best friend got dumped
Start writing a post
Swoon

Watching Your BFF Go Through A Breakup Isn't Easy, But The Best Thing You Can Do Is Support Them

I feel both helpless to be able to cure her pain and I feel empathetic to her pain, like I just went through a breakup myself.

186
best girl friends standing back to back
Caroline Payne

Recently, I had to watch my best friend go through a breakup. I'd seen her go through ones before, breakups from short relationships that weren't really going anywhere and long ones where she felt she would never heal after each. As a spectator to her heartache, I feel both helpless to be able to cure her pain and I feel empathetic to her pain, like I just went through a breakup myself. Watching someone you're so close to go through breakups never truly gets easier, but I've recently come to some realizations about what to do.

The main thing to do in this situation is to offer your company. Even if your friend doesn't think they need it or aren't exactly sure what they want, they will appreciate spending time with someone that they can either say nothing or everything to, and the friendship will still be strong. As a best friend, I know that I can sit around and do nothing with my BFF and be content, so whether you do something active or just chill, your effort to be around will be enjoyed.

You can also try to offer your own advice in this situation, and don't just focus solely on how terrible your friend's ex is. You should definitely acknowledge any problems the ex contributed to the relationship because that probably factored into the breakup. As a best friend though, you should feel secure enough in your friendship that you can tell it like is to your BFF about their behavior and what they can learn from for their next relationship. What you can also say is ideas about how to move on, how to acknowledge their ex as something that hurts them but also how to put their ex on the back burner after a time in order to focus their happiness. I told my friend that the timing and the distance were definitely factors in their breakup that would one day be overcome by a relationship she would have in the future.

The last important thing you want to do in this situation is let your BFF know that they are just as strong and awesome as they are without a significant other as they are with them. You should never make them feel like they don't deserve a healthy, happy relationship because many people do. You should remind them that their single status is not a bad place to be in and that working on themselves should be a priority, rather than rushing to find a new SO. Since my friend's breakup was recent, I'm going to continue to be there for support rather than push her to do things she doesn't want to do, and when she's ready, I'll be the same friend I've always been, hanging out with her and having her back.

Report this Content
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

50645
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

32387
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

955648
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

180719
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments