Can Friendships Be Repaired-or Are Some Endings Final?

"You're at a party, pleasantly chatting up some new acquaintances, when you see an old friend across the room. You haven't spoken in years. It's not comfortable, but you talk for a moment and are left wondering if you should try to restart the friendship. Or, alternately, it's a friendship that ruptured after an argument, a while ago, and the tone of your reconnection is distinctly cold."

"Active endings, such as arguments or "friendship breakups," occur when a relationship is dissolved through direct communication; passive ones occur when a friendship gradually fades away over time. People whose friendships have ended in an active, direct fashion will experience clarity, which may focus the emotional pain tied to the end of the relationship and permit a more direct resolution-a sense of "closure.""

"Friendship repair requires mutual effort, accountability, and communication; one person cannot fix it alone."

Friendships can end abruptly through direct conflict or dissolve slowly through drift, and each pathway produces distinct emotional consequences. Direct endings often produce clarity and a more focused emotional resolution, while ambiguous, gradual endings can diffuse pain and prolong recovery. Repairing a friendship typically requires mutual accountability, open communication, and active effort from both people; unilateral attempts rarely restore balance. Letting a friendship go can be the healthier option when the relationship is persistently high-conflict, unbalanced, or damaging to personal well-being. Decisions should weigh safety, reciprocity, and emotional cost.

Read at Psychology Today