Good Relationships: Who Should Be In Your Inner Circle?

Do You Need Help?

Are you in an emotionally difficult place right now? One way to foster healing of the bruises inflicted on your soul during tough times is to seek out comfort in the form of comforting and nourishing personal relationships.

Indeed, many people who are facing difficulties in life that challenge them emotionally may find it hard to connect with people at this time. If we’re feeling down on ourselves, we may discover that we have become especially sensitive to even the slightest perceived criticism.

Certain personality types that we used to shrug off with ease may now grate on our tender nerves. Friends who seem excessive in their need for attention and adulation may not be the right kind to surround themselves with at the moment. When we are dealing with emotional trauma it’s hard enough to nurture our own well-being, let alone have anything left over to invest in the emotional needs of another person.

It’s okay to take a step or two backward in your personal relationships during a difficult time. You could be going through something that not everyone faces, like a divorce, loss of a loved one, financial hardship, or something else that is devastating to you personally.

Don’t Seek Help in the Wrong Places

In this case, you might want to limit your exchanges with others who will be inclined to overwhelm and confuse you with all sorts of conflicting advice.

Don’t add guilt to your already long list of emotional burdens. While healing from emotional trauma, you may be struggling with anger, sadness, confusion, overwhelm, and other strong emotions. You may want to sleep more than usual, or perhaps you have become anxious and can’t seem to get the rest your body needs in order to heal.

If there are people in your life who cause you extra mental anguish or demand too much of your time and energy, stay away from them at this time. Your mental health must become a priority if you have recently come out of an emotionally traumatic circumstance.

Remember, you don’t owe anyone an apology, and you aren’t obligated to feed into any drama should people want to pull you into their antics.

How to Find the Right People to Support You

Instead of putting your mental health at further risk, at a sensitive time of emotional healing, choose to surround yourself with friends who comfort and care for you. Some possibilities…

Seek the support of a long-time friend. With social media dominating our every free moment, we often end up in an odd friend situation based on who’s logging on or showing interest in what we share on Facebook. Sometimes the best thing we can do for our emotional health reaches out to someone whom we know we can trust and who can soothe our hurt feelings and lift us up in our time of need.

When it comes to friends, think outside the box. A community member whom you don’t know well but who has shared some personal difficulties as you have could become a friend through this experience. If you can muster up the energy, choose someone special to share with (but do it with care).

Take support groups a step further. If your personal struggle has you seeking the advice of a group of like-minded individuals who are going through what you are currently facing, such as addiction or loss or recovery from abuse, choose one of those relationships to take a step further. You might have a friend in the group that you seem to connect with. Try reaching out to that person to see if you can’t be a beacon of hope for each other.

Check out the RESOURCES page to chart your course and build your tribe.

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