Blog.