Not all friendship losses are the same, and understanding the type of loss you’ve experienced can help you navigate your grief. Friendships, like all relationships, evolve over time. Sometimes they end suddenly, while other times they fade gradually, but regardless of how it ends, the loss of connection to people we've held close can be deeply painful.
This blog post is Part 3 of a 5 part series on Friendship loss. Subscribe here to make sure you don't miss out on the remaining pieces.
Here are the most common types of friendship loss we most often see:
Abrupt Endings
These occur when a conflict, betrayal, or misunderstanding causes an immediate break. The suddenness can leave you reeling, replaying conversations, and searching for answers.
Abrupt endings often feel unresolved, as there may not be an opportunity for closure or explanation. When our relationships feel incomplete, the grief that comes along with these endings can feel difficult and confusing to process.
The Gradual Drift
Sometimes, friendships fade over time due to life transitions like moving, changing jobs, or entering new life stages. This type of loss can evoke feelings of guilt or regret, as it’s not always clear when or why the connection weakened. These losses can feel bittersweet, as they often happen without direct conflict, and yet grief is still present as the relationship ends.
Unspoken Distance
In some cases, friendships persist in name but lose their depth, intimacy, and closeness. This can feel like a quiet grief, mourning what the relationship once was. Unspoken distance often arises when priorities shift or when both friends avoid addressing the growing gap.
External Circumstances
Sometimes, external factors like relocation, demanding schedules, or changes in social dynamics create an unavoidable wedge. While there may be no ill feelings, the distance and change in dynamics can still be painful.
Each type of loss comes with its own challenges. Recognizing the form your loss has taken can help you find the right tools to process your emotions and find your way forward. It’s also important to acknowledge that no matter how a friendship ends, the pain you feel is valid.
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About Us:
Weaving Grief specializes in compassionate grief therapy for individuals navigating loss of any kind, relationship transitions, chronic illness and existential questions about life and death. By addressing these profound experiences, Weaving Grief empowers clients to grieve freely and live fully. Through somatic practices and meaningful reflection, we’re here to help you navigate these tender moments and rediscover the fullness of life.
Specific areas of focus: death of a loved one (recent or past), life changing transitions, relationship transitions and break ups, pregnancy loss, grief around family planning, chronic illness, loss of Self, and supporting entrepreneurs through the grief that comes with growth.
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