by Jessica Brown of ContemporaryVA

The loss of a close friend, either through mutual agreement or death, can overwhelm us with a variety of feelings. You may experience fluctuating emotions that one day has you doing everything in your power to avoid feelings of pain, anxiety and helplessness caused by the loss; and another day has you feeling like life is normal again.

Losing a friendship can be just as devastating as losing a romantic partner. Friendships are a huge part of life and truly deep friendships can last far longer than some romantic relationships, causing a greater impact on our emotional and physical well-being. Invested friendships consist of learning our true personality because we are less uptight and not as concerned as impressing a romantic interest. For this very reason it is possibly more painful when a long-term friendship ends.

The answer for some in order to cope with such a loss is to make believe the friendship was not as special as it truly was. This is a form of denial and is experienced quite often. Along with denial comes anger and hurt. Many question, “Why?” when sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to why a relationship or life must end. Anger and hurt are powerful emotions and could consume you if you try to suppress them.

Another way to cope with the loss of a friend is through the art of distraction. Meditation and muscle relaxation methods can help you to connect with your inner being and allow yourself to come to terms with the facts of the loss. These two methods also help to reduce your stress level so that you are more open to reality and more able to accept and move on with your life.

Have you encountered a loss of a dear friend? Share your story below.