During my senior year before the pandemic, me and my two best friends were the closest, but weeks into the lockdown, I became depressed or just not in the right mindset. I thought it would be best for me to take a break from my social life to focus on myself. About a month into lockdown, Sarah and Ashley claimed that I was distancing myself, and they felt like I did not want to be friends, which was weird. Over time, I chose not to be their friend anymore because I did not like the vibe and energy. A lesson I learned is your closest friends can be your downfall.
Through this pandemic, I struggled with mental health problems. My friendship during COVID became rocky. I lost a friendship with my friends Sarah and Ashley because they were selfish and did not try to understand what I was going through. I expressed how I felt numerous times, yet I was put down over and over getting told I was the bad friend because I decided to have mental health problems, which I couldn’t help. Sarah and Ashley showed me who they were that day by not showing empathy toward me during this rough patch in my life. I felt terrible for days, they posted on social media talking about me of course without mentioning my name, but I knew it was about me. They messaged me, saying I was never into our relationship and that I didn’t value friendship.
As months passed, I realized that they were terrible to me because friends shouldn’t put you down and make you feel less of yourself. Friends should uplift you and make you feel safe. I’m glad I ended my relationship with those toxic high-school friends. My mental health since then has improved drastically, and I feel like a new person with a weight off my shoulder. Pro tip: if you ever feel like your friendship is draining you and they show no empathy towards you at your lowest, remove them from your life and boss up.
High-school friends can claim to be your friends like my ex-friends Sarah and Ashley, but when it’s how they want your friendship once you start to get to know yourself and focus on you and your health, people soon change and become bitter. The best way to get over friends is by minding your business and not allowing yourself to become friends with them again. Learn from your experience with people and associate with new friends that have your best interests at heart.
The world pandemic we are in right now can be super stressful for people. We as people are used to the conditions we live in at the moment, but that is why you should have a supportive friend or a group of friends to help you cope with reality and ease your mind. One thing I learn during the pandemic is the friends I had really weren’t my true friends, and the signs were clear. Now that I know what true friends look like, I will never accept less. If you began to realize your friends have been distant or changed, you might want to have a conversation with them to figure out what the problem is. Express how you feel about this change, but don’t make it into an argument because you won’t get anywhere like that. To gain back your social life, just have an open mind to meeting new people at Holy Family or your work place. Make every moment count even if that means getting out of your comfort zone.
My name is Kamren Dutton. I’m a first-year student, currently undecided with Nursing Interest.
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