A 14-year-old has taken to Reddit to seek advice about friendship. The teenager, with the Reddit username Responsible_Fig_4887, posted a story titled “Why is everyone leaving me?” (Friendship). In her story, Original Poster (OP) detailed how she lost all her friends in one day and was constantly bullied at school. Redditors reacted to her story and advised her on what to do. Get more details below.
Teenager Loses All Her Friends
OP began by explaining that she had suddenly become friendless in one day due to no fault of hers. She had been bullied for over eight years, so she didn’t think she had done anything wrong. It turned out that everyone stayed away from OP after a new girl joined her school. The new girl warned OP’s prospective friends away, claiming OP was “weird.” The teenager also lost her two besties, who said they were happy to get rid of OP. She added:
“Most of the people at school just ignore me or make mean comments about me. I’ve gotten used to it but I’m really starting to feel alone.”
OP concluded by asking:
“I would be grateful for some advice.”
A Redditor Shares Their Thoughts
A Redditor with the username No_Geologist_5412 read OP’s story and shared their thoughts. No_Geologist_5412 consoled OP and shared their experience, which was similar to the teenager’s. The Redditor was an immigrant in high school who found making new buddies difficult, much like OP. No_Geologist_5412 reassured the 14-year-old that she wasn’t the problem and it sometimes took a while to make friends in high school. They also shared that some friends would stay forever, while some wouldn’t.
The Redditor advised OP to try to make friends outside school since the other option was proving difficult. They asked the teenager to consider recreational clubs not associated with her school. No_Geologist_5412 concluded:
“Very often we are led to believe that we can only have friends in highschool, but we can make friends outside of high school as well, and those friendships can help us build confidence and eventually make some friends in high school too. I hope this helps, and I hope it gets better for you.”
How to Make Friends Easily
It can be difficult to make friends as a high school student or an adult. You may struggle to overcome your social awkwardness or open up to others. However, you need friends for many reasons. Friends will be there to celebrate you and increase your sense of belonging. Having friends also helps to improve your sense of self-worth and mental and physical health. Older people who also have friends are more likely to live longer.
Making friends often requires effort, and having good friends is more important than having many. If you find it difficult to make new pals, you need to be friendly. It’s easier to attract friends when you smile and ensure your body language shows you’re open to making new friends. Be helpful, volunteer, attend events, accept invitations, and ask people to be your friends. However, you should not lose your identity while trying to do so. By doing the above, you will find it easier to be in good friendships.
#Clique, have you ever experienced loneliness? How did it feel? How did you overcome your loneliness and use it to your advantage? Let us know in the comments.