What happens when friendship breaks your heart?

What happens when friendship breaks your heart? (Photo: iStock)

When a friendship ends, the toll often cuts deeper than we expect. Many of these losses come suddenly, just when you had envisioned a “best friend forever,” only for the bond to unravel without warning. Unlike romantic break-ups, society rarely prepares us for the grief of losing a close friend, leaving us unsure how to process the pain.

Vincent Macharia, a therapist with a background in sociology, explains that this kind of ending is uniquely heavy. “The loss of a friend can be even more painful than a romantic split. Friendships hold a unique place in our lives, often tied to our sense of identity and belonging. When they end, grieving is not only natural but also necessary,” he says. “Allowing yourself to grieve,” he adds, “is the very first step in moving forward. Suppressing the emotions only makes them linger longer. Closure, whether through a conversation or a symbolic gesture such as writing an unsent letter, can ease that weight and help the heart let go.”