In life, it is important to have friends. Good friends. Navigating the ins and outs of friendship can be complicated for everyone. We may have long-lasting friendships, those that were existent for a “reason and a season,” and those that are just plain toxic that need to be put in the trash. Navigating healthy friendships with a mental illness comes with its own set of problems.

It can be especially difficult to navigate healthy friendships with a mental illness. It certainly has been for me on my journey. When I was 19, I was [mis]diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. I remember one thing clearly when discussing it with my provider. A cornerstone element would be having trouble with interpersonal relationships, which didn’t come as a surprise because I had already felt the effects of that. Even though my diagnosis is different, it still comes with the same issue. With a mental illness comes factors that, perhaps, the neuro-typical do not have. 

Often, we are riddled with intense fears of abandonment, loneliness, and fear. These things can factor into our tendency to keep negative people close to us, and that is the worst thing we can do for our mental health

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