Mental Wellness Matters: Friendship

By MICHELLE DEMINICK on April 1, 2022.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, wrote, “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” Take a moment and ask yourself if you are a good friend? Do you have a good solid relationship with oneself? Look at your relationships around you? Are they healthy? Are you seeking more connection and belonging?

The Oxford dictionary defines relationships as the way in which two or more concepts, objects or people are connected, or the state of being connected.

We are social creatures and we need human interaction and relationships. Healthy relationships are a vital component of health and wellbeing. There is compelling evidence that strong relationships contribute to a long, healthy and happy life.

Roy Baumeister and Mark Leary (1995) argue that the need to belong is a primitive human need to form and maintain lasting, positive and significant interpersonal relationships. The lack of belongingness causes various undesirable effects, including a decrease in the levels of health, happiness and adjustment. People who lack belongingness suffer higher levels of mental and physical illness and are more susceptible to a range of behavioral problems.

 Research also suggests, in many cases, people are resistant to terminate even the most destructive and abusive relationships. The need to belong goes far beyond the need for superficial relationships or sexual interactions; it is a need for meaningful, profound and intimate bonding. A sense of belongingness is essential to our well-being.

At Canadian Mental Health in Medicine Hat, The Recovery College program offers an eight-week course called “The Art of Friendship.”

Strong friendships give us the power to be our true selves; when we have strong friendships, we feel respected and valued and we work hard to find ways to show our friends that we respect and value them. Strong friendships take work! This eight-week course will help you learn about yourself, what you say, the way you act, and how all of your actions can affect relationships with others. Focusing on these aspects, helps us gain confidence in our relationships and we will be more likely to achieve our friendship goals.

Life can be challenging at times, especially over the last few years and if you are looking to find that connection and belonging and seeking to make those changes to transform, please reach out and contact us. We look forward to hearing from you here at Canadian Mental Health, Recovery College.

Michelle Deminick is the Recovery Trainer at Canadian Mental Health Association, Alberta Southeast Region and can be reached at recoverytrainer@cmha-aser.ca or 403-504-1811. To find out more about CMHA programs and/or events visit http://www.cmha-aser.ca. If you are in crisis, call the Distress Centre at (403) 1-800-784-2433.

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