How to Maintain Your Friendships While You Fight Depression
4 steps to regain your sense of social well-being
Relationships are complicated. When battling depression, maintaining your relationships feels like an impossible task.
Recently, my articles have been focused on mental health or relationships, so it only fits that I explore how mental health affects our relationships. My most recent article on this topic examines the Dunbar Theory. I’ll attach a link at the end of this article if you want to read more about it, but I will also summarize here.
Our brains are wired for 5–15 intimate relationships — and I’m not talking about sexual relationships. You are wired to have 5–15 people that you can turn to for anything. You confide in each other and go to each other for advice.
Your next circle consists of 50 close friends, then 150 casual friends. For the topic today, I’ll stick mainly with your intimate circles, but these concepts apply to all of your circles.
The truth is, all of your circles shrink when you’re in the depths of depression. Intimate friendships slide backwards into close friends, and close friends become casual. Casual friends start disappearing. It might not be a reality, but that is what it feels like with depression.
