How to Help a Friend in a Bad Relationship

by katie5 in Relationships, April 7, 2009

It’s hard to sit by and watch a close friend struggle through a relationship. It’s hard to sit there and watch them get hurt over and over again. So what do you do when your friend can’t seem to let go?

There are alot of people who go through the basic problems in relationships. The hardest part is watching someone you care about go through it. You start to ask yourself why do they even love them anymore? Why don’t they just leave them? They deserve so much better. While this all may be true, you have to remember that you are just the friend. You can not make any decisions for them. This is a experience where they will have to make big decisions on their own.

I’m going to give you some basic steps that will help you get through this with your friend. All you can really do is just be there. These steps will help you keep your friendship strong, and help your friend decide what they need to do.

Listen: Listen to whatever they say. Even if you do not agree completely, listen. They need to vent, they need to get their feelings out. Don’t interrupt them, or start dazing off. Let them know they can confide in you.
Give advice: Give advice if they ask for it. Don’t make any demands even though you may feel the urge to. They will only push you away if you do, leaving them more alone. Also, give positive advice. Don’t start talking down on the other person. This will not help.
Be patient: Relationships are hard to understand and deal with. This will probably be one of the hardest things to go through. You need to stay by their side and not rush them. For some people they can end things fast, while others may take months.
Seek help. This is a tough one. If there are any signs of abuse, you need to get help. The problem is, is your friend needs to be okay with it. If they are not and you get help anyway, they may leave or you could just make things even more worst for the couple. If at all possible, take your friend and leave.